Mapping The Median Age In Each US State

In 2022, the median age for the United States as a whole was 39 years, but the median age by state has a lot more variance.

Some states have more work or school available for younger workforces and families. Others have better work or retirement support for older populations, or are struggling to attract families.

Visual Capitalist’s Nick Routley maps the median age of each U.S. state using the latest 2022 data available from the U.S. Census Bureau as compiled by StatsAmerica.

Ranking The Oldest U.S. States by Median Age

Overall, Maine had the highest median age by state in 2022 at 45 years old. That puts it on the higher end and in line with countries like Italy and Greece.

Here are all states and Washington D.C. ordered from the oldest to youngest by median age:

Rank	State	Median Age (2022)
1	Maine	45
2	New Hampshire	43
3	Vermont	43
4	West Virginia	43
5	Florida	43
6	Delaware	42
7	Connecticut	41
7	Pennsylvania	41
9	Hawaii	41
10	Rhode Island	41
11	Wisconsin	40
12	New Jersey	40
12	Oregon	40
12	South Carolina	40
15	Michigan	40
15	Montana	40
17	Massachusetts	40
18	New York	40
19	Ohio	40
20	Maryland	40
21	Alabama	39
21	Kentucky	39
23	Illinois	39
23	Missouri	39
23	North Carolina	39
23	Wyoming	39
27	Tennessee	39
28	New Mexico	39
28	Virginia	39
30	Minnesota	39
30	Nevada	39
32	Iowa	39
33	Arizona	39
34	Arkansas	39
35	Mississippi	39
36	Washington	38
37	Indiana	38
38	Louisiana	38
39	South Dakota	38
40	California	38
41	Colorado	38
42	Georgia	38
42	Kansas	38
44	Idaho	37
44	Nebraska	37
46	Oklahoma	37
47	Alaska	36
47	North Dakota	36
49	Texas	36
50	District of Columbia (D.C.)	35
51	Utah	32

Overall we can see that Northeast states have the highest median ages, along with West Virginia and Florida.

On the flip side, Utah (32 years) and Washington D.C. (35 years) were the youngest American states or jurisdictions by median age. Utah’s is closer in line to the global average, which was 31 years of age in 2020 according to UN estimates.

Zooming in, most states see significant differences at the county level, with cities, colleges, and natural resource sites generally lowering the median age in a county.

For example, the energy industry attracted a significant number of younger workers to North Dakota, Texas, and Alaska. Meanwhile, the rapid growth of retirement communities in Florida’s Sumter County gives it the nation’s highest median age at 68 years old.