The U.S. population in 2020 was older and had fewer children under age 5 than in 2010 or 2000, according to the 2020 Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC) data released today.
The baby boom generation (born 1946-1964) and millennials (born 1982-2000) ? the two largest U.S. cohorts in 2020 ? both continued to age over the past two decades. At the same time, smaller cohorts of children were born from 2010 to 2020.
The 2020 Census DHC data allows us to examine the age and sex composition of the nation and smaller geographies such as states, counties, metropolitan areas and micropolitan areas. It also shows that the age and sex compositions of different geographies do not always follow the same pattern of change over time.?
2020 Census: 1 in 6 People in the United States Were 65 and Over
The U.S. population age 65 and over grew nearly five times faster than the total population over the 100 years from 1920 to 2020, according to the 2020 Census.
The older population reached 55.8 million or 16.8% of the population of the United States in 2020.?
