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SALT LAKE CITY -- According to the 2010 census results, 37 is the new 35.
At the time of the 2000 census the median age of America was 35.3, but it increased to 37.2 in 2010.
Although modest compared to the 2.4-year increase between the 1990 and 2000 census, the census report attributed the increase to "the aging of the baby boom population, stabilizing birth rates and longer life expectancy."
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To different degrees, all states experienced aging when compared to 2000, but some, like Utah, experienced it on a smaller degree. Utah remains the most youthful state, as the average age is 29.2, and it is the only state with a median age under 30 years. Regionally, the west was the youngest, as 24.9 percent of the population were under 18, and 27.8 percent were between 18 and 44 years.
Seven states, headed by Maine at 42.7, had a median over 40. These included West Virginia, New Hampshire, Florida, Pennsylvania and Connecticut. The Northeast recorded the highest median age regionally.
The youthfulness of Utah has been attributed to household size, 3.10 according to the 2010 census. Of the demographic profiles that have been released, it is the largest.
The census also found that the 45- to 64-year-old population grew 31.5 percent to 81.5 million, making up 26.4 percent of the total U.S. population. The 64 and older group grew 15.1 percent to 40.3 million, making up 13.0 percent of the total population. The 18 to 44 group saw much slower growth rates, inching up only 2.6 percent to 74.2 million people, or 24.0 percent of the total population.
