Oldest States in America by Median Age
The median American is 38.7 years old, but the states span a remarkably wide range around that figure. Maine is the nation's oldest state with a median age of 44.8 years, while Utah is the youngest at 31.7 years — a gap of more than a decade. This page ranks every state from oldest to youngest.
Top 10 Oldest States by Median Age
Two different forces put a state at the top of this list. Northern New England — led by Maine and its neighbors — is old because young people have left and few immigrants have replaced them, while retirement destinations are old because seniors keep arriving. The share of residents 75 and older tells the two stories apart: in Maine it is 8.7%, against a national figure of 6.8%.
At the other end, Utah stands out with 28.3% of its population under 18 — the product of the country's highest birth rates — while fast-growing Sun Belt states stay young by importing working-age adults. Age structure quietly shapes many of the other rankings on this site: an older population pulls down labor-force participation and household income, which is worth keeping in mind when reading the income rankings.
Full Rankings
| # | State | Median Age | Under 18 | 75 and Older | Population |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maine | 44.8 years | 18.3% | 8.7% | 1,377,400 |
| 2 | New Hampshire | 43.2 years | 18.5% | 7.6% | 1,387,834 |
| 3 | Vermont | 43.0 years | 18.2% | 8.1% | 645,254 |
| 4 | West Virginia | 42.7 years | 20.1% | 8.2% | 1,784,462 |
| 5 | Florida | 42.6 years | 19.6% | 9.4% | 21,928,881 |
| 6 | Delaware | 41.5 years | 20.9% | 7.8% | 1,005,872 |
| 7 | Connecticut | 41.2 years | 20.4% | 7.6% | 3,598,348 |
| 8 | Pennsylvania | 40.9 years | 20.6% | 7.9% | 12,986,518 |
| 9 | Hawaii | 40.6 years | 20.8% | 8.6% | 1,445,635 |
| 10 | Rhode Island | 40.5 years | 19.0% | 7.6% | 1,095,371 |
| 11 | Montana | 40.2 years | 21.3% | 7.5% | 1,105,072 |
| 12 | Michigan | 40.1 years | 21.4% | 7.2% | 10,051,595 |
| 13 | New Jersey | 40.1 years | 21.9% | 7.0% | 9,267,014 |
| 14 | Wisconsin | 40.1 years | 21.6% | 7.1% | 5,892,023 |
| 15 | South Carolina | 40.1 years | 21.6% | 7.2% | 5,212,774 |
| 16 | Oregon | 40.1 years | 20.2% | 7.3% | 4,238,714 |
| 17 | Massachusetts | 40.0 years | 19.6% | 7.1% | 6,992,395 |
| 18 | New York | 39.6 years | 20.7% | 7.3% | 19,872,319 |
| 19 | Ohio | 39.6 years | 22.2% | 7.1% | 11,780,046 |
| 20 | Maryland | 39.3 years | 22.3% | 6.6% | 6,170,738 |
| 21 | Alabama | 39.3 years | 22.3% | 7.0% | 5,054,253 |
| 22 | New Mexico | 39.2 years | 22.1% | 7.5% | 2,114,768 |
| 23 | North Carolina | 39.1 years | 21.9% | 6.7% | 10,584,340 |
| 24 | Kentucky | 39.1 years | 22.7% | 6.6% | 4,510,725 |
| 25 | Illinois | 38.9 years | 22.1% | 6.7% | 12,692,653 |
| 26 | Tennessee | 38.9 years | 22.3% | 6.6% | 6,986,082 |
| 27 | Missouri | 38.9 years | 22.5% | 7.1% | 6,168,181 |
| 28 | Nevada | 38.9 years | 22.1% | 6.4% | 3,141,000 |
| 29 | Virginia | 38.8 years | 21.9% | 6.6% | 8,657,499 |
| 30 | Arizona | 38.8 years | 21.9% | 7.9% | 7,268,175 |
| 31 | Wyoming | 38.8 years | 22.8% | 6.7% | 579,761 |
| 32 | Minnesota | 38.6 years | 23.1% | 6.8% | 5,713,716 |
| 33 | Iowa | 38.6 years | 23.1% | 7.4% | 3,195,937 |
| 34 | Arkansas | 38.4 years | 23.3% | 7.1% | 3,032,651 |
| 35 | Mississippi | 38.4 years | 23.5% | 6.6% | 2,951,438 |
| 36 | Washington | 38.2 years | 21.6% | 6.3% | 7,740,984 |
| 37 | Indiana | 38.0 years | 23.4% | 6.5% | 6,811,752 |
| 38 | Louisiana | 37.8 years | 23.6% | 6.3% | 4,621,025 |
| 39 | South Dakota | 37.7 years | 24.4% | 6.9% | 899,194 |
| 40 | California | 37.6 years | 22.2% | 6.3% | 39,242,785 |
| 41 | Colorado | 37.5 years | 21.3% | 5.7% | 5,810,774 |
| 42 | Georgia | 37.4 years | 23.5% | 5.6% | 10,822,590 |
| 43 | Kansas | 37.2 years | 24.0% | 6.7% | 2,937,569 |
| 44 | Nebraska | 37.1 years | 24.7% | 6.7% | 1,965,926 |
| 45 | Idaho | 37.1 years | 24.5% | 6.4% | 1,893,296 |
| 46 | Oklahoma | 36.9 years | 24.1% | 6.5% | 3,995,260 |
| 47 | North Dakota | 35.7 years | 23.7% | 6.8% | 779,361 |
| 48 | Alaska | 35.6 years | 24.3% | 4.3% | 733,971 |
| 49 | Texas | 35.5 years | 25.2% | 5.1% | 29,640,343 |
| 50 | District of Columbia | 34.9 years | 18.7% | 5.3% | 672,079 |
| 51 | Utah | 31.7 years | 28.3% | 4.5% | 3,331,187 |
The District of Columbia is included for comparison, although it is not a state.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates.
About This Ranking
All figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates, the Bureau's most reliable dataset for state and local statistics. Because estimates pool five years of survey responses, they describe a recent period rather than a single moment, and small differences between closely ranked entries may fall within the survey's margin of error. Learn more about the data on our methodology page or at data.census.gov.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the oldest state in the US?
Maine has the highest median age of any US state at 44.8 years, followed by New Hampshire at 43.2 years.
What is the youngest state in the US?
Utah is the youngest state with a median age of 31.7 years, and 28.3% of its population is under 18.
What is the median age in the United States?
The median age in the US is 38.7 years. About 22.2% of Americans are under 18 and 6.8% are 75 or older.