In 2024, Millennials were the largest generation group in the United States, making up about 21.81 percent of the population. However, Generation Z was not far behind, with Gen Z accounting for around 20.81 percent of the population in that year.

Millennials were the largest generation group in the United States in 2024, with an estimated population of ***** million. Born between 1981 and 1996, Millennials recently surpassed Baby Boomers as the biggest group, and they will continue to be a major part of the population for many years. The rise of Generation Alpha Generation Alpha is the most recent to have been named, and many group members will not be able to remember a time before smartphones and social media. As of 2024, the oldest Generation Alpha members were still only aging into adolescents. However, the group already makes up around ***** percent of the U.S. population, and they are said to be the most racially and ethnically diverse of all the generation groups. Boomers vs. Millennials The number of Baby Boomers, whose generation was defined by the boom in births following the Second World War, has fallen by around ***** million since 2010. However, they remain the second-largest generation group, and aging Boomers are contributing to steady increases in the median age of the population. Meanwhile, the Millennial generation continues to grow, and one reason for this is the increasing number of young immigrants arriving in the United States.

This map layer shows the prevalent generations that make up the population of the United States using multiple scales. As of 2018, the most predominant generations in the U.S. are Baby Boomers (born 1946-1964), Millennials (born 1981-1998), and Generation Z (born 1999-2016). Currently, Millennials are the most predominant population in the U.S.A generation represents a group of people who are born around the same time and experience world events and trends during the same stage of life through similar mediums (for example, online, television, print, or radio). Because of this, people born in the same generation are expected to have been exposed to similar values and developmental experiences, which may cause them to exhibit similar traits or behaviors over their lifetimes. Generations provide scientists and government officials the opportunity to measure public attitudes on important issues by people’s current position in life and document those differences across demographic groups and geographic regions. Generational cohorts also give researchers the ability to understand how different developmental experiences, such as technological, political, economic, and social changes, influence people’s opinions and personalities. Studying people in generational groups is significant because an individual’s age is a conventional predictor for understanding cultural and political gaps within the U.S. population.Though there is no exact equation to determine generational cutoff points, it is understood that we designate generational spans based on a 15- to 20-year gap. The only generational period officially designated by the U.S. Census Bureau is based on the surge of births after World War II in 1946 and a significant decline in birth rates after 1964 (Baby Boomers). From that point, generational gaps have been determined by significant political, economic, and social changes that define one’s formative years (for example, Generation Z is considered to be marked by children who were directly affected by the al Qaeda attacks of September 11, 2001).In this map layer, we visualize six active generations in the U.S., each marked by significant changes in American history:The Greatest Generation (born 1901-1924): Tom Brokaw’s 1998 book, The Greatest Generation, coined the term ‘the Greatest Generation” to describe Americans who lived through the Great Depression and later fought in WWII. This generation had significant job and education opportunities as the war ended and the postwar economic booms impacted America.The Silent Generation (born 1925-1945): The title “Silent Generation” originated from a 1951 essay published in Time magazine that proposed the idea that people born during this period were more cautious than their parents. Conflict from the Cold War and the potential for nuclear war led to widespread levels of discomfort and uncertainty throughout the generation.Baby Boomers (born 1946-1964): Baby Boomers were named after a significant increase in births after World War II. During this 20-year span, life was dramatically different for those born at the beginning of the generation than those born at the tail end of the generation. The first 10 years of Baby Boomers (Baby Boomers I) grew up in an era defined by the civil rights movement and the Vietnam War, in which a lot of this generation either fought in or protested against the war. Baby Boomers I tended to have great economic opportunities and were optimistic about the future of America. In contrast, the last 10 years of Baby Boomers (Baby Boomers II) had fewer job opportunities and available housing than their Boomer I counterparts. The effects of the Vietnam War and the Watergate scandal led a lot of second-wave boomers to lose trust in the American government. Generation X (born 1965-1980): The label “Generation X” comes from Douglas Coupland’s 1991 book, Generation X: Tales for An Accelerated Culture. This generation was notoriously exposed to more hands-off parenting, out-of-home childcare, and higher rates of divorce than other generations. As a result, many Gen X parents today are concerned about avoiding broken homes with their own kids.Millennials (born 1981-1998): During the adolescence of Millennials, America underwent a technological revolution with the emergence of the internet. Because of this, Millennials are generally characterized by older generations to be technologically savvy.Generation Z (born 1999-2016): Generation Z or “Zoomers” represent a generation raised on the internet and social media. Gen Z makes up the most ethnically diverse and largest generation in American history. Like Millennials, Gen Z is recognized by older generations to be very familiar with and/or addicted to technology.Questions to ask when you look at this mapDo you notice any trends with the predominant generations located in big cities? Suburbs? Rural areas?Where do you see big clusters of the same generation living in the same area?Which areas do you see the most diversity in generations?Look on the map for where you, your parents, aunts, uncles, and grandparents live. Do they live in areas where their generation is the most predominant?

The statistic shows the number of people in the U.S. in 2011 and 2030, by generation. By 2030, the Millennial generation will have 78 million people whereas the Boomer generation will only have 56 million people in the United States.

In 2023, there were about 72.7 million Millennials estimated to be living in the United States, making them the largest generation group in the country. In comparison, there were 69.31 million Gen Z and 65.35 million Gen X estimated to be in the United States in that year.

According to a survey conducted in the United States in 2025, Millennials made up ** percent of social media users in the country. Overall, Generation Z accounted for ** percent of the United States' social media audience, and Generation X made up ** percent. Additionally, Baby boomers accounted for just **** percent of users.

This app highlights the predominant generations that make up the population of the United States, using country to block group geographies that vary according to zoom level. The map, which was featured in Esri's Living Atlas gallery, forms the basis of an analysis of travel agency locations to determine the best one for launching luxury travel services to baby boomers. Use the Bookmarks tool to see the predominant generations in the census tract areas in and around Los Angeles, Chicago, and Washington, D.C. Click individual census tracts on the map to see pop-up information, including the population of each generation in a given census tract.This app was created for instructional purposes only and should not be used as an authoritative resource.

In 2023, half of Generation Z in the United States were white. In comparison, 48 percent of Gen Alpha were white in that year, making it the first generation that does not have a majority white population in the United States.

According to a survey conducted in March 2025, ** percent of Tinder users in the United States belonged to Generation Z, and ** percent were millennials. Overall, ** percent were of Gen X, and around *** percent of all Tinder users in the U.S. were Baby boomers.

According to a survey conducted in 2023, Gen Z adults were most likely to have participated in political activities online in comparison to other generations in the United States. In that year, 36 percent of Gen Z adults in the U.S. said that they have signed an online petition while 32 percent said that they have posted on social media about an issue that matters.

In 2022, Generation X, or those born between 1965 and 1980, had the highest food at home expenditure in the United States compared to other generations, spending an average of 6,837 U.S. on groceries. On the other hand, Generation Z, or those born in 1997 or later, spent the least, with an average of 3,365 U.S..

In 2022, about ***** million households were led by a member of Generation X in the United States, while ***** million were led by Millennials.

In the first quarter of 2024, 51.8 percent of the total wealth in the United States was owned by members of the baby boomer generation. In comparison, millennials own around 9.4 percent of total wealth in the U.S. In terms of population distribution, there is almost an equal share of millennials and baby boomers in the United States.

In 2021, an estimated ** percent of shoppers in the United States had visited both physical outlets and online stores in the past 12 months. In other words, U.S. consumers were shopping equal amounts offline and online that year. Leading the list was the baby boomer generation: in the past year, approximately ** percent of boomers had shopped for products on the web.

According to a survey conducted in 2023, nearly three out of five Generation Z respondents in the United States claimed to have used generative artificial intelligence (GAI) in the previous month. The usage of these solutions decreased among older generation groups in the country, as 77 percent of respondent Baby Boomers have never used these solutions, compared to just under a quarter who have.

As of 2024, patriotism in the United States varied greatly by age. According to a survey, 21 percent of those between 18 and 34 years of age considered themselves extremely proud to be American. In contrast, about half of respondents 55 and older considered themselves extremely proud to be American. Politics of Generation Z In 2024, the oldest members of Gen Z were turning 27 years old. Their political views have been developed against the backdrop of COVID-19, social unrest and police brutality, Donald Trump, and the global climate crisis. Along with Millennials, they were the most likely to describe themselves as Independent rather than loyal to a particular political party, and the least likely generation to be Republican. Gen Z have lower trust in government than previous generations and are more likely to worry about wages than any other generation. Combined with a decreased purchasing power compared to other generations at similar points in their careers, this perhaps provides insight into Gen Z's reticence when it comes to American exceptionalism. Gen Z as consumers Members of Gen Z are unlike any other bracket of consumers in the United States. Born into a digitized world, they are the most tech-savvy consumers yet. While they are more likely to shop online than any other generation, they are significantly more motivated by their personal values and happy to explore new products. Companies will need to maintain a consistent brand-image to keep Gen Z shoppers on board – given the Zoomers decreased brand loyalty, and increased inclination to buy secondhand products.

In the third quarter of 2024, 51.6 percent of the total wealth in the United States was owned by members of the baby boomer generation. In comparison, millennials owned around ten percent of total wealth in the U.S. In terms of population distribution, there is almost an equal share of millennials and baby boomers in the United States.

As of 2023, Baby Boomers made up 65 percent of the United States Senate, and 44.8 percent of the United States House of Representatives. Millennial members made up considerably less of the 118th U.S. Congress, representing 11.8 percent of the House of Representatives and three percent of the Senate.

According to an April 2024 survey, one-quarter of adults in the United States preferred to use social media as their primary choice for online search. Within different generations, Gen Z showed the highest interest in using social platforms over search engines to find information online, with around 46 percent of those respondents stating they preferred this method.

Daily Netflix use was most common among younger generations in the United States, according to a survey conducted in March 2023. While only ** percent in the baby boomer generation watched Netflix at least once a day in the month prior to the survey, ** percent of millennials did the same. They were closely followed by Gen Z consumers, with ** percent of daily Netflix viewers.