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.

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.

Between 2018 and 2022, Americans who identified as Black, American Indian or Alaska Native, and Hispanic or Latino were most likely to be living in low-income households across all generations in the United States. Within the provided time period, 60 percent of Generation Alpha who were Black lived in families with incomes below the federal poverty line in the United States, followed by 59 percent who were American Indian or Alaska Native, and 52 percent who were Hispanic or Latino.

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?

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

According to a May 2025 forecast, a higher share of Gen Z users performed online activities, such as digital video consumption and social media usage. In total, over 96 percent of Gen Z were watching online videos, compared to around 80 percent of the general population.

Smartphone ownership in the United States is most common in the younger age groups. 97 percent of adults aged 18 to 49 own a smartphone, while the penetration rate of smartphones amongst adults 65 years and older is only 76 percent.

This statistic shows the number of people in the United States aged 25 to 34, by annual earnings in 2015 in U.S. dollars. In 2015, there were over **** million millennials earning over 100,000 dollars per year.

In 2025, baby boomers and Gen X still accounted for the largest share of sales for consumer packaged goods (CPG) and general merchandise, holding over a third each. So far, Gen Z accounted for just over six percent, a figure that is likely to grow considerably in the coming years.

This statistic shows the change in Millennial incoming population in selected cities in the United States between 2010 and 2015. Richmond, Virginia saw the second highest change in Millennial residents in the measured period, with a **** percent increase.

By 2028, it is estimated that Gen Z and millennial voters will comprise the majority of eligible voters in the United States. In the upcoming 2024 presidential election, Gen Z and millennial voters will make up around 48.5 percent of eligible voters in the country.

The statistic shows the share of members of different etnicities or races within the Millennials in the U.S. The term Millennials refers to the age group 18 to 34 here. In 2011, 60 percent of the Millennials in the United States were non-Hispanic Whites.

In the first quarter of 2025, 51.4 percent of the total wealth in the United States was owned by members of the baby boomer generation. In comparison, millennials own around 10.3 percent of total wealth in the U.S. In terms of population distribution, there was almost an equal share of millennials and baby boomers in the United States in 2024.

According to a survey conducted in 2023, 72 percent of Gen Z teenagers in the United States trusted the police some or a great deal, while 40 percent had at least some trust in news organizations. In that year, Gen Z teens who identified as Republican were the most likely surveyed demographic group to have at least some trust in the police and in the criminal justice system. In comparison, Gen Z teens who identified as Democrats were more likely to trust news organizations and the federal government.

In a survey conducted from October 2021 to July 2022, respondents revealed that Gen Zers (or zoomers) cared about improving their environmental impact. Gen Zers who have attained a high education were those who found improving their environmental impact the most important, with 64.3 percent stating they found it very important.

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.

This statistic illustrates the most popular social networks among Millennials for finding the most relevant content on the cost of living crisis in the United States in 2023. According to a survey by We Are Social and Statista Q, 61 percent of Millennials who use TikTok find the most relevant content over there, followed by another 59 percent of the consumers who use YouTube.

In 2023, roughly a third of Gen Z consumers living in the United States planned to spend between one and 100 U.S. dollars on Halloween, making it the most common budget range that year. Interestingly, the most common budget range for U.S. millennials was 101 to 250 U.S. dollars. Only about five percent of zoomers intended to spend over a grand.

In May 2022, an online survey in the United States found that ** percent of Gen Z users (born between 1997 and 2012) had a YouTube account. In comparison, ** percent of Millennials were registered on the popular video platform YouTube. Registered users appeared to decline among GenXer respondents (users born between 1965 and 1980), with ** percent of respondents in this demographic reported having a YouTube account.

During a late 2023 survey in the United States, 43 percent of Gen Z respondents said they had seen a product they later bought in an ad on TikTok. For this generation, TikTok had the highest purchase influence. For Millennials and for Generation X, it was Facebook.