In 2023, the median age of the population of the United States was 39.2 years. While this may seem quite young, the median age in 1960 was even younger, at 29.5 years. The aging population in the United States means that society is going to have to find a way to adapt to the larger numbers of older people. Everything from Social Security to employment to the age of retirement will have to change if the population is expected to age more while having fewer children. The world is getting older It’s not only the United States that is facing this particular demographic dilemma. In 1950, the global median age was 23.6 years. This number is projected to increase to 41.9 years by the year 2100. This means that not only the U.S., but the rest of the world will also have to find ways to adapt to the aging population.

Since 1970, the median age of China’s population has continued to increase from around 20 years to around 37.5 years in 2020. According to estimates from the United Nations, the increasing trend will slow down when the median age will reach 50 years in the middle of the 21st century and will remain at around 60 years up to 2100. China’s aging population Although the median age of China’s population is still lower than in many developed countries, for example in Japan, the consequences of a rapidly aging population have already become a concern for the country’s future. As the most populated country in the world, the large labor force in China contributed to the country’s astonishing economic growth in the last decades. Nowadays however, the aging population is going to become a burden for China’s social welfare system and could change China’s economic situation. Reasons for the aging population Like in many other countries, increasing life expectancy is regarded as the main reason for the aging of the population. As healthcare and living standards have improved, life expectancy in China has also increased. In addition, the one-child policy led to a decreasing fertility rate in China, which further increased the share of older people in the society. Even though the one-child policy has been abolished in 2016, many young people are refraining from having children, largely due to the high costs of raising a child, career pressure and the pursuit of freedom.

In 2022, about 17.3 percent of the American population was 65 years old or over; an increase from the last few years and a figure which is expected to reach 22 percent by 2050. This is a significant increase from 1950, when only eight percent of the population was 65 or over.

A rapidly aging population

In recent years, the aging population of the United States has come into focus as a cause for concern, as the nature of work and retirement is expected to change in order to keep up. If a population is expected to live longer than the generations before, the economy will have to change as well in order to fulfill the needs of the citizens. In addition, the birth rate in the U.S. has been falling over the last 20 years, meaning that there are not as many young people to replace the individuals leaving the workforce.

The future population

It’s not only the American population that is aging -- the global population is, too. By 2025, the median age of the global workforce is expected to be 39.6 years, up from 33.8 years in 1990. Additionally, it is projected that there will be over three million people worldwide aged 100 years and over by 2050.

The average American family in 2023 consisted of 3.15 persons. Families in the United States According to the U.S. Census Bureau, a family is a group of two people or more (one of whom is the householder) related by birth, marriage, or adoption and residing together; all such people (including related subfamily members) are considered as members of one family. As of 2023, the U.S. Census Bureau counted about 84.33 million families in the United States. The average family consisted of 3.15 persons in 2021, down from 3.7 in the 1960s. This is reflected in the decrease of children in family households overall. In 1970, about 56 percent of all family households had children under the age of 18 living in the household. This percentage declined to about 40 percent in 2020. The average size of a family household varies greatly from state to state. The largest average families can be found in Utah, California, and Hawaii, while the smallest families can be found in Wisconsin, Vermont and Maine.

United States US: Population: Female: Ages 60-64: % of Female Population data was reported at 6.224 % in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 6.143 % for 2016. United States US: Population: Female: Ages 60-64: % of Female Population data is updated yearly, averaging 4.552 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 6.224 % in 2017 and a record low of 3.843 % in 1997. United States US: Population: Female: Ages 60-64: % of Female Population data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s USA – Table US.World Bank: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Female population between the ages 60 to 64 as a percentage of the total female population.; ; World Bank staff estimates based on age/sex distributions of United Nations Population Division's World Population Prospects: 2017 Revision.; ;

United States US: Population: Male: Ages 75-79: % of Male Population data was reported at 2.399 % in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 2.355 % for 2016. United States US: Population: Male: Ages 75-79: % of Male Population data is updated yearly, averaging 1.984 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 2.399 % in 2017 and a record low of 1.514 % in 1960. United States US: Population: Male: Ages 75-79: % of Male Population data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s USA – Table US.World Bank: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Male population between the ages 75 to 79 as a percentage of the total male population.; ; World Bank staff estimates based on age/sex distributions of United Nations Population Division's World Population Prospects: 2017 Revision.; ;

The life expectancy for men aged 65 years in the U.S. has gradually increased since the 1960s. Now men in the United States aged 65 can expect to live 17 more years on average. Women aged 65 years can expect to live around 19.7 more years on average.

Life expectancy in the U.S.

As of 2021, the average life expectancy at birth in the United States was 76.33 years. Life expectancy in the U.S. had steadily increased for many years but has recently dropped slightly. Women consistently have a higher life expectancy than men but have also seen a slight decrease. As of 2019, a woman in the U.S. could be expected to live up to 79.3 years.

Leading causes of death

The leading causes of death in the United States include heart disease, cancer, unintentional injuries, chronic lower respiratory diseases and cerebrovascular diseases. However, heart disease and cancer account for around 38 percent of all deaths. Although heart disease and cancer are the leading causes of death for both men and women, there are slight variations in the leading causes of death. For example, unintentional injury and suicide account for a larger portion of deaths among men than they do among women.

United States US: Age Dependency Ratio: % of Working-Age Population: Old data was reported at 23.470 % in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 22.796 % for 2016. United States US: Age Dependency Ratio: % of Working-Age Population: Old data is updated yearly, averaging 18.473 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 23.470 % in 2017 and a record low of 15.162 % in 1960. United States US: Age Dependency Ratio: % of Working-Age Population: Old data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United States – Table US.World Bank.WDI: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Age dependency ratio, old, is the ratio of older dependents--people older than 64--to the working-age population--those ages 15-64. Data are shown as the proportion of dependents per 100 working-age population.; ; World Bank staff estimates based on age distributions of United Nations Population Division's World Population Prospects: 2017 Revision.; Weighted average;

United States US: Population: Male: Ages 50-54: % of Male Population data was reported at 6.741 % in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 6.885 % for 2016. United States US: Population: Male: Ages 50-54: % of Male Population data is updated yearly, averaging 5.415 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 7.196 % in 2011 and a record low of 4.426 % in 1986. United States US: Population: Male: Ages 50-54: % of Male Population data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s USA – Table US.World Bank: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Male population between the ages 50 to 54 as a percentage of the total male population.; ; World Bank staff estimates based on age/sex distributions of United Nations Population Division's World Population Prospects: 2017 Revision.; ;

United States US: Population: as % of Total: Female: Aged 65 and Above data was reported at 16.925 % in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 16.550 % for 2016. United States US: Population: as % of Total: Female: Aged 65 and Above data is updated yearly, averaging 14.035 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 16.925 % in 2017 and a record low of 10.023 % in 1960. United States US: Population: as % of Total: Female: Aged 65 and Above data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s USA – Table US.World Bank: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Female population 65 years of age or older as a percentage of the total female population. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship.; ; World Bank staff estimates based on age/sex distributions of United Nations Population Division's World Population Prospects: 2017 Revision.; Weighted average; Relevance to gender indicator: Knowing how many girls, adolescents and women there are in a population helps a country in determining its provision of services.

United States US: Population: Male: Ages 70-74: % of Male Population data was reported at 3.553 % in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 3.377 % for 2016. United States US: Population: Male: Ages 70-74: % of Male Population data is updated yearly, averaging 2.712 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 3.553 % in 2017 and a record low of 2.264 % in 1969. United States US: Population: Male: Ages 70-74: % of Male Population data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s USA – Table US.World Bank: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Male population between the ages 70 to 74 as a percentage of the total male population.; ; World Bank staff estimates based on age/sex distributions of United Nations Population Division's World Population Prospects: 2017 Revision.; ;

Graph and download economic data for Real Median Personal Income in the United States (MEPAINUSA672N) from 1974 to 2023 about personal income, personal, median, income, real, and USA.

In 2023, American family households had on average 0.85 people under the age of 18 living in the household. This is a significant decrease from the 1.43 people under the age of 18 living in American family households on average in 1960.

United States US: Age Dependency Ratio: % of Working-Age Population: Young data was reported at 28.799 % in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 28.857 % for 2016. United States US: Age Dependency Ratio: % of Working-Age Population: Young data is updated yearly, averaging 33.422 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 51.329 % in 1961 and a record low of 28.799 % in 2017. United States US: Age Dependency Ratio: % of Working-Age Population: Young data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United States – Table US.World Bank.WDI: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Age dependency ratio, young, is the ratio of younger dependents--people younger than 15--to the working-age population--those ages 15-64. Data are shown as the proportion of dependents per 100 working-age population.; ; World Bank staff estimates based on age distributions of United Nations Population Division's World Population Prospects: 2017 Revision.; Weighted average;

United States US: Population: Female: Ages 55-59: % of Female Population data was reported at 6.739 % in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 6.775 % for 2016. United States US: Population: Female: Ages 55-59: % of Female Population data is updated yearly, averaging 5.094 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 6.781 % in 2015 and a record low of 4.172 % in 1993. United States US: Population: Female: Ages 55-59: % of Female Population data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s USA – Table US.World Bank: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Female population between the ages 55 to 59 as a percentage of the total female population.; ; World Bank staff estimates based on age/sex distributions of United Nations Population Division's World Population Prospects: 2017 Revision.; ;

United States US: Population: Male: Ages 60-64: % of Male Population data was reported at 5.956 % in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 5.864 % for 2016. United States US: Population: Male: Ages 60-64: % of Male Population data is updated yearly, averaging 4.108 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 5.956 % in 2017 and a record low of 3.594 % in 1996. United States US: Population: Male: Ages 60-64: % of Male Population data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s USA – Table US.World Bank: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Male population between the ages 60 to 64 as a percentage of the total male population.; ; World Bank staff estimates based on age/sex distributions of United Nations Population Division's World Population Prospects: 2017 Revision.; ;

United States US: Population: Total: Aged 0-14 data was reported at 61,603,617.000 Person in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 61,538,430.000 Person for 2016. United States US: Population: Total: Aged 0-14 data is updated yearly, averaging 57,943,651.000 Person from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 62,401,154.000 Person in 2010 and a record low of 51,201,638.000 Person in 1983. United States US: Population: Total: Aged 0-14 data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s USA – Table US.World Bank: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Total population between the ages 0 to 14. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship.; ; World Bank staff estimates using the World Bank's total population and age/sex distributions of the United Nations Population Division's World Population Prospects: 2017 Revision.; Sum;

About this dataset

Context

The dataset presents the the household distribution across 16 income brackets among four distinct age groups in Florence: Under 25 years, 25-44 years, 45-64 years, and over 65 years. The dataset highlights the variation in household income, offering valuable insights into economic trends and disparities within different age categories, aiding in data analysis and decision-making..

Key observations

• Upon closer examination of the distribution of households among age brackets, it reveals that there are 1,960(11.65%) households where the householder is under 25 years old, 5,317(31.60%) households with a householder aged between 25 and 44 years, 4,941(29.36%) households with a householder aged between 45 and 64 years, and 4,609(27.39%) households where the householder is over 65 years old.
• The age group of 45 to 64 years exhibits the highest median household income, while the largest number of households falls within the 25 to 44 years bracket. This distribution hints at economic disparities within the city of Florence, showcasing varying income levels among different age demographics.

Content

When available, the data consists of estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2017-2021 5-Year Estimates.

Income brackets:

• Less than $10,000
• $10,000 to $14,999
• $15,000 to $19,999
• $20,000 to $24,999
• $25,000 to $29,999
• $30,000 to $34,999
• $35,000 to $39,999
• $40,000 to $44,999
• $45,000 to $49,999
• $50,000 to $59,999
• $60,000 to $74,999
• $75,000 to $99,999
• $100,000 to $124,999
• $125,000 to $149,999
• $150,000 to $199,999
• $200,000 or more

Variables / Data Columns

• Household Income: This column showcases 16 income brackets ranging from Under $10,000 to $200,000+ ( As mentioned above).
• Under 25 years: The count of households led by a head of household under 25 years old with income within a specified income bracket.
• 25 to 44 years: The count of households led by a head of household 25 to 44 years old with income within a specified income bracket.
• 45 to 64 years: The count of households led by a head of household 45 to 64 years old with income within a specified income bracket.
• 65 years and over: The count of households led by a head of household 65 years and over old with income within a specified income bracket.

Good to know

Margin of Error

Data in the dataset are based on the estimates and are subject to sampling variability and thus a margin of error. Neilsberg Research recommends using caution when presening these estimates in your research.

Custom data

If you do need custom data for any of your research project, report or presentation, you can contact our research staff at research@neilsberg.com for a feasibility of a custom tabulation on a fee-for-service basis.

Inspiration

Neilsberg Research Team curates, analyze and publishes demographics and economic data from a variety of public and proprietary sources, each of which often includes multiple surveys and programs. The large majority of Neilsberg Research aggregated datasets and insights is made available for free download at https://www.neilsberg.com/research/.

Recommended for further research

This dataset is a part of the main dataset for Florence median household income by age. You can refer the same here

This dataset of U.S. mortality trends since 1900 highlights the differences in age-adjusted death rates and life expectancy at birth by race and sex. Age-adjusted death rates (deaths per 100,000) after 1998 are calculated based on the 2000 U.S. standard population. Populations used for computing death rates for 2011–2017 are postcensal estimates based on the 2010 census, estimated as of July 1, 2010. Rates for census years are based on populations enumerated in the corresponding censuses. Rates for noncensus years between 2000 and 2010 are revised using updated intercensal population estimates and may differ from rates previously published. Data on age-adjusted death rates prior to 1999 are taken from historical data (see References below). Life expectancy data are available up to 2017. Due to changes in categories of race used in publications, data are not available for the black population consistently before 1968, and not at all before 1960. More information on historical data on age-adjusted death rates is available at https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nvss/mortality/hist293.htm. SOURCES CDC/NCHS, National Vital Statistics System, historical data, 1900-1998 (see https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nvss/mortality_historical_data.htm); CDC/NCHS, National Vital Statistics System, mortality data (see http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/deaths.htm); and CDC WONDER (see http://wonder.cdc.gov). REFERENCES National Center for Health Statistics, Data Warehouse. Comparability of cause-of-death between ICD revisions. 2008. Available from: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nvss/mortality/comparability_icd.htm. National Center for Health Statistics. Vital statistics data available. Mortality multiple cause files. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data_access/vitalstatsonline.htm. Kochanek KD, Murphy SL, Xu JQ, Arias E. Deaths: Final data for 2017. National Vital Statistics Reports; vol 68 no 9. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. 2019. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr68/nvsr68_09-508.pdf. Arias E, Xu JQ. United States life tables, 2017. National Vital Statistics Reports; vol 68 no 7. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. 2019. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr68/nvsr68_07-508.pdf. National Center for Health Statistics. Historical Data, 1900-1998. 2009. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nvss/mortality_historical_data.htm.

This statistic shows the median age of the world population from 1950 to 2100. By 2100, the global median age is projected to be 41.9 years of age.