The United States is aging at a steady pace that raises urgent questions about its economic, labor, and social future. According to data published by the U.S. Census Bureau in June 2025, the population aged 65 and older grew by 13% between 2020 and 2024, while the number of children and teenagers under 18 fell by 1.7% over the same period.

The picture in Pennsylvania is very similar: while the population under 18 declined by 2.9%, the number of people over 65 increased, Axios reported.

The country’s median age reached a record high of 39.1 years in 2024, up from 38.5 in 2020, according to the same official report. This trend continues a pattern that has been consolidating for two decades: in 2004, people over 65 accounted for 12.4% of the population. By 2024, they already represent 18%, while minors dropped from 25% to 21.5%.

A Reality Across Almost the Entire Country

This demographic aging is not limited to rural areas or states traditionally associated with retiree communities. The Census Bureau indicated that between 2020 and 2024, the number of older adults increased in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. In contrast, the number of children grew in only a few states, including Texas and Florida.

In absolute terms, the most striking statistic is that 11 states now have more older adults than children. In 2020, there were just three. Now, the list includes Maine, Vermont, Florida, Delaware, Hawai’i, Montana, New Hampshire, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and West Virginia, according to the Census Bureau’s official press release.

Lauren Bowers, chief of the Census Bureau’s Population Estimates Branch, explained in that statement that “the gap between children and older adults is narrowing as baby boomers continue to age into their retirement years.” Bowers warned that the number of states and counties where older adults outnumber children is rising more quickly in sparsely populated areas.

Economic and Social Challenges

The demographic shift brings concrete impacts. With more people reaching retirement age and fewer young people, the country needs to rethink how to sustain the pension system and the workforce to meet rising demand for health and long-term care services.

A report published by Axios in September 2024 noted that this situation is fueling debates about pronatalist policies. This perspective holds that having children is not only a personal choice but a civic act necessary to avoid economic stagnation. According to Axios, these ideas are gaining traction, especially among conservative circles where procreation is promoted as a patriotic duty.

However, the solution is not simple. As The New York Times pointed out in an analysis published in June 2025, raising children in the United States comes with high costs, difficulties accessing maternity and paternity leave, and a childcare system that many families simply cannot afford. For this reason, even with tax incentives or support programs, fewer Americans want to have children.

Birth rates remain low. According to Axios, the U.S. birth rate has been below replacement level for years, and public policy proposals have not managed to reverse the trend.

A Trend With No Reversal in Sight

Experts consulted by Axios agree that the aging of the U.S. population is irreversible in the short term. The size of the baby boomer generation—those born between 1946 and 1964—means that every year tens of thousands of people turn 65 and enter the ranks of retirees.

Additionally, immigration—which in the past helped rejuvenate the workforce—faces stronger political and social restrictions than it did two decades ago, as detailed in The New York Times reporting.

In the words of the Census Bureau, this is a structural change that “is already reshaping the profile of every state and every county.” In the medium term, the priority will be to adapt to a society that will have more older adults than ever before in the country’s history.