South Leads US Population Growth, Nation Continues to Age, Suburbs Preferred To Cities
India-West News Desk
WASHINGTON, DC – The United States continued to grow older between 2020 and 2025, but the South stood apart as the only region to record population gains across every major age group, according to new U.S. Census Bureau estimates released June 29.
Estimates show the nation’s median age rose to 39.4 years in July 2025, up from 39.2 a year earlier and 38.6 in April 2020, reflecting the continued aging of the population as baby boomers move into retirement. At the same time, the South posted the strongest population growth of any region, driven largely by migration into counties surrounding major metropolitan areas.
Between April 2020 and July 2025, the South’s population grew by 6 percent, nearly double the national growth rate of 3.1 percent. It was the only region to post gains across all five major age groups and recorded faster growth than every other region in each category.
The South was also the only region where the population under age 18 increased during the five year period, rising 1.1 percent. In contrast, the number of children declined by 4.1 percent in the Northeast, 3.9 percent in the Midwest and 5.7 percent in the West.
Similarly, the South was the only region where the population ages 45 to 64 grew, although only slightly at 0.1 percent. The Northeast recorded the steepest decline in that age group, with a drop of 7.1 percent, followed by the Midwest and the West.
The Census Bureau said the South also recorded the fastest growth among young adults ages 18 to 24, adults ages 25 to 44 and people age 65 and older.
Much of the region’s expansion occurred in metropolitan counties, especially counties located outside central cities.
The findings add to growing evidence that population growth since 2020 has increasingly shifted toward communities on the outer edges of metropolitan areas rather than urban centers.
The report also found notable differences across the rest of the country. The West experienced the largest decline in the population under age 18, while the Northeast was the only region to lose residents ages 18 to 24. It also posted the largest decline among people ages 45 to 64 and the slowest growth among those age 65 and older.
Geographic patterns also varied by age. Counties with the highest shares of children were concentrated in parts of Alaska, Texas, especially along the United States Mexico border, and portions of the Midwest where fertility rates tend to be higher. Counties with large universities or military bases generally had higher shares of residents ages 18 to 24.
Meanwhile, the largest proportions of residents age 65 and older were found in parts of Arizona, Idaho, Nevada, the Pacific Northwest coast, as well as portions of Florida, Texas and the East Coast.
The report also found that women continued to outnumber men nationwide by 6.3 million, accounting for 50.9 percent of the population. Women also had a higher median age than men, 40.7 years compared with 38.1 years, with the gap widening slightly since 2020.
Among the states, Maine had the oldest population with a median age of 44.9 years, while Utah remained the youngest at 32.6 years. Across the nation’s 3,144 counties, median ages ranged from 22.1 to 70.1 years, and about three quarters of all counties had a median age at or above the national figure.
