Changing demographic patterns and a rapidly aging population have “major implications” for policy and politics, says a Pew Center on the States infographic. The oldest states, which include Maine, Vermont , West Virginia and New Hampshire may be even more pressed for time when it comes to preparing for long-term care and other challenges that come with the aging baby boom.
To give some magnitude to the aging of the baby boom population, Pew produced a series of “population pyramids” to show exactly how age stacks up state by state, and which states will bear the largest aging burdens as the median age moves away from 30s and into the next decade.
With the U.S. median age just over 37 and the median age in older states such as Maine at nearly 43, the infographic shows each state by the ages and male to female ratio of its residents. The complete breakdown also includes a comparison between the U.S. and several other countries, finding that the U.S. has a high median age and defined baby boom when compared with developing nations such as Afghanistan and Mexico.
View the complete infographic.
Written by Elizabeth Ecker
