Oldest States
The oldest states in the United States in are primarily on the Eastern seaboard. There are many reasons why these states have the median ages they do, and the demographics of an older population. Maine is the state with the oldest population. The top ten states in America that are considered the oldest states and their median ages are as follows:
- Maine (45 years)
- New Hampshire (43 years)
- Vermont (43 years)
- West Virginia (43 years)
- Florida (42 years)
- Connecticut (41 years)
- Delaware (41 years)
- Pennsylvania (41 years)
- Massachusetts (40 years)
- Michigan (40 years)
Maine – Baby Boomer Population
Maine is the oldest state in the nation with a median age of 45 years. It is considered the oldest because it has a high percentage of baby boomers or people between 45 years old and 64 years old. There is a very low percentage of people under the age of 44 in Maine.
Some experts refer to this as a surplus of baby boomers, a trend that is seen in many Eastern states.
New Hampshire – Late Middle-Agers
The state of New Hampshire has a very similar demographic to Maine. With a population of over 1.3 million, New Hampshire has a largely middle-age population. This is another state where there is fewer youth than the middle-agers and elderly population.
In New Hampshire, it is estimated that 21 percent of the population is under 18, 65 percent is between 18 and 64, and 13 percent of the population is over 65.
Vermont – Getting Older
Vermont is a state that is said to be getting older every year. It is estimated that over half the population of Vermont is over the age of 43. Compared to the nation’s average of 15 percent of the population over 65 years old, Vermont has over 18.7 percent of the population over 65 years old.
It is estimated that one in every five people in Vermont is over 65 years, and this is what is throwing the median age off to make Vermont the third-largest state. Florida is the fourth oldest state in the union, trailing just behind Vermont with a median age of 42 years. These states with the median age also have a significant portion of the demographic eligible for Medicare, with many experts predicting the number in Vermont will increase to one out of every four people there being over the age of 65.