Granite County, Montana Has One of the Oldest Populations in the Nation
The U.S. population is older now than it has been since record keeping began. The median age in the United States is 38.2 years, up from 36.9 years a decade ago, and from less than 30 in the 1970s.
This trend is the result of several factors – both long and short term. For one, Americans are now living longer than they have in past decades. Driven in part by improvements in health care, average life expectancy at birth in the U.S. is now about 77 years, five years longer than it was in the mid-1970s. More recently, falling birth rates and tightened restrictions on immigration – particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic – have accelerated the aging of the U.S. population.
In some U.S. counties, the median age is far higher than the national median. According to data from the Census Bureau, in Granite County, Montana, the median age is 54.6 – about 16 years higher than the national median. A reported 29.3% of local residents are 65 and older, while only 20.1% are 18 and under. For context, 15.9% of the U.S. population are 65 or older and 24.1% are 18 and under.
Residents of Granite County also appear to be less likely than a typical American to be starting or raising a family. The share of area households that are home to children under the age of 18 is just 14.4%, well below the 30.7% comparable nationwide share.
All data in this story are five-year estimates from the Census Bureau’s 2020 American Community Survey. All U.S. counties and county equivalents were considered except those for which median age was not available or the sampling error associated with a county’s data was deemed too high.
RankCountyMedian age (years)Pop. 18 and under (%)Pop. 65 and over (%)1Sumter County, Florida68.08.361.82Custer County, Colorado60.116.834.13Charlotte County, Florida59.513.240.24Highland County, Virginia59.514.338.85Catron County, New Mexico59.414.441.66Northumberland County, Virginia59.315.638.57Ontonagon County, Michigan59.113.235.98Jefferson County, Washington59.012.937.19Alcona County, Michigan58.913.636.010Keweenaw County, Michigan58.314.935.911Llano County, Texas57.715.436.812Dolores County, Colorado57.515.237.513La Paz County, Arizona57.416.940.014Lancaster County, Virginia57.216.635.715Wheeler County, Oregon56.918.634.416Quitman County, Georgia56.913.731.017Pope County, Illinois56.816.131.118San Juan County, Washington56.714.133.419Citrus County, Florida56.715.736.420Sarasota County, Florida56.615.236.421Roscommon County, Michigan56.615.532.422McCormick County, South Carolina56.613.337.823Mora County, New Mexico56.613.331.024Curry County, Oregon56.314.734.325Meagher County, Montana56.320.731.826Boyd County, Nebraska56.21832.027Montmorency County, Michigan56.015.731.428Custer County, South Dakota55.915.330.129Aitkin County, Minnesota55.917.532.830Sierra County, New Mexico55.916.735.731Wahkiakum County, Washington55.718.832.232Presque Isle County, Michigan55.716.931.333Huerfano County, Colorado55.618.133.034Iron County, Wisconsin55.615.730.035Hamilton County, New York55.515.130.936Adams County, Idaho55.316.630.337Union County, Georgia55.217.832.938Foard County, Texas55.119.932.239Vilas County, Wisconsin55.117.231.040Hickory County, Missouri55.018.433.141Brunswick County, North Carolina54.716.131.442Middlesex County, Virginia54.717.731.843Leelanau County, Michigan54.616.930.944Esmeralda County, Nevada54.613.525.645Granite County, Montana54.620.129.346Sullivan County, Pennsylvania54.512.126.747Sanders County, Montana54.518.630.948Griggs County, North Dakota54.421.229.249Pacific County, Washington54.416.631.650Fall River County, South Dakota54.419.227.5
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