America aged quickly in the last decade as baby boomers lived longer and births dropped

By MIKE SCHNEIDER
Associated Press

America got older, faster during the decade ended in 2020. New census figures released Thursday show the share of U.S. residents age 65 or older ballooned by more than a third from 2010 through 2020, while the share of children declined, particularly those under age 5. Aging was propelled by the two largest cohorts in the U.S.: more baby boomers turning 65 or older and millennials moving into their 20s and 30s. Also, fewer children were born between 2010 and 2020. The most recent census was the first since the U.S. Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage in 2015. Same-sex households made up 1.7% of households that included couples. The nation’s median age is 38.8.