What is the youngest state in the US, and why is the age of a population an important metric? A young population is often associated with a strong, vibrant economy. An aging population, on the other hand, can signal a slow in economic growth.
There are a few reasons for this: a younger population means more people in the workforce paying taxes, and a larger workforce also means greater economic output. An older population means a smaller workforce and less economic productivity.
The age of a population also comes with its own cultural, social, and political qualities. In this post, we’ll look at the youngest state in the US as well as the next nine youngest, exploring some basic information related to each. The youngest states here are based on median age, which shows the most typical age of people in that state.
What is the youngest state in the US?
The youngest state in the USA is Utah. The state has a median age of just 31 years, which is significantly younger than the national median of about 38.5 years.
Which US state is the oldest?
The US state with the oldest population is Maine. Some of the reasons the population in Maine is older than in the rest of the country are low birth rates, low immigration rates, and a large Baby Boomer generation without many children. The median age in Maine is around 45 years old.
What is the youngest city in the US?
Unsurprisingly, the youngest city in the US is in the youngest state in the US. The city of Provo in Utah has the youngest population of any state in the country, with a median age of just over 23 years.
10. Kansas
- 2022 Median age estimate: 37 years
- 2022 Total population estimate: 2,954,832
- Capital: Topeka
Coming in at number ten in our list of youngest states in the US is Kansas. Its population has a median age of 37 years, and the age group with the largest representation is between 5 and 19 years old. The majority of the population lives in the state’s largest city, Wichita. The capital city of Kansas is Topeka, which has a population of roughly 126,500.
The next largest age range in Kansas is the 20-34 year-olds, who account for about 584,000 of the population. The total population of Kansas is about 2.9 million, and this number has grown by an average of 0.2% over the past decade.
9. Louisiana
- 2022 Median age estimate: 37 years
- 2022 Total population estimate: 4,682,633
- Capital: Baton Rouge
Number nine on our list of youngest states in the USA is Louisiana, which ties with Kansas with a median age of 37 years. Louisiana’s total population is significantly larger than that of Kansas, with 4.6 million. Louisiana is the 25th most populous state in the US, though it has had a negative population growth rate for the past five years.
The largest age group in Louisiana is between 20 and 34 years old, and the second-largest age group is between 5 and 19. While Louisiana is currently in the top ten youngest states, this could change in the near future, as the only age group that has increased over the past decade is the 65+ group.
8. Nebraska
- 2022 Median age estimate: 37 years
- 2022 Total population estimate: 1,988,536
- Capital: Lincoln
Another state with a median age of 37 years is Nebraska, which is number eight on our list of youngest states. Despite having a positive population growth rate for more than 30 years, Nebraska has one of the smallest populations of any state in the country, with just under 2 million people.
The largest and second-fastest growing age group in Nebraska is between 19 and 34 years. The fastest growing age group is over 65, but they only account for about 322,000 of the state’s total population. The only age group that has gotten smaller in Nebraska over the past decade is the 0-4 age range, which shrunk to roughly 125,000.
7. Oklahoma
- 2022 Median age estimate: 37 years
- 2022 Total population estimate: 4,000,953
- Capital: Oklahoma City
Oklahoma is yet another state with a median population age of 37 years. The state is located in the South Central region of the United States and has a total population of around 4 million. The capital and largest city of the state is Oklahoma City, which has a population of around 650,000.
The two largest age groups of the Oklahoma population are the 4-19 age range and the 20-34 group. Together, they account for roughly 40% of the state’s total population. The number of people over the age of 65 has increased by about 26% over the past decade, which is more than any other age group.
6. South Dakota
- 2022 Median age estimate: 37 years
- 2022 Total population estimate: 901,165
- Capital: Pierre
South Dakota may be one of the least populated states in the US, but its population is relatively young. The state is tied with the others that have a median age of 37 years, and its population has grown steadily over the past ten years except for 2020 when the population essentially remained static.
Every age group except the 0-4 age range saw substantial growth over the past ten years, with the over 65 group seeing the greatest increase. The largest age group in South Dakota is between 5 and 19 years old, and the 20-34 group is the next largest. The over-65 age group is the second-smallest group in the state.
5. Idaho
- 2022 Median age estimate: 36 years
- 2022 Total population estimate: 1,893,410
- Capital: Boise
Idaho is the first state in this list that has a median age that’s lower than 37 years, which puts it in fifth place. The median age in 2022 is 36 years, and just 400,000 of its population of 1.89 million is in the 5-19 age range. The state has seen fairly consistent population growth over the past 30 years, with the last two years reflecting an average 3.1% growth rate.
The city with the largest population in Idaho is Boise, which is also its capital. The larger Boise Metropolitan Area, which includes the cities of Nampa and Meridian, is home to about 40% of the state’s population.
4. North Dakota
- 2022 Median age estimate: 35 years
- 2022 Total population estimate: 800,394
- Capital: Bismarck
The fourth-youngest state in the US is North Dakota, whose population has a median age of 35 years. North Dakota has one of the smallest populations in the country, with a total of around 800,000 people living in the state. After experiencing 17 years of population growth, the state saw a -0.5% growth rate in 2021.
The age range with the most people in North Dakota is from 20-34 years, and the fastest growing age group over the past ten years is the 50-64 age range. The capital of North Dakota is Bismarck, but the most populous city is Fargo, which is located on the state’s eastern border with Minnesota.
3. Texas
- 2022 Median age estimate: 35 years
- 2022 Total population estimate: 29,945,493
- Capital: Austin
Unlike most of the other states on this list, Texas is one of the most populous and largest in the United States. It has a total population of almost 30 million, giving it the second-highest population of any state in the country. Its population has more than doubled since 1980, and the city in the state with the most residents is Houston, which is home to about 2.3 million people.
The biggest age group in Texas is between 5 and 19 years old, and the second biggest is between 20 and 34. The over-65 age group in Texas accounts for less than 13% of the state’s total population.
2. Alaska
- 2022 Median age estimate: 34 years
- 2022 Total population estimate: 738,023
- Capital: Juneau
The US state with the second-youngest population is Alaska. It is the largest state in the country in total size and the third least populated. The median age in Alaska is 34 years, and the 20 to 34 year age range represents the largest portion of the population. Every age group has shrunk over the past ten years in Alaska, except for the 65+ age group.
The capital of Alaska is Juneau, but the most populous city is Anchorage, which is home to approximately 40% of the state’s population. Alaska also has the proportionally largest indigenous population of any state in the US.
1. Utah
- 2022 Median age estimate: 31 years
- 2022 Total population estimate: 3,373,162
- Capital: Salt Lake City
Utah is the youngest state in the US. The median age of its population is just 31 years, which puts it well ahead of any other state in the country. The biggest contributing factor to the age of Utah’s population is the high birth rate in the state, with an average of 2.3 children per family, the highest in the nation.
The largest age group in the state is between 5 and 19 years old, and the second-largest group is between 20 and 34 years old. The state’s population has seen steady growth over the past decade, and the fasting growing age group over that time was the 35-49 group.