Median age by state (2024) | Rank the States

Median age by state

Maine has the highest estimate (44.9 years); Utah has the lowest (32.5 years). Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 1-year, 2024.

Data year: 2024Source released Sept. 11, 2025Last updated Oct. 23, 2026GCT0101

50 ranked states; DC and Puerto Rico appear as reference rows where the source supplies them. Highest does not mean best. Ranks reflect point estimates; close values may not differ statistically.

State distribution and comparisons

The middle of the 50-state distribution is 39.4 years: the average of the 25th and 26th ordered state estimates. This treats each state equally, so it answers a different question from a population-weighted national estimate.

No other state is statistically tied with Maine at 90% confidence. Every other state differs from the highest point estimate under this pairwise test. This is not a confidence interval for rank, and testing multiple pairs increases false-positive risk.

See the top ten estimates with their 90% margins of error

Shared axis spans the complete 50-state estimate ± MOE range. Intervals describe individual estimates; overlapping intervals alone are not our significance test.

How does this compare with population age 65 and older?

These states’ ranks change the most between median age and population age 65 and older. These comparisons identify different questions worth investigating; a rank gap does not measure a causal effect or a statistical difference between unlike units.

State	Median age	Population age 65 and older
South Dakota	38.7 years · #36	19.0% · #20
Maryland	39.8 years · #21	17.6% · #36
Iowa	39.0 years · #35	18.9% · #21

Median age · 2024 · Years
Rank	State / jurisdiction	Value	90% margin of error	Difference from previous rank
1	Maine	44.9 years	± 0.2 years	Highest estimate
2	Vermont	43.9 years	± 0.3 years	Different at 90%
3	New Hampshire	43.6 years	± 0.2 years	Not distinguishable at 90%
4	West Virginia	42.9 years	± 0.3 years	Different at 90%
5	Florida	42.7 years	± 0.1 years	Not distinguishable at 90%
6	Delaware	42.1 years	± 0.3 years	Different at 90%
7	Hawaii	41.5 years	± 0.3 years	Different at 90%
8	Montana	41.3 years	± 0.3 years	Not distinguishable at 90%
9	Connecticut	41.2 years	± 0.2 years	Not distinguishable at 90%
9	Pennsylvania	41.2 years	± 0.1 years	Not distinguishable at 90%
11	Rhode Island	41.0 years	± 0.3 years	Not distinguishable at 90%
12	Oregon	40.8 years	± 0.2 years	Not distinguishable at 90%
13	South Carolina	40.7 years	± 0.2 years	Not distinguishable at 90%
13	Wisconsin	40.7 years	± 0.2 years	Not distinguishable at 90%
15	Michigan	40.4 years	± 0.2 years	Different at 90%
16	Wyoming	40.2 years	± 0.4 years	Not distinguishable at 90%
17	Massachusetts	40.1 years	± 0.2 years	Not distinguishable at 90%
17	New Jersey	40.1 years	± 0.1 years	Not distinguishable at 90%
17	New York	40.1 years	± 0.2 years	Not distinguishable at 90%
20	New Mexico	39.9 years	± 0.3 years	Not distinguishable at 90%
21	Maryland	39.8 years	± 0.2 years	Not distinguishable at 90%
21	Ohio	39.8 years	± 0.1 years	Not distinguishable at 90%
23	Alabama	39.6 years	± 0.2 years	Not distinguishable at 90%
24	Nevada	39.5 years	± 0.2 years	Not distinguishable at 90%
25	Arizona	39.4 years	± 0.1 years	Not distinguishable at 90%
25	Illinois	39.4 years	± 0.1 years	Not distinguishable at 90%
25	Missouri	39.4 years	± 0.2 years	Not distinguishable at 90%
25	North Carolina	39.4 years	± 0.2 years	Not distinguishable at 90%
25	Virginia	39.4 years	± 0.2 years	Not distinguishable at 90%
30	Kentucky	39.3 years	± 0.2 years	Not distinguishable at 90%
30	Mississippi	39.3 years	± 0.3 years	Not distinguishable at 90%
32	Minnesota	39.2 years	± 0.1 years	Not distinguishable at 90%
33	Arkansas	39.1 years	± 0.3 years	Not distinguishable at 90%
33	Tennessee	39.1 years	± 0.2 years	Not distinguishable at 90%
35	Iowa	39.0 years	± 0.2 years	Not distinguishable at 90%
36	Louisiana	38.7 years	± 0.2 years	Different at 90%
36	South Dakota	38.7 years	± 0.4 years	Not distinguishable at 90%
36	Washington	38.7 years	± 0.2 years	Not distinguishable at 90%
39	California	38.4 years	± 0.1 years	Different at 90%
40	Indiana	38.3 years	± 0.1 years	Not distinguishable at 90%
41	Colorado	38.0 years	± 0.1 years	Different at 90%
41	Georgia	38.0 years	± 0.2 years	Not distinguishable at 90%
41	Kansas	38.0 years	± 0.2 years	Not distinguishable at 90%
44	Idaho	37.8 years	± 0.2 years	Not distinguishable at 90%
45	Nebraska	37.4 years	± 0.2 years	Different at 90%
45	Oklahoma	37.4 years	± 0.1 years	Not distinguishable at 90%
47	North Dakota	36.7 years	± 0.4 years	Different at 90%
48	Alaska	36.3 years	± 0.3 years	Not distinguishable at 90%
49	Texas	35.9 years	± 0.1 years	Different at 90%
50	Utah	32.5 years	± 0.1 years	Different at 90%
Ref.	District of ColumbiaNot ranked among states	34.9 years	± 0.1 years	Reference jurisdiction
Ref.	Puerto RicoNot ranked among states	45.4 years	± 0.2 years	Reference jurisdiction

Median age · 2024 · Years

Rank

State / jurisdiction

Value

90% margin of error

Difference from previous rank

Maine

44.9 years

± 0.2 years

Highest estimate

Vermont

43.9 years

± 0.3 years

Different at 90%

New Hampshire

43.6 years

± 0.2 years

Not distinguishable at 90%

West Virginia

42.9 years

± 0.3 years

Different at 90%

Florida

42.7 years

± 0.1 years

Not distinguishable at 90%

Delaware

42.1 years

± 0.3 years

Different at 90%

Hawaii

41.5 years

± 0.3 years

Different at 90%

Montana

41.3 years

± 0.3 years

Not distinguishable at 90%

Connecticut

41.2 years

± 0.2 years

Not distinguishable at 90%

Pennsylvania

41.2 years

± 0.1 years

Not distinguishable at 90%

Rhode Island

41.0 years

± 0.3 years

Not distinguishable at 90%

Oregon

40.8 years

± 0.2 years

Not distinguishable at 90%

South Carolina

40.7 years

± 0.2 years

Not distinguishable at 90%

Wisconsin

40.7 years

± 0.2 years

Not distinguishable at 90%

Michigan

40.4 years

± 0.2 years

Different at 90%

Wyoming

40.2 years

± 0.4 years

Not distinguishable at 90%

Massachusetts

40.1 years

± 0.2 years

Not distinguishable at 90%

New Jersey

40.1 years

± 0.1 years

Not distinguishable at 90%

New York

40.1 years

± 0.2 years

Not distinguishable at 90%

New Mexico

39.9 years

± 0.3 years

Not distinguishable at 90%

Maryland

39.8 years

± 0.2 years

Not distinguishable at 90%

Ohio

39.8 years

± 0.1 years

Not distinguishable at 90%

Alabama

39.6 years

± 0.2 years

Not distinguishable at 90%

Nevada

39.5 years

± 0.2 years

Not distinguishable at 90%

Arizona

39.4 years

± 0.1 years

Not distinguishable at 90%

Illinois

39.4 years

± 0.1 years

Not distinguishable at 90%

Missouri

39.4 years

± 0.2 years

Not distinguishable at 90%

North Carolina

39.4 years

± 0.2 years

Not distinguishable at 90%

Virginia

39.4 years

± 0.2 years

Not distinguishable at 90%

Kentucky

39.3 years

± 0.2 years

Not distinguishable at 90%

Mississippi

39.3 years

± 0.3 years

Not distinguishable at 90%

Minnesota

39.2 years

± 0.1 years

Not distinguishable at 90%

Arkansas

39.1 years

± 0.3 years

Not distinguishable at 90%

Tennessee

39.1 years

± 0.2 years

Not distinguishable at 90%

Iowa

39.0 years

± 0.2 years

Not distinguishable at 90%

Louisiana

38.7 years

± 0.2 years

Different at 90%

South Dakota

38.7 years

± 0.4 years

Not distinguishable at 90%

Washington

38.7 years

± 0.2 years

Not distinguishable at 90%

California

38.4 years

± 0.1 years

Different at 90%

Indiana

38.3 years

± 0.1 years

Not distinguishable at 90%

Colorado

38.0 years

± 0.1 years

Different at 90%

Georgia

38.0 years

± 0.2 years

Not distinguishable at 90%

Kansas

38.0 years

± 0.2 years

Not distinguishable at 90%

Idaho

37.8 years

± 0.2 years

Not distinguishable at 90%

Nebraska

37.4 years

± 0.2 years

Different at 90%

Oklahoma

37.4 years

± 0.1 years

Not distinguishable at 90%

North Dakota

36.7 years

± 0.4 years

Different at 90%

Alaska

36.3 years

± 0.3 years

Not distinguishable at 90%

Texas

35.9 years

± 0.1 years

Different at 90%

Utah

32.5 years

± 0.1 years

Different at 90%

Ref.

District of ColumbiaNot ranked among states

34.9 years

± 0.1 years

Reference jurisdiction

Ref.

Puerto RicoNot ranked among states

45.4 years

± 0.2 years

Reference jurisdiction

What this ranking measures

The age that divides the resident population into two equally sized groups.

A higher median age describes population structure; it is not a measure of health or life expectancy.

The size of the gap

The difference between the highest and lowest state estimates is 12.4 years. The U.S. benchmark is 39.2 years. It is not a simple average of the states.

31 states have point estimates above the U.S. benchmark and 18 below it, with 1 equal to it. These counts do not establish statistical significance.

How much should you read into a rank?

Each estimate has a 90% margin of error published by the Census Bureau. For two different states, we flag a difference only when its absolute size exceeds the square root of the sum of their squared margins of error. The comparison tool applies this check to every selected pair.

Non-significance is not proof of equality. These pairwise tests are not adjusted for multiple comparisons and do not form ranking confidence intervals. Statistical method and limitations.

Ranks use the full precision of the source file, so only truly equal values share a rank (1, 2, 2, 4).

Keep exploring

Read the ranking methodology.

Explore the same states in a side-by-side comparison, or combine this measure with others in the custom ranking tool.

Source and method

Producer: U.S. Census Bureau
Product / file: ACS 1-year · GCT0101
Period: 2024
Unit: Years
Calculation: Published estimate; no transformation of the value. Rank = 1 + number of eligible jurisdictions with a higher value.
Coverage: The 50 states are ranked. Washington, D.C., can be added with the toggle above the table; Puerto Rico is shown for reference only, where the source covers it.
Cadence: Annual. 2025 ACS 1-year estimates scheduled for October 29, 2026 (Census ACS updates page); adoption follows editorial review.
Independence: Rank the States is independent. The agencies that produce the source data do not endorse these rankings.

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Rank the States. Median age, 2024. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 1-year, GCT0101; released 2025-09-11. Edition 2026-10-23. https://rankthestates.com/data/editions/2026-10-23/median-age.csv

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Updates and corrections

Last updated Oct. 23, 2026. Earlier editions stay available on the data page, and every change is listed in the update log. If a number or definition looks wrong, report an error with the state, value, and source you checked.

Median age by state

State distribution and comparisons

How does this compare with population age 65 and older?

The state-by-state view

What this ranking measures

The size of the gap

How much should you read into a rank?

Keep exploring

Source and method

Download, cite, or embed

Updates and corrections

Related rankings

Population age 65 and older

Population age 85 and older

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