Is this you? As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.
Claim your profile
Articles by Kristie Wilder
Median Age in 192 Metro Areas Higher Than National Median of 39.1
Median Age in 192 Metro Areas Higher Than National Median of 39.1 The U.S. median age — the age at which half the population is aged above and the other half below — has increased by 0.6 years from April 2020 to July 2024 when it reached 39.1, according to U.S. Census Bureau population estimates released today. Between April 2020 and July 2024, the median age rose in 329 of the nation’s 387 metro areas.
Some Metro Areas’ Population Gains Reversed COVID-19 Era Trends
While the population in some metro areas has grown steadily this decade, others experienced a turnaround, as some metro areas that were declining are now growing. Take the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metro area, for example. It lost nearly 277,000 people during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic (2020-2021) but has since experienced growth that made it the nation’s largest-gaining metro area between 2023 and 2024, adding over 213,000 people for a total population of around 19.9 million.
While Number of People Age 65 and Older Increased in Almost All Metro Areas, Young Population Declined in Many Metro Areas From 2020 to 2023
The total number of U.S. children declined by 3.3% nationally, with around 80% (311) of U.S. metro areas, including some of the most populous, experiencing a decrease in the number of children from April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023.
Florida home to metro areas among top U.S. population gainers
Florida was home to four of the nation’s top five fastest-growing metropolitan statistical areas and three of the top 10 that gained the largest number of people from 2022 to 2023, reflecting continued population growth across the South. The increases in Florida — the nation’s third most populous state — were fueled by rapid growth in select metro areas in the state during that period (Figure 1).
Sunshine State Home to Metro Areas Among Top 10 U.S. Population Gainers From 2022 to 2023
U.S. migration patterns played a significant role in the South’s population growth. Many people moved to this region, contributing to its overall positive net domestic migration (more people moving in from the rest of the United States than moving out to other parts of the United States). From 2022 to 2023, 28 of the top 30 metro areas with the highest positive domestic migration were in the South.
The Tough Cookie
Kristin Stark isn’t just a loan officer. She was a world traveler – an Air Force brat who graduated high school in Germany. Now she’s a mother, a leader of an all-female loan team, and a solutionist. But Stark’s most prominent attribute – one that she doesn’t brag to you about – is that she’s a tough cookie. The mother of two children with special needs, Stark can tell you what it’s like in and out of the office to have patience, attentiveness, and strength.
Texas Joins California As State With 30-Million-Plus Population
Texas is now one of only two U.S. states with a population of 30 million or more: the nation’s second-most-populous state reached a population milestone by passing the 30-million threshold. Texas’s population in 2022 was 30,029,572, second only to California (39,029,342), not surprising given its consistent place in recent years among the nation’s fastest-growing, largest-gaining states.
Texas Joins California as State with 30-Million-Plus Population
Texas counties led the nation in growth. Rockwall County was not only the fastest-growing county in Texas but also the second-fastest growing county in the nation, behind Lincoln County, South Dakota. Eight other Texas counties (Hays, Williamson, Fort Bend, Kaufman, Comal, Collin, Montgomery and Denton) ranked among the nation’s 25 fastest-growing counties between 2000 and 2022, when all saw their populations double.
Florida fastest-growing state for first time since 1957
After decades of rapid population increase, Florida now is the nation’s fastest-growing state for the first time since 1957, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s Vintage 2022 population estimates. Florida’s population increased by 1.9% to 22,244,823 between 2021 and 2022, surpassing Idaho, the previous year’s fastest-growing state. Florida’s percentage gains since 1946 have been impressive: its 2022 population is just over 9 times its 1946 population of 2,440,000.
New Florida Estimates Show Nation’s Third-Largest State Reaching Historic Milestone
Why hasn’t Florida been the country's fastest-growing state in any other year since 1957? In a word — Nevada. Florida's percentage gains since 1946 have been impressive: its 2022 population is just over 9 times its 1946 population of 2,440,000. But Nevada's increases are even higher. Its 2022 population of 3,177,772 is a stunning 22 times its 1946 population of 143,000. For 36 of the 76 years since 1946, Nevada has held the top spot.
New Census Bureau visualization shows broad variations in age structure by state and county
Florida’s median age in 2021 was 42.7, higher than the national median of 38.8 and that of neighboring Georgia (37.5). But even within Florida, the age structure varies widely, from 32.1 in Leon County to 68.3 in Sumter County — the highest median age of any county in the nation. A new U.S. Census Bureau interactive visualization shows the broad variations in age structure by state and county.
New Census Bureau Visualization Shows Broad Variations in Age Structure By State and County
Median age is one way to represent an area's age distribution. Another way is using population pyramids providing the age and sex structure. Population pyramids in the data visualization below are commonly used in demographic research because they provide a condensed but powerful illustration of a population’s age distribution by sex. A population pyramid is essentially two bar charts, one for the male population on the left and the other for the female population on the right.
Domestic migration plays larger role in population growth of many counties in recent years
Domestic migration’s role as the main driver of population change intensified between 2016 and 2021, resulting in population gains in some counties and declines in others. New population estimates for July 1, 2021, allow us to look at recent trends in county population change. Natural change (the difference between births and deaths), domestic migration and international migration all contribute to how an area’s population changes over time.
Domestic Migration Plays Larger Role in Population Growth of Many Counties in Recent Years
Luke Rogers and Kristie Wilder Domestic migration’s role as the main driver of population change intensified between 2016 and 2021, resulting in population gains in some counties and declines in others. Population estimates for July 1, 2021, released today allow us to look at recent trends in county population change. During this period (2020-2021), more than half of counties (58%) gained population; domestic migration was the major component of change in 90% of them.
Shift in Working-Age Population Relative to Older and Younger Americans
The surge in the number of Americans aged 65 and older this decade has outpaced the growth in the working-age population. In counties across the United States, the dependency ratio has increased, according to U.S. Census Bureau population estimates released today. Over the last decade, the growth of the non-working-age (dependent) population – ages 0 to 14 and 65 and older – has outpaced the growth of the working-age population.
Dallas and Houston Are Now Fourth and Fifth Most Populous in the Nation
Copyright 2019 Nexstar Broadcasting, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. WASHINGTON - Two of the top three largest gaining metropolitan statistical areas from 2010 to 2018 were in the state of Texas, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington and Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land metro areas each gained over 1,000,000 people, according to July 1, 2018, population estimates released Thursday, April 18.
Show More
loading
Actions
Is this you?
As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.Get in touch with Kristie
Contact Kristie, search articles and posts on X, monitor coverage, and track replies from one place.
Learn more about Muck Rack