39 years old is now the U.S. median age.
University of Wisconsin-Madison Sociologist Dr. Christine Whelan says an important statistic in the mix is there are fewer Americans under the age of five and more of us are over 65 than before - especially men. Dr. Whelan explains why this is not good for the economy. "With fewer young people, and people who are working and are paying into Social Security and Taxes, it makes for less money coming into Social Security social services that we all rely on when we get older!"
2020 Statistics: US Demographics are Continuing to Change
Dr. Whelan says a big part of the mix is that women aren't having as many children and at such a young age as before. "Women are getting more education than before and are getting better paying jobs than before. They are delaying that first marriage until their early thirties. At that point - will they be able to afford childcare? The finances are increasingly tough for a lot of families."
Dr. Whelan says that many women now are growing their careers at the same age their mothers were having babies; and add in we're living longer than before, so the median age was certain to rise.
She says it's the fastest median age growth in 130 years...
photo:Getty
39 is the Median age of Americans.Photo: Getty Images