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U.S. Demographics: Largest 5-year cohorts, and Ten most Common Ages in 2022

Nine years ago, I wrote: Census Bureau: Largest 5-year Population Cohort is now the “20 to 24” Age Group.

Earliler the Census Bureau released the population estimates for July 2022 by age, and I’ve updated the table from the previous post.

The table below shows the top 10 cohorts by size for 2010, 2022 (released recently), and the most recent Census Bureau projections for 2030.

In 2022, the top 6 cohorts were under 45 (the Boomers are fading away), and by 2030 the top 10 cohorts will be the youngest 10 cohorts.

There will be plenty of “gray hairs” walking around in 2030, but the key for the economy is the population in the prime working age group is now increasing.

As I noted in 2014, this was positive for apartments, and more recently positive for housing.

Population: Largest 5-Year Cohorts by Year
Largest
Cohorts		 2010 2022 2030
1 45 to 49 years 30 to 34 years 35 to 39 years
2 50 to 54 years 20 to 24 years 40 to 44 years
3 15 to 19 years 35 to 39 years 30 to 34 years
4 20 to 24 years 25 to 29 years 25 to 29 years
5 25 to 29 years 15 to 19 years 20 to 24 years
6 40 to 44 years 40 to 44 years 45 to 49 years
7 10 to 14 years 60 to 64 years 5 to 9 years
8 5 to 9 years 55 to 59 years 10 to 14 years
9 Under 5 years 10 to 14 years Under 5 years
10 35 to 39 years 50 to 54 years 15 to 19 years



2021 Population by Age
Click on graph for larger image.

This graph, based on the 2022 population estimate, shows the U.S. population by age in July 2022 according to the Census Bureau.

Note that the largest age group is in the early-to-mid 30s.  There is also a large cohort in their early 20s.

And below is a table showing the ten most common ages in 2010, 2021, and 2030 (projections are from the Census Bureau, 2017).

Note the younger baby boom generation dominated in 2010.  In 2022 the millennials had taken over and the boomers are off the list.

This is why – a number of years ago – I was so positive on housing.   And this is a positive for the economy.

Population: Most Common Ages by Year
  2010 2022 2030
1 50 32 39
2 49 31 40
3 19 21 38
4 48 30 37
5 47 22 36
6 46 33 41
7 20 29 35
8 45 34 30
9 18 28 34
10 52 23 33


IMPORTANT NOTE: The data above is based on the Census 2022 estimates and 2017 projections. Housing economist Tom Lawler has pointed out some questions about earlier Census estimates, see: Lawler: “New Long-Term Population Projections Show Slower Growth than Previous Projections but Are Still Too High”