South Carolina is getting grayer.
But then, so is much of the U.S.
According to the U.S. Census , in 2020 there were 55.8 million people age 65 and over in the United States (16.8% of the total population) — up 38.6% from 40.3 million in 2010. For people 70 years old and over, the male population experienced a larger growth rate between 2010 and 2020 (42.2%) than females (29.5%).
In South Carolina, the median age was between 36 and 37 years old in 2010 — the median age had risen to over 40 years old by 2020, census data shows.
The higher percentages of elderly in the U.S. has been mainly because of Baby Boomers, U.S. Census states.
Born from 1946 to 1964, there are more than 70 million estimated Baby Boomers and by 2030, they will all be at least 65 years old, U.S. Census data shows. But that’s not all.
With better health care increasing lifespans and birth rates dropping among young women, older adults could outnumber children under 18 years old for the first time in U.S. history by 2034, the Census Bureau projects.