North Dakota’s population is becoming more ethnically diverse and slightly older, according to U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2024 Population Estimates released today.

The median age in North Dakota as of July 1, 2024, was 36, with a median of 35.4 years for men and 36.6 years for women. That compares to a median age of 35.4 in April 2020, with 34.9 years for men and 36.1 years for women.

In 2024, the U.S. median age reached a new record high of 39.1, up 0.6 years from 38.5 in 2020. Maine’s population in 2024 was the oldest, with a median age of 44.8, and Utah’s was the youngest at 32.4.

North Dakota hit a five-year high in numbers of residents aged 85 or older. The Census Bureau lists 17,911 North Dakotans age 85 or older in its 2024 estimates.

Nationally, the data show the U.S. population continued to age, with the share of the population aged 65 and older steadily increasing from 12.4% in 2004 to 18% in 2024, and the share of children declining from 25% to 21.5%.

In North Dakota, residents aged 65 and older accounted for 17.3% of the state’s population in 2024, while children younger than 18 made up 23%, according to the census estimates.

In 2020, just three states saw older adults outnumber children: Maine, Vermont, and Florida. By 2024, this number had increased to 11, with Delaware, Hawaii, Montana, New Hampshire, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and West Virginia joining their ranks, the Census Bureau reported.

From 2020 to 2024, the nation’s older population grew by 13%, significantly outpacing the 1.4% growth of working-age adults, ages 18 to 64, while the number of children declined by 1.7%.

“Children still outnumber older adults in the United States, despite a decline in births this decade,” said Lauren Bowers, chief of the Census Bureau’s Population Estimates Branch in a news release. “However, the gap is narrowing as baby boomers continue to age into their retirement years. In fact, the number of states and counties where older adults outnumber children is on the rise, especially in sparsely populated areas.”

North Dakota has a number of rural counties that fall into the category of older adults exceeding the numbers of children.

From 2020 to 2024, the number of U.S. metro areas with more older adults than children increased from 58 to 112, representing nearly 30% of the nation’s 387 metro areas, data showed.

Racial and ethnic data showed between 2023 and 2024, the Asian population in the United States grew the fastest, 4.2%, followed by the Hispanic or Latino population, 2.9%. While the Hispanic or Latino share of the U.S. total population reached 20% for the first time in 2024, only nine states were at least 20% Hispanic.

The South Pacific Islander population has seen explosive growth in North Dakota, up 27.5% from 2023 to 2024 and up 182% from 2020. However, in overall numbers, the 1,836 residents accounted for 0.23% of the state’s population.

In comparison, from 2020 to 2024, the number of Asian residents grew 25%, the Black/African American population rose 18.7% and indigenous people increased their numbers by 3.2%. The mixed race population also was up 18.7%.

Indigenous people accounted for 5.3% of the state’s population, while Black/African American accounted for 4%, Asian residents 2%, and mixed race 2.7% in the 2024 estimates.

The percentage of North Dakota’s population identified as white dropped from 87.2% to 85.6% between 2020 and 2024, despite actual numbers rising.