(The Center Square) — According to recently-released data from the U.S. Census Bureau, Florida is becoming even more diverse as its population gets older.
Florida is currently the third largest state, population-wise, in the U.S., behind California and Texas and has become the fastest-growing state.
U.S. Census Bureau’s annual estimates of the resident population by race, sex, and Hispanic origin for Florida between April 1, 2020, and June 1, 2022, shows the racial makeup of Florida has increased in most demographics — non-Hispanic White, Black, or African American, Hispanic, Native American, Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander and Asian.
The vast majority of the 2022 population in Florida was non-Hispanic White with 11.6 million residents, with Hispanics the second-largest group with 6.035 million, an increase of over 300,000 in two years.
According to the Vintage 2022 Population Estimates, the Sunshine State is also aging.
In April 2020, Florida had an estimated population total of 21.5 million, with 10.6 million males and 10.9 million females. The median age for males in 2020 was 41, while the median for females was 43.9.
By July 2022, Florida’s total population had grown to 22.2 million people, with 10.95 million males and 11.3 million females, while the median age for the total population had grown from 42.4 years to 42.7 years. The male median age had increased 0.3 years to 41.3, while the female median age increased to 44.2 years.
Among counties with populations over 100,000, Florida is also home to some of the oldest counties in the U.S.
Sumter County has a median age of 68.1 and has been the nation’s oldest county year after year due to the large retirement community, the Villages, located there. Citrus County is also above the state’s median age at 57, Sarasota County on the Gulf Coast has a median age of 57.5 and Charlotte County has a median of 60.2.
The nation’s median age is also increasing as the U.S. Census data shows that the average age of Americans was 38.9 years as of 2022.
This article First appeared in the center square