A few generations ago, most people lived out their lives in the places where they were born. Today, Americans are used to moving, often due to the pull of economic opportunity. Teenagers move across the country to go to college, 20- and 30-somethings flock to cities for jobs, and white-haired "snow birds" head to Florida or Arizona to escape the winter.
So it makes sense that the population of different parts of the United States varies by age. Jishai Evers of Dadaviz has created a series of maps using U.S. Census data from the American FactFinder showing just what these differences look like.
Evers doesn't use the term "Millennial," which commonly refers to the generation that came of age around the year 2000. Instead, he splits up America into the Greatest Generation (now 70 and above), Baby Boomers (50 to 69), Generation X (30 to 49), Generation Y (15 to 29) and Generation Z (0 to 14 years old).
The animation below shows where different generations are concentrated by state. It probably won't surprise you that Florida has the largest Greatest Generation population. Arizona, Maine, Pennsylvania and West Virginia are also popular with the oldest Americans. Baby Boomers are spread more evenly around the country, but they show up more prominently in New England and Montana.
Gen Xers appear to have sought out jobs in bigger cities, with a stronger presence in New York, Minnesota, Illinois, Texas, Colorado and the West Coast. Gen Yers and Gen Zers, who are under 30, especially show up in faster-growing states like North Dakota, Utah and California.
The next map shows the largest generation by state. Gen Xers dominated in most states, including across the West and South. But Baby Boomers outnumber them in New England, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Montana, Wyoming and South Dakota, among others. Gen Yers are the biggest population in only one state, North Dakota.
Here's a more detailed breakdown of the different populations by state. Utah has the most Gen Zers (0 to 14), while the District of Columbia (which is not actually a state) has the least.
This map shows how generations break down at the county level. Again, you can see the concentration of older people in Florida and Arizona, among other places. Lots of urban areas, including Seattle, Chicago and D.C., appear big with Gen Xers.
Finally, here's a static image of the most numerous generation by county. Baby Boomers still dominate much of the map, but Gen Xers are gradually taking over.
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