The US Census Bureau this week released population data, tabulated by age and sex, as of July 1, 2006, when the total population edged close to 300 million: 299,398,484. The median age was 36.4 years. (On Oct. 17, 2006, the Census Bureau reported that the overall population had topped 300 million.)
As of July 2006, males in the US numbered 147,512,152 (49.27%); the median age was 35.1 years. Females numbered 151,886,332 (50.73%), with the median age at 37.7 years.
The nation’s minority population reached 100.7 million, according Census Bureau estimates; that tallies to about one in three US residents.
Some of the just-released age-related data:
- There were 37.3 million people 65 and older in 2006, accounting for 12% of the total population. In 2005, this group numbered an estimated 36.8 million.
- The number of people 85 and older reached 5.3 million, up from 5.1 million in 2005.
- In 2006, working-age adults (18 to 64) totaled 188.4 million, which was 63% of the population. A year earlier, the total was 186.2 million.
- The number of preschoolers (younger than 5) in the United States in 2006 was estimated at 20.4 million, up slightly from 20.3 million.
- The number of elementary school-age (5 through 13) children was 36.1 million, with high-school age (14 through 17) children numbering 17.2 million.
- States with the highest percentages of older people (65 and older) include Florida (16.8%), West Virginia (15.3%) and Pennsylvania (15.2%). States with the lowest percentages were Alaska (6.8%), Utah (8.8%) and Georgia (9.7%).
- States with the highest percentages of preschoolers include Utah (9.7%), Texas (8.2%) and Arizona (7.8%). States with the lowest percentages were Vermont (5.3%), Maine (5.3%) and New Hampshire (5.6%).
 
These data are based on estimates of U.S. population for July 1, 2006. The Census Bureau estimates population change from the most recent decennial census (Census 2000) using annual data on births, deaths and international migration.
