77004 is getting younger

America is getting older. Sure, millennials are the largest generation in the nation now, after surpassing baby boomers last spring. But, overall, there’s a graying. In 2011, the median age for Americans was a flat 37 years old, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. But by 2015, the most recent year for which data is available, Americans had aged to a median of 37 years and 7 months.

Houston is always younger (and can we say more awesome?) than the rest of the nation as a whole. Even still, Houstonians are growing up. In 2011, the median age here was 32 years and 2 months. In 2015, it was up to 32 years and 7 months.

But while there are plenty of pockets throughout Houston that are seeing an increase in median age, there are some that are getting younger — way younger.

And no part of town has seen such a pronounced shift in this direction than the 77004 ZIP code in the Museum District. In 2011, the average age here was 32 years and 3 months old, right on the money for Houston as a whole. But by 2015, it dropped more than four years to a median of 28 years and 1 month old.

And this age drop is far and away the largest in the city: The second-largest drop was seen in 77031, where the median fell from 32 years and 1 month old in 2011 to 30 years and 5 months in 2015.

So what’s going on? Those familiar with this enclave know there’s been a building boom, bringing a slew of townhouses and glossy apartments in recent years. And it’s just the kind of area that attracts millennials — walkable, with access to outdoor amenities like the running trails at Hermann Park and quirky nightlife options like Mixers and Elixirs at the Museum of Natural Science. It’s the perfect combination of attributes that brings young residents to live and play — and bust the national trends.