26 Most common age in U.S. has seen greatness
Next time you’re in a bar and someone asks you to guess their age, just go with around 26. There’s a good a chance you’ll be right.
Each year, the U.S. Census bureau releases data that details the U.S. population by single year of age and sex. And according to data released Thursday by the U.S. Census bureau, there were more 26-year-olds in this country in July 2017 than any other age: 4.8 million of them to be exact.
That’s not exactly a huge surprise, given that this cohort has held the crown for the largest single-year group for several years now, dating back to 2012, when they were 21 years old. The reason for the peak here is a little complicated. While today’s 26-year-olds weren’t born as the nation’s largest cohort, they have grown over time, thanks to a steady stream of immigrants coming to the country. And when you’re in your mid-20s, the death rate is obviously relatively low compared to 80-year-olds, who will see a large natural decrease in the year before they turn 81.
It’s no secret that millennials are the nation’s largest generation. They officially overtook baby boomers back in 2016, according to the Pew Research Center. And the changes this shift has brought to the national landscape have been far-reaching.
Just check the headlines, which blame young adults for killing everything from paper napkins (they just use paper towels!) to wine corks (they’d rather buy something with a screw-top!), and even Applebee’s (you’re welcome!).
More seriously, the millennial generation has disrupted the housing market right here in
Houston, driving an increase in the number of one-person apartments. Young adults also have pushed back on the once tried-and-true practice of marrying by the time you reach, say, 26.
And that’s not necessarily a bad thing. In fact, 26-year-olds also have done some really cool stuff.
For instance, when Ben Franklin was 26, he published the first edition of Poor Richard’s Almanac . Eli Whitney was 26 when he invented the cotton gin. Valentina Tereshkova became the first woman to travel in space. Stephen King wrote the horror classic “Carrie.” And to bring it back to Houston, J.J. Watt earned his third Defensive Player of the Year award.