TWIN FALLS, Idaho (KLIX) – If being older means wiser too then Idaho might have some of the wisest people in the country.

According to information from the Census Bureau, Idaho’s population is aging faster than the rest of the country.

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Jacob Wackerhausen
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The number of seniors in the Gem State – those ages 65 and older – increased by 30 percent from mid 2010 to mid-2016 compared with 22 percent for the country, according to the bureau.

This group - which includes the oldest four years of the baby boom generation (born between 1946 and 1964) - accounts for 15 percent of the state’s population.

Idaho’s population experienced a significant increase from mid-2015 to mid-2016, up more than 30,000 or 1.8 percent. The growth was across all age groups. Idaho’s population continues to age as the most significant increases continue to be in the 65 and older age group. The 2016 data shows that this age group grew nearly 5 percent from mid-2015.

The 19-and-younger age group and 40 to 64 age group grew by 1 percent while the 20 to 39 age group grew 2 percent. The 0 to 19 and 20 to 39 age groups more than doubled in percentage growth from 2015 to 2016. The 40 to 64 age group has shown growth every year since 2011.

Idaho’s median age of 36.2 was lower than the nation’s at 37.9 as of mid-2016. This means that half the population was older than this age and half younger.

Twin Falls and Jerome counties were among the state’s eight counties that reported  increases across all age groups, while Gooding was one of two counties that had the largest numeric decrease for the 19-and-younger age group with more than 80.

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