A new report — or what the city calls a Demographic Story Map — reveals that Austin is getting older (the jury's still out on the "wiser" part). The "Age of Change" study, released by the city planning department's demography division, analyzes 2020 U.S. Census data with a focus on age trends and their effects on some of the communities in one of the fastest growing metros in the nation (that's still Austin).
Some of study's key findings, according to the city, include:
- Austin’s population is relatively young but aging rapidly.
- Population growth overall and among children took place along the edges of the city, whereas the older population grew fastest in West Austin.
- People 65 and older are the fastest growing age group in Austin, made up mostly of White older population, but the Asian older population grew the fastest.
- East Austin has increasing shares of White older adults and decreasing shares of older Black and Hispanic people.
- Although the child population grew between 2010 and 2020, children now make up a smaller share of the total population.
- Growth in the child population was driven mostly by Asian children, in contrast with a decline among Black and Latino children.
- The age distribution in Austin is heavily weighted by people of working age, especially those in their 20s and 30s.
- We have a strong ratio of workers to children and older adults, giving Austin a strong economic stance.
The story map offers a deep dive into the city's makeup, zooming in on neighborhoods, identity groups, and what it calls "peer cities" through an age-related lens. It's part of a planned series of demographic-related report, according to the city. The next report will delve into changes in housing and households and expected to be out in the fall.
