The Valley's graying population

The overall population of the eight-county San Joaquin Valley region grew by more than 110% between 1980 and 2020. But the number of senior citizens (age 65 and older) has grown even faster as the Baby Boomer generation ages, especially among those age 85 and older.

Bar chart showing the comparative percentage growth between the overall population, people age 65 and older, and people age 85 and older, in the San Joaquin Valley from 1980 to 2020.
A "Baby Boomer" is a person born in the post-World War II period from 1946 to 1964. The oldest of them reached age 65 in 2011, while the youngest will become senior citizens in 2029. The Valley region includes Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, Merced, San Joaquin, Stanislaus and Tulare counties.
Chart: Tim Sheehan and Lauren Aiello / Central Valley Journalism CollaborativeSource: U.S. Census Bureau data from 1980, 1990, 2000, 2010 and 2020 decennial census records.Created with Datawrapper