Des Moines is getting grayer

The Des Moines metro's 65+ population has grown faster since the pandemic than any other age group — and higher than the national average — according to new Census data.

Why it matters: Cities with growing senior populations face greater pressures on services like health care, transportation and affordable housing .

By the numbers: The metro's 65+ population grew 11.4% between 2020 and 2023 to about 109,800 people.

• Meanwhile, the number of children under 14 dropped 1.3%, to around 147,130.

The big picture: The numbers reflect a broader national phenomenon, with the U.S.'s 65-plus population rising 9.4% to about 59.2 million in the same time frame, per the U.S. Census Bureau.

State of play: The bureau expects the national trend to continue. The 65+ crowd will likely outnumber children by 2034 for the first time in U.S. history.

• Locally, groups like AARP Iowa are responding by calling for lawmakers and elderly care regulators to rethink long-term care services.
• That includes making in-home services more readily available so people can live in their homes longer.

What they're saying: The near-universal increase in the older population for metro areas across the country is "particularly remarkable," Lauren Bowers, chief of the Census Bureau's Population Estimates Branch, wrote in the agency's analysis .

Read more