In Missouri, population grew by 478,310, or 9.3 percent, between 1990 and 2000. The greatest population growth was 27.16 percent in the springfield region. Other regions in Missouri experiencing rapid growth in that period were the southwest (16.7 percent), Lake Ozark-Rolla (15.2 percent), and central (15.0 percent) regions. The North central region had negative growth (-0.57 percent) followed by slow growth in the bootheel (1.45 percent), northwest (3.37 percent), and northeast (3.68 percent) regions.
Of the 478,310 person increase in Missouri between 1990 and 2000, more than half (56.4 percent) was in the 45 to 64 year old age bracket. The Under 18 age bracket followed (22.5 percent). The smallest portion of the overall Missouri population increase was in the 18 to 24 age bracket (3.7 percent).
Within the age brackets, and taken into account the total population, the 45 to 64 group had tremendous growth in the state from 1990. Overall growth for this age bracket in Missouri between 1990 and 2000 was 27.6 percent. This increase is not surprising as it contains the Baby Boomer generation. The Baby Boomer generation is defined as those born between 1946 and 1964. It is likely that the 45 to 64 age bracket will continue to grow in the next decade as the second half of the Baby Boomer generation reaches this age bracket.
The Under 18 age group had the second largest growth rate of 8.2 percent. This group includes the children, or even grandchildren, of the Baby Boomers.
However, the largest age category in Missouri in 1990 as well as 2000 continues to be the 25 to 44 age bracket. This group realized a modest 2.8 percent growth during the time period, the least of any age category. The pattern of growth within the age brackets suggests that by the next census, the 45 to 64 age bracket may become the largest age group in the state.
Growth in the 45 to 64 age bracket was also significant regionally. Within the four regions having the largest population growth between 1990 and 2000, the 45 to 64 age bracket contributed most to the population increase in each region. In the central region, 48.4 percent of the population increase was from the 45 to 64 group, more than twice that of any other group. Similar patterns were seen in the Lake Ozark-Rolla (45.9 percent), southwest (37.4 percent), and springfield (35.0 percent) regions.
It is clear that the Baby Boomer generation has had a significant impact on population trends in the last ten years. As this generation ages, continued growth in the 45 to 64 bracket followed by increases in the 65+ group can be expected.
