Campy Concentration USA Today has recently summarized research and census reports on the physical distribution of 80 million Baby Boomers in the US and finds concentrated clusters that
will influence target marketing. The article reports that analysis of Census 2000 data shows that Baby boomers are losing their dominance almost everywhere and for the first time are becoming
concentrated in parts of New England and the Rockies that are less diverse, attract fewer immigrants or are losing younger people.
William Frey, a demographer with the Milken Institute, says that
the formation of these "boomer havens" is an important development because it will change the political and social landscape of these regions. Boomers are more politically active and generally support
liberal causes, including environmentalism. As boomers cluster in certain states, they'll also reshape the cultural fabric, Frey says.
- Four of the top seven states are in New England: New
Hampshire, Vermont, Maine and Connecticut. Maine, which ranked 22nd in its share of baby boomers in 1990, now ranks fourth.
- A smaller boomer cluster is forming in the Rocky Mountain states of
Wyoming, Montana and Colorado. Ranked 35th in 1990, Montana now is 12th. Colorado slipped from second to sixth, largely because the state is beginning to attract more immigrants.
- Boomers are
concentrated in regions of fast job growth, such as Washington and Oregon.
- Boomers in their peak earning years are settling into good jobs in pricey suburbs. Maryland and Virginia, which
include suburbs of Washington, are in the top 10.
- Nationally, boomers have been losing their dominance as younger generations grow and older generations live longer. Boomers' share of the U.S.
population slipped just under 30% in 2000, from 32.5% in 1990.
- The biggest increases in the actual numbers of boomers are in the Sun Belt: Florida (627,000 more in 2000 than in 1990), Texas
(308,000), Georgia (243,000), Arizona (233,000), North Carolina (221,000) and Nevada (177,000).
Read more here.