What Data from the 2010 Census Tell Us about the Changing Child Population of the United States

This article provides an overview of changes in the U.S. child population (persons under age 18) based on data released from the 2010 census. Today, the number of children in the United States (74.2 million) is at an all-time high, but the share of the national population who are children (24 %) is at an all-time low. The number of children in the population grew by 1.9 million between 2000 and 2010, but the overall national figure masks many important details and divergent paths. The growing racial and ethnic diversity in the U.S. is more advanced among children than among adults. Some areas of the country and some demographic groups grew significantly over the decade, while the number of children in other areas and in other groups fell.