Lordy, lordy, Hawaii's (civilian) population is 40

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - You've probably heard a lot about Hawaii's coming silver tsunami — the aging of the state's population.

And a new milestone underscores that trend.

In 2017, the median age of Hawaii's civilian population hit 40 years old, according to the state's newly-released Data Book.

That means half of the civilian population is older than 40 and half of the population is younger.

To be sure, Hawaii has been tiptoeing up to the big birthday for years.

In 2010, the median age of the civilian population was 39.4. In 2000, it was 37.

The median age of military personnel in the state last year was 28. And when they're added in, Hawaii's median age drops to 39.

But worth noting: Even with the military included, the median age of women in Hawaii is 40.6. (For men, it's 37.5).

Wondering which county is youngest? Not surprisingly, given where military personnel are stationed, it's Oahu. The median age in the county is 37.8.

The oldest county is the Big Island, with a median age of 42.5

Maui's median age is 41.2, while in Kauai it.s 41.8.

Hawaii is graying faster than the rest of the nation, and that's particularly clear when you look at the uptick in the number of residents over 65.

In 2017, there were more than 253,000 people in that group, up about 29 percent from 2010.

Also last year, there were more than 40,000 Hawaii residents who were 85 or older. That's up by about 10,000 from 2010.

Nationally, the median age in 2016 was 37.7, according to Census estimates.

But there are a number of states well into their 40s, including Maine (44) and Vermont (42.6).

Texas, at 34 years old, is among the youngest states in the nation.