The number of El Paso County children age 17 and younger fell by more than 12,000 between 2020 and 2024, according to recently released estimates by the U.S. Census Bureau.
The population estimates reinforce trends seen in county schools, which have struggled with declining enrollment. The new estimates, released last week, also show El Paso’s population aging, though still younger than state and Texas averages.
El Paso is seeing declines in children, little change in young adults, slight growth in adults 25-44, a flat trend for adults approaching retirement, and strong growth among seniors, the estimates show.
Previously released census data has shown strong migration away from El Paso – where average private sector wages are less than two-thirds of state and national levels. The census figures show a net loss for El Paso of just under 18,000 people over the past four years in movement to and from other U.S. counties.
The decline of the childhood population matches trends seen in birth data obtained by El Paso Matters, which has shown the number of births declining steadily since the mid-1990s, with the drop accelerating since 2015.
The number of children 17 and younger fell 5.2% between 2020 and 2024, with the number of children age 5-17 – generally the age of children in school – falling by 3.3%.
The drop in school-age population has created financial challenges for El Paso schools and led to school closures.
The decline in school-age children in El Paso is likely to accelerate in the coming years. The number of children under 5 – those who will be entering elementary school over the next few years – declined by almost 6,400 between 2020 and 2024, or 10.8%.
The population of children in El Paso is declining at two and a half times the national rate. The number of children 17 and younger declined 1.7% nationwide between 2020 and 2024. The number of children under 5 nationwide dropped by 4.2%.
The decline in children is occurring despite a 4.9% increase in the number of people age 25-44 – the age when people generally begin raising families. However, the youngest part of that cohort – 25 to 29 – has declined by almost 2,600 since 2020, or 3.8%, according to the census estimates.
The number of older working age adults – 45-64 – has declined by about 1,600 so far this decade, or about 1%.
In the youngest of working-age adults, those 18-24, the population grew by just over 100 between the 2020 census and the 2024 estimates.
The only age group showing significant growth in El Paso County since the 2020 census is the population over 64, which added more than 12,000 people, or 11.3%, by 20204.
The decline in the number of children, coupled with an increase in the population over age 65, is pushing up El Paso’s median age – the point where half the population is younger and half is older.
Even with its aging trend, El Paso County is still younger than most counties. The national median age in 2024 was 39.1, five years older than El Paso. The median age in Texas was 35.8.
The post Number of El Paso children drops by 12,000 in four years appeared first on El Paso Matters.
Read: Read More