Does that title surprise you? Most people who don't live here, or who have only visited certain well-publicized retirement communities, think of Arizona as a retirement place. They believe it's a state where the population is older and there's a geriatric center or assisted-living facility on very corner, opposite a drug store, and an all-you-can-eat buffet. While the 'drug store on every corner' part may be true (!) you might be surprised to learn that according to the 2005 Census, Arizona has the 5th youngest population in the country. In the U.S. 24.8% of the people are under 18 years of age. in Arizona, 26.7% are under 18. It's no surprise that Utah was the youngest state, followed by Alaska, Texas, and California. Which state has the smallest population of young people? It's Maine, with 21%.

The main reason for Arizona's 5th place finish on the youthful side of the analysis seems to stem from the large Hispanic population here, and those families traditionally have more children. As with most issues, there's good news and bad news to having a young population. The bad news is that quality education and health care are expensive, but the good news is that those kids are tomorrow's workforce and taxpayers. Get them a good education and good jobs and the state will benefit.