Ventura County Faces an Aging Population — and a Shrinking Younger Generation

Ventura County is getting older, fewer children are being born, and younger families are increasingly struggling with housing costs — demographic shifts that could affect the region for decades.

Those trends were the focus of the Ventura County Civic Alliance’s recent Future of the Region Conference in Camarillo.

Data presented at the event showed the county’s birth rate has fallen sharply since 1990, while the median age has continued to rise and the number of residents under 18 has declined.

Keynote speaker Fernando Torres-Gil, a UCLA professor and expert on aging and public policy, said the county must prepare for two challenges at once: supporting a growing older population while remaining affordable and accessible to younger families and workers.

Housing was a major concern. Rising property values can benefit longtime homeowners, but they can also make it harder for younger residents, caregivers and essential workers to live in the communities where they work.

Speakers said the demographic shift could eventually affect schools, health care, long-term care, the workforce and public services.

The central message: Ventura County needs to plan now for how it will support older residents while ensuring younger generations can continue to live, work and raise families here.

Read the full Acorn article for a deeper look at the county’s changing demographics and the challenges ahead.