For Those Unhappy With Their Assigned Generation

The Census Bureau and the experts disagree on who falls when.

by Rod D. Martin
July 18, 2024

If you're not happy with the generation to which you've been assigned, there's hope for you.

The Census Bureau's definitions of these things -- Boomers 45-65, X 65-80, Millennial 81-95, etc. -- are strongly disputed by the most significant academic expert on generational studies of our time, Neil Howe.

Neil says these generations are as follows:

Boomers: 1943-1960
Gen X: 1961-1980
Millennial: 1981-2001 (with the caveat that, for reasons described in his new The Fourth Turning Is Here, he believes the Millennial generation may go on a bit longer)

That reshapes the landscape quite a bit. And let's be real: the Census Bureau can't even count, much less define anything properly.

Also, I strongly suggest reading Neil’s latest. It’s one of the more interesting books of the last decade.

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