Redefining Middle Age: Why 40 Is No Longer the New Halfway Point

Photo by Adrian Greaves on Unsplash

It used to be common to have “over the hill” parties for people who were turning 40. The idea was you’d reached the half-way point, and it’s “downhill” from there. But that seems like less of a THING these days.

There’s a new article in the Wall Street Journal that explores why your 40’s don’t seem like middle age anymore.

In America, the average life expectancy is 77 for men, and 81 for women. So while those numbers have been steadily climbing… (with the exception of the pandemic)  40 is still roughly “middle age.”

But it’s more about LIFESTYLE. For example, it’s become more common for women to have children later, well into their 40s. Births to women 40 and over has increased a whopping 193% over the past 35 years.

The median age of a first-time homebuyer hit 40 last year. And nearly 20% of the graduate students in America are 40-plus, which shows that many people are still shaping their careers at 40, not just looking to downshift toward retirement.

You probably even know 40-somethings who are training for marathons… opening new businesses… dating… having kids… and changing careers.

There’s less pressure to “have it all figured out” by 40 and in recent years, adulthood “appears to have stretched, creating many more possibilities.”

SOURCE: MSN