Gen X Statistics, Insights And Facts (2025)
Updated · Jul 07, 2025
Table of Contents
Introduction
Gen X Statistics: Considered the generation in-between generations, it stands poised in 2024, with people from Generation X being in their prime, aged between 44 and 59, while managing peak career years, family duties, and retirement planning. Typically referred to as the Sandwich Generation, Gen Xers are both caring for ageing parents and dependent kids. This generation, often ignored in consideration with Baby Boomers and Millennials, holds an ultra-important position in the workforce, economy, and technology adoption. This article examines the latest Gen X statistics to piece together in 2024.
Editor’s Choice
- Gen X is spending more time on social media than millennials: nearly 7 hours per week, although millennials spend a greater percentage of their media time on social media.
- Back in 2024, social media was utilised for online searching by only 18% of Gen X, as opposed to 46% of Gen Z.
- Among Gen X, Amazon reigns supreme, being purportedly utilised by 86%, followed by Walmart at 38%, eBay at 35%, Temu at 33%, Target at 23%, Etsy at 21%, and SHEIN at 16%.
- Gen X has far less wealth compared with the hierarchy of Baby Boomers, as, in Q3 of 2024, boomers have 51.6% of U.S. wealth, whereas millennials have 10%, despite a similar population base.
- Only 24% of Gen X admit to having student loan debts, but 18% have taken out these loans for someone else. Among those keeping their student loans, 56% are worried about paying for them.
- Financial satisfaction among Gen X is low at 25%, compared to 29% of millennials and 44% of boomers.
- Many Gen Xers seem to be grossly underprepared for retirement; the average savings among them amount to scarcely US$150,000, compared against US$1-1.5 million needed for a shamefully comfortable retirement.
- The median net worth for Gen X aged 45-54 stands at US$247,000, and US$364,000 for those aged 55-64, revealing vast disparities of wealth within the generation.
- Median annual earnings for men of Gen X aged 45-54 amounted to US$79,984 in 2024, whereas those for women are US$60,112, thus placing most in the middle-income range of US$58,021–US$94,000.
- Federal poverty thresholds in 2025 are US$15,650 for one-person households and US$32,150 for four-person households.
Gen X Time Spent On Social Media
(Source: fipp.com)
- According to a Social Media Report, Gen X statistics show that Generation X, ranging from ages 35 to 49, is actually a heavier user of social media than younger generations.
- Out of the 168 hours in a week, Gen X spends about 31 hours and 40 minutes on media, of which around 7 hours goes to social media. That is almost 40 minutes more than the average millennial spends on social platforms.
- The percentage of total media time shows differently, however, with 24% of millennial media time being social media as compared to only 22% for Gen X, illustrating that Gen X spends more time in total, but millennials are more concentrated during their use.
Gen X Wealth Distribution
(Reference: statista.com)
- In Q3 2024, baby boomers, born from 1946 through 1964, commanding 51.6% of the total wealth inside the United States, are just over half of all the wealth that is controlled by this older generation in the country.
- In contrast, the millennials, born between 1981 and 1996, owned some 10% of the nation’s wealth during the same period.
- It is interesting to note that the size of the population is nearly the same for both groups, thus meaning that the millennials and baby boomers together constitute almost the same portion of the U.S. population.
- This gives rise to the divergence in the economic gap between these two generations, which accentuates sharp generational differences in wealth ownership.
Gen X Social Media Usage
(Reference: statista.com)
A poll conducted in April 2024 revealed that in the United States, roughly one in every four adults preferred the novel way of searching for information online, mainly through social media, rather than through traditional search engines. There was a generational divide in the preference, with Gen Z being the most inclined toward this route, as nearly 46% claimed to employ social platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, or YouTube to find information. On the other hand, a mere 18% of Gen X claimed they did the same, underscoring the generational divide on how people go about searching for information online.
Gen X Most Popular Shopping Apps
(Reference: stackedmarketer.com)
- As per Stackedmarketer, Gen X statistics show that Amazon is far and away the most used shopping app for Generation X shoppers, with 86% of people in that group using it.
- Walmart is a distant second at 38%, with eBay not far behind at 35%. Temu is also popular with 33% of Gen X users. Target sees 23% usage, while Etsy lures 21% of Gen X shoppers.
- Though SHEIN is more familiar to younger generations, it is being used by 16% of Generation-Xers, showing that all these shopping platforms find a patronage in this demographic.
Student Loan Debt By Generation
(Reference: finrafoundation.org)
- As per the Finrafoundation report on Gen X statistics, student loan debt is quite the rarity among older generations, with just 24% Gen X and 7% baby boomers holding student loans.
- On the other side, 39% Gen Z and 36% millennials claim student debt, making it a common asset among younger groups.
- Interestingly enough, for Gen X, 18% of those with loans didn’t borrow for themselves, but chose to take out student loan debt to support the tuition expenses of a spouse, child, grandchild, or someone else.
- Although student loans become less of a problem with age, the financial pressure that comes with them is huge.
- Indeed, Gen X is the most strained, with 56% of those with student loans worrying about being able to pay them off.
Financial Perceptions By Generation
(Source: finrafoundation.org)
- Financial satisfaction and well-being among Gen Xers remain on par with younger generations, such as Gen Z and millennials, but are lower when compared with baby boomers.
- Just 25% of Gen Xers reported being highly satisfied with their financial situation, matching that of Gen Zers and slightly below the 29% of millennials who feel this way.
- Ironically, since Gen X generally earns more than millennials, the data shows that financial satisfaction among the cohorts becomes further apart with income, actually widening from 4 to 7 percentage points in favour of millennials.
- For baby boomers, 44% claim to be highly financially satisfied, which is 19 points greater than that for Gen X. Younger generations, in contrast, tend to feel relatively higher stress from financial anxiety compared to older generations.
- Gen X lies somewhere in between: experiencing less anxiety than Gen Z or millennials but more than baby boomers.
- Yet, despite the differences in anxiety, the general real financial well-being of Gen X is almost still equal to that of Gen Z and millennials, with the indices returned by baby boomers being circa 10 points higher.
Financial Realities And Retirement Challenges Facing Gen X In 2024
- Born between 1965 and 1980, Generation X faces wider income and wealth inequality when compared to both older baby boomers and the younger cohorts of millennials and Gen Z.
- Some members of Generation X have high incomes with decent savings; many do not, however, as most continue to struggle with low savings, debt, and an insecure economic future.
- Of course, the average Gen Xer is now approaching retirement age, but with only about US$150,000 saved on average, this is nowhere near the recommended US$1 to US$1.5 million needed for a comfortable retirement, as per most expert opinions.
- Too many unfortunate circumstances have put the Gen X generation to the test in life, such as increasing costs of living and education, and families with high incomes living from paycheck to paycheck.
- According to data from the Federal Reserve, people between 45 and 54 years old have US$247,000 median net worth in contrast to US$364,000 within the age group 55 to 64.
- Dissecting these medians reveals a stratification between those Gen-Xers who are way above average and those who are way below average. The income levels are well spread.
- The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics cites that in 2024, the weekly median income for men between the ages of 45 and 54 stands at US$1,442, translating into US$79,984 annually; women earn US$1,156 per week, or US$60,112 annually.
- The majority of U.S. Gen-Xers who earn anywhere between US$60,000 US$80,000 would be classified into the middle-income category, with the average being US$59,228.
- According to the Pew Research Center, the income classes are as follows: Below class: Up to US$30,000; Lower-middle class: US$30,001 to US$58,020; Middle class: US$58,021 to US$94,000; Upper-middle class: US$94,001 to US$153,000; Upper class: More than US$153,000; Top 1%: At least US$600,000.
- Actually, being poor or being rich also primarily depends on one’s location. For instance, those belonging to the top 5% require a minimum of US$308,523 per year in Mississippi compared to US$562,886 in New Jersey.
- Finally, the 2025 federal poverty levels in the U.S. emphasise income-related disparities by household size (US$15,650 for a one-person household and US$32,150 for a four-person household).
- Overall, Gen X encounters a strange palette of often diametrically opposed financial challenges as they head into retirement, with many caught between high costs, income inequality, and little savings.
Conclusion
Generation X 2024 is financially responsible, tech-savvy, and vital to the workforce. While challenged with retirement preparedness and financial obligations, they remain resilient and adaptable enough to be a touchstone demographic in the changing economic landscape. Unravelling their complexity is essential for policymakers, businesses, and society to aid Gen X in their continued journey for prosperity.
FAQ.
Gen X includes those born between 1965 and 1980, so by 2024, they will be aged between 44 and 59 years. In the U.S., Gen X numbers about 65 million people, making up 19% of the entire population.
In 2024, median annual earnings for Gen X males between ages 45 and 54 stand at US$79,984, with the figure for women at US$60,112, placing most Gen Xers in the middle-income category between US$58,021 and US$94,000. Pew defines income classes from lower class (≤US$30,000) to upper class (>US$153,000), with the top 1% beginning at US$600,000.
Although Generation X grew up during times before the digital age began, over 90% of Gen Xers use the internet daily, with 85% holding smartphones. They use Facebook (75% of Gen X) the most, besides embracing digital banking, streaming, and e-commerce increasingly.
Top Gen X financial concerns are retirement savings, college tuition for children, and mortgage debt. Over 60% state that they are unprepared for retirement, while approximately 72% continue to support dependents-they are in between generations.
Gen X, which constitutes 33% of the labor force, holds most of the senior and executive positions in 2024. They are considered highly capable, with 70% of companies considering them the most dependable and productive generation while at work.
Maitrayee Dey has a background in Electrical Engineering and has worked in various technical roles before transitioning to writing. Specializing in technology and Artificial Intelligence, she has served as an Academic Research Analyst and Freelance Writer, particularly focusing on education and healthcare in Australia. Maitrayee's lifelong passions for writing and painting led her to pursue a full-time writing career. She is also the creator of a cooking YouTube channel, where she shares her culinary adventures. At Smartphone Thoughts, Maitrayee brings her expertise in technology to provide in-depth smartphone reviews and app-related statistics, making complex topics easy to understand for all readers.
