Maine is the "oldest" state in the nation, with the highest percentage of residents aged 18 and older, while Utah had the highest percentage of children, according to U.S. Census Bureau estimates released yesterday.

Hawai'i ranked somewhere in the middle of the 50 states, with adults making up 76.5 percent of the Islands' population of 1.27 million. The national figure is 75.2 percent.

The data are based on population estimates for July 1, 2005.

Maine's adults make up 79 percent of that state's population. West Virginia and Vermont also had a high percentage of adults, at 78.9 percent and 78.7 percent, respectively.

At the other end of the scale, Utah is the only state where adults make up less than 70 percent of the population. Census data show that 69.9 percent of Utah's population are adults. Alaska has the next lowest percentage of adults, at 71.6 percent, followed by Texas at 72.3 percent.

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www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/population/006240.html.