In 2026, the nine justices of the U.S. Supreme Court range in age from 54 to 78, with an average of roughly 66. Clarence Thomas is the oldest at 78, and Amy Coney Barrett is the youngest at 54. Five different presidents appointed the current bench, and its members span three generations.
Every Justice by Age in 2026
Ranked from oldest to youngest, with birth date, appointing president, and year of confirmation:
- Clarence Thomas, 78. Born June 23, 1948. Appointed by George H.W. Bush, confirmed in 1991.
- Samuel Alito, 76. Born April 1, 1950. Appointed by George W. Bush, confirmed in 2006.
- Sonia Sotomayor, 72. Born June 25, 1954. Appointed by Barack Obama, confirmed in 2009.
- John Roberts, Chief Justice, 71. Born January 27, 1955. Appointed by George W. Bush, confirmed in 2005.
- Elena Kagan, 66. Born April 28, 1960. Appointed by Barack Obama, confirmed in 2010.
- Brett Kavanaugh, 61. Born February 12, 1965. Appointed by Donald Trump, confirmed in 2018.
- Neil Gorsuch, 59. Born August 29, 1967. Appointed by Donald Trump, confirmed in 2017.
- Ketanji Brown Jackson, 56. Born September 14, 1970. Appointed by Joe Biden, confirmed in 2022.
- Amy Coney Barrett, 54. Born January 28, 1972. Appointed by Donald Trump, confirmed in 2020.
Ages reflect the year each justice turns in 2026. Birth dates are drawn from the Court’s own biographies.1Supreme Court of the United States. About the Court – Biographies Confirmation dates and appointing presidents come from the Senate’s historical nomination records.2United States Senate. Supreme Court Nominations 1789-Present
Age and seniority don’t always line up. Gorsuch is two years younger than Kavanaugh but was confirmed a year earlier, which is a reminder that presidents often pick younger nominees to maximize their time on the bench.
The Oldest and Youngest Justices
Thomas has been on the Court since 1991, which makes him both the oldest justice and the longest-serving. He has held his seat for over three decades. The oldest justices ever to serve were Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. and John Paul Stevens, who both remained until age 90. Thomas is well short of that mark, but his combination of age and tenure gives him an outsized role in the Court’s institutional memory.
Barrett, at 54, is the youngest justice by two years. She was 48 when confirmed in 2020. The youngest person ever appointed was Joseph Story, who joined in 1812 at just 32. Barrett could plausibly serve another 25 to 30 years, which is exactly the kind of calculation presidents make when choosing nominees.
The 24-year gap between Thomas and Barrett means the bench includes members of the Silent Generation, Baby Boomers, and Generation X. No Millennials currently serve.
How the Court Compares
The Court’s average age of about 66 is older than either chamber of Congress. The median age of voting House members in the 119th Congress is 57.5, and the median age of the Senate is 64.7.3Pew Research Center. Age and Generation in the 119th Congress Justices serve for life; members of Congress face elections every two or six years. The age gap follows from that difference.
Historically, new justices have been sworn in at an average age of 53. The current bench largely fits that pattern. Roberts was 50 at confirmation, Barrett was 48, and Jackson was 51. Thomas was relatively young at 43 when he joined, which is why he has now been there for 35 years.
Tenures have grown longer. From 1789 to 1970, justices served an average of roughly 15 years. Since then, the average has climbed to over 26 years. Younger appointees, better healthcare, and the political incentive to maximize a seat’s impact all play a part.
No Age Requirement to Serve
If you are expecting a minimum or maximum age for Supreme Court justices, there isn’t one. Article III of the Constitution, which creates the federal judiciary, says nothing about age. There is no minimum, no maximum, and no requirement that a nominee even be a lawyer, though every justice in history has been one.4Congress.gov. U.S. Constitution – Article III
The judiciary stands alone among the three branches on this point. The Constitution requires the President to be at least 35,5Congress.gov. Constitution Annotated – Article II Qualifications Clause senators to be at least 30, and House members to be at least 25.6United States Senate. About the Senate and the U.S. Constitution – Qualifications The framers left the judiciary open-ended, which has allowed presidents to nominate justices across a wide range of ages.
Why the Ages Stay High
Justices hold their seats “during good behavior,” a phrase from Article III, Section 1 that effectively means for life.7Constitution Annotated. Overview of Good Behavior Clause There is no mandatory retirement age. A justice can serve until they die, choose to retire, or are removed through impeachment, which has never happened to a Supreme Court justice.
When a justice does step down voluntarily, federal law provides a retirement formula sometimes called the “Rule of 80.” Under 28 U.S.C. ยง 371, a justice can retire with full pay if their age plus years of service total at least 80, with a minimum of 10 years on the bench.8Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 28 U.S. Code 371 – Retirement on Salary; Retirement in Senior Status Thomas, Alito, Sotomayor, Roberts, and Kagan all qualify under that formula today. None has indicated an intention to leave. That is the main reason the Court’s average age sits where it does, and why the ages above are likely to keep rising until a vacancy opens.