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Facts About Older Americans
Census Bureau Collects Data on Seniors for Older
Americans Month 2004
April 28, 2004 - Older Americans Month originated
with a presidential proclamation in May 1963 and it has been proclaimed
each May by presidents every year since. Last year, President Bush
stated, "Older Americans continue to work in a variety of jobs -- from
teachers, to engineers, to business owners and entrepreneurs -- and in
so doing bring invaluable experience and leadership skills.
Additionally, their wisdom, strength and compassion reflect the
character of our great nation."
35.9 million -- The number of people 65 and over in
the United States on July 1, 2003. That is 12 percent of the total
population. Since Census 2000, 927,000 people have moved into this age
group.
http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/population/001703.html
86.7 million -- Projected population of people 65
and over in the year 2050. People in this age group would comprise 21
percent of the total population at that time.
http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/population/001720.html
147 percent -- Projected percentage increase in the
65-and-over population between 2000 and 2050. By comparison, the
population as a whole would have increased by only 49 percent over the
same period.
http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/population/001720.html
Income & Wealth
$120,000 -- Median net worth of households with
householders ages 70 to 74.
http://www.census.gov/prod/2003pubs/p70-88.pdf
$23,152 -- Median 2002 income of households with
householders 65 and over, statistically unchanged, in real terms, from
the previous year.
http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/income_wealth/001371.html
10.4 percent -- Poverty rate for people 65 and over
in 2002, statistically unchanged from the previous year.
http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/income_wealth/001371.html
Serving Our Nation
9.1 million -- Estimated number of people age 65
and over who are military veterans.
http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/DatasetMainPageServlet?_program=ACS&_lang=en&_ts=87386298089
Jobs
4.5 million -- Number of people age 65 and over who
are still employed a ratio of more than 1-in-8 people in this age group.
http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/aging_population/001122.html
Education
Among the older population, men are more likely
than women to have a bachelor's degree or higher education. Among people
ages 65 to 84, 22 percent of men and 13 percent of women have achieved
this level of education; for those 85 and over, the respective rates are
17 percent and 12 percent.
http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/aging_population/001122.html
Marital Status and Living Arrangements
Among the population 65 to 84, the majority of men
(74 percent) are married and living with their spouses, compared with
less than half (45 percent) of women in that age group. For people 85
and over, the corresponding percentages are much lower: 58 percent of
men and only 12 percent of women.
http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/aging_population/001122.html
Voting
72 percent -- Percentage of citizens ages 65 to 74
who voted in the last presidential election; that is the highest rate of
any age group.
http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/voting/000505.html
Homeownership
81 percent -- Proportion of householders age 65 and
over who own their homes. This compares with 68 percent for all
householders.
http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/housing/hvs/q303prss.pdf
Population Distribution
Nation
71 -- Overall, the number of men age 65 and over on
July 1, 2002, for every 100 women in this age group. For those in the
65- to-74 age group, the ratio is 83 men for every 100 women and for
those 85 and over, it drops to 43 men to 100 women.
http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/hispanic_origin_population/001130.html
58,684 -- Estimated number of centenarians in the
United States on July 1, 2002.
http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/hispanic_origin_population/001130.html
States and Counties
17 percent -- Percentage of Florida's population
that was 65 and over on July 1, 2003. Florida led all states in this
category. Pennsylvania, West Virginia, North Dakota and Iowa followed
closely, at 15 percent each.
http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/population/001703.html
15 percent -- Percentage increase in the number of
people age 65 and over in Nevada between Census Day, April 1, 2000, and
July 1, 2003. A state not traditionally thought of as a retirement haven
Alaska -- was close behind, with a 14 percent increase. The next five
states on the list -- Arizona, Utah, Idaho, New Mexico and Colorado --
also are located in the West.
http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/population/001703.html
3.8 million -- Number of people 65 and over living
in California on July 1, 2003, the highest total of any state. Florida,
with 2.9 million, was the runner-up.
http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/population/001703.html
34 percent -- Percentage of Charlotte County, Fla.,
population, that consists of people 65 and over the highest such
proportion in the nation. Florida was home to each of the 12 counties
with the highest concentration of people 65 and over. (The findings
pertain to counties with minimum populations of 100,000.)
http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/population/001341.html
21 percent -- Percentage increase in the
65-and-over population in Douglas County, Colo., between 2000 and 2002,
the highest such increase for any county in the country. (The findings
pertain to counties with minimum populations of 100,000.)
http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/population/001341.html
Sports Activities
The most popular sports activity among people 65
and over, by far, is exercise walking: 9.4 million people in this age
category engage in this activity at least six times a year. The next
most popular forms of exercise are swimming (3.4 million participants),
exercising with equipment (3.1 million) and playing golf (2.5 million).
See Table 1247:
http://www.census.gov/prod/www/statistical-abstract-03.html
Note from Census Bureau: Some of the preceding data
were collected in surveys and, therefore, are subject to sampling error. |
