Newsroom Archive

Older Americans Month: May 2012

A meeting with the National Council of Senior Citizens resulted in President John F. Kennedy designating May 1963 as Senior Citizens Month, encouraging the nation to pay tribute in some way to older people across the country. In 1980, President Jimmy Carter's proclamation changed the name to Older Americans Month, a time to celebrate those 65 and older through ceremonies, events and public recognition.

40.3 million

The number of people who were 65 and older in the United States on April 1, 2010, accounting for 13 percent of the total population. In 2010, this age group was larger than in any other decennial census, up from 31.2 million in 1990 and 35.0 million in 2000.
Source: The Older Population: 2010 <https://www.census.gov/prod/cen2010/briefs/c2010br-09.pdf>

88.5 million

Projected population of people 65 and older in 2050. People in this age group would comprise 20 percent of the total population at that time.
Source: Population projections <https://www.census.gov/population/www/projections/summarytables.html>

546 million

Projected 2011 midyear world population 65 and older. Projections indicate the number will increase to 1.56 billion by 2050. The percentage of the world's population 65 and older would increase from about 8 percent to about 17 percent over the period.
Source: International Data Base <https://www.census.gov/ipc/www/idb/groups.php>

35

The projected number of people 65 and older of traditional working ages (ages 20 to 64) to every 100 people in 2030, up from 22 in 2010. This time period coincides with the time when all baby boomers will have moved into the 65 and older age category. (The figures for 2010 are not census counts.)
Source: The Next Four Decades: The Older Population in the United States: 2010 to 2050 <https://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/aging_population/cb10-72.html>

42%

The percentage of the 65 and older population expected to be a minority - i.e., a group other than single race, non-Hispanic white - in 2050, more than double the percentage in 2010 (20 percent). Likewise, among those 85 and older, 33 percent are projected to be a minority in 2050, up from 15 percent in 2010.
Source: The Next Four Decades: The Older Population in the United States: 2010 to 2050 <https://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/aging_population/cb10-72.html>

Income and Wealth

$31,408

The real median 2010 income of households with householders 65 and older. Since 2007, real median household income declined for all age groups except 65 and older. The income of this group increased by 5.5 percent between 2007 and 2010. The corresponding real median for all households was $49,445 in 2010.
Source: Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2010 <https://www.census.gov/prod/2011pubs/p60-239.pdf>

9.0%

The percent of people 65 and older who were in poverty in 2010. There were 3.5 million seniors in poverty in 2010. Neither the poverty rate nor the number of people 65 and older in poverty in 2010 was statistically different from the estimates for 2009. The corresponding rate for the population as a whole was 15.1 percent.
Source: Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2010 <https://www.census.gov/prod/2011pubs/p60-239.pdf>

Serving Our Nation

9.1 million

Estimated number of people 65 and older who were veterans of the armed forces in 2010.
Source: 2010 American Community Survey
<http://factfinder2.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?src=bkmk>

Jobs

6.7 million

Number of people 65 and older who were in the labor force in 2010. Projections indicate that by 2018, the number will reach 11.1 million.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics as cited in the Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2011 (Table 587)
<https://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/>

57%

The percentage who worked full-time among people 65 and older who were employed in 2009.
Source: The Older Population in the United States: 2009
<https://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/age/older_2009.html>

42%

The percentage working in management, professional and related occupations among civilian employed people 65 and older.
Source: Current Population Survey, Annual Social and Economic Supplement: 2010 (Table 17) <https://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/age/older_2010.html>

16.1%

Percentage of people 65 and older in the labor force in 2010.
Source: 2010 American Community Survey
<http://factfinder2.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=ACS_10_1YR_S0103&prodType=table/>

Education

77.9%

Proportion of people 65 and older in 2010 who had completed high school or higher education.
Source: 2010 American Community Survey <http://factfinder2.census.gov/>

21.3%

Percentage of the population 65 and older in 2010 who had earned a bachelor's degree or higher.
Source: 2010 American Community Survey <http://factfinder2.census.gov/>

Marital Status and Living Arrangements

57%

Percentage of people 65 and older who were married in 2010.
Source: Families and Living Arrangements
<https://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/hh-fam/cps2011.html>

27%

Percentage of people 65 and older in 2010 who were widowed.
Source: Families and Living Arrangements <https://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/hh-fam/cps2011.html>

Voting

70%

Percentage of citizens 65 and older reporting casting a ballot in the 2008 presidential election. Along with those 45 to 64 (69 percent), people 65 and older had the highest turnout rate of any age group.
Source: Voting and Registration in the Election of November 2008 (Table 2) <https://www.census.gov/prod/2010pubs/p20-562.pdf>

Homeownership

81%

Percentage of householders 65 and older who owned their homes as of fourth quarter 2011.
Source: Current Population Survey/Housing Vacancy Survey <https://www.census.gov/hhes/www/housing/hvs/hvs.html>

Population Distribution

90.5

The number of males per 100 females in the 65-and-older population in 2010, an increase from 2000 and 1990 when the sex ratios were 88.1 and 82.7, respectively. For those 85 and older, had 58.3 males per 100 females in 2010, 50.5 males per 100 females in 2000, and 45.6 males per 100 females in 1990.
Source: The Older Population: 2010 <https://www.census.gov/prod/cen2010/briefs/c2010br-09.pdf>

85-94

The fastest-growing age group among the older population in 2010, increasing from 3.9 million to 5.1 million.
Source: The Older Population: 2010 <https://www.census.gov/prod/cen2010/briefs/c2010br-09.pdf>

74.1

Median age of the population 65 and older in 2010, decreasing from 74.5 in 2000. Growth in the 65 to 69 age group has contributed to lowering the median age. The 65 to 69 age group grew by 30.4 percent and increased from 9.5 million to 12.4 million.
Source: The Older Population: 2010 <https://www.census.gov/prod/cen2010/briefs/c2010br-09.pdf>

601,000

Projected number of centenarians in the United States in 2050.
Source: Population projections <https://www.census.gov/population/www/projections/summarytables.html>

States and Counties

17.3

Percentage of people 65 and older living in Florida in 2010, the highest of any state, followed by West Virginia (16.0 percent), Maine (15.9 percent), Pennsylvania (15.4 percent) and Iowa (14.9 percent).
Source: The Older Population: 2010 <https://www.census.gov/prod/cen2010/briefs/c2010br-09.pdf>

20

The number of counties that experienced at least a doubling, from 2000 to 2010, of their population 65 years and over when the 65 and over population contained at least 100 people in 2010, four were in Colorado, five in Georgia, five in Texas, three in Alaska, two in Virginia and one in Florida. The county with the highest share of the population 65 and older was Sumter County, Fla. (43.4 percent), followed by Charlotte County, Fla. (34.1 percent), McIntosh County, N. D. (34.0 percent), La Paz County, Ariz. (32.6 percent), and Highlands County, Fla. (32.2 percent).
Source: The Older Population: 2010 <https://www.census.gov/prod/cen2010/briefs/c2010br-09.pdf>

Editor’s note: The preceding data were collected from a variety of sources and may be subject to sampling variability and other sources of error. Facts for Features are customarily released about two months before an observance in order to accommodate magazine production timelines. Questions or comments should be directed to the Census Bureau’s Public Information Office: telephone: 301-763-3030; fax: 301-763-3762; or e-mail: <PIO@census.gov>.