Population over 65 by state (2024)

Ratio of senior population by state

Maine (21.5%), Florida (20.9%), West Virginia (20.4%) and Vermont (20.3%) are among the states with the highest percentage of residents ages 65 and older. On the other hand, the states with the lowest concentration of senior population include Utah (11.4%), Alaska (12.8%) and Texas (12.9%).

Maine

While Maine's total senior population is less than 300,000, the state has the highest concentration of senior residents (21.5%) among all U.S. states.In recent years, the proportion of young people in Maine has declined more rapidly than in other New England states. Additionally, most counties in Maine have experienced relatively slow rates of growth. This has led to a constrained workforce in the state, coupled with an increasing need for health services.

Maine’s Department of Health and Human Services estimates 28% of Mainers will be 65 years old or older by 2030.

Florida

Florida is home to so many older residents partially because of its abundance of retirement communities in walkable cities, warm weather and lack of estate taxes. Among the top ten cities with the highest percentage of seniors in 2020, six were located in Florida. They include Cape Coral, Clearwater, Hialeah, Lakeland, Port St. Lucie and Pompano Beach.

According to the State of Florida Department of Elder Affairs, it is estimated that by 2045, more than 30% of the state’s population will be ages 60 and older.

Elderly population by state

Over a quarter of seniors in the U.S. live in California, Florida or Texas. California is the state with the highest total senior population, exceeding 5.8 million. Alaska, on the other hand, is the state with the smallest elderly population, with roughly 94,000 residents ages 65 and older.

Population 65 years and over demographics

Females account for a larger percentage of the senior population across all U.S. states. Maryland and New York have the highest gender difference (13.2 percentage points in both cases), while Alaska has the smallest (0.6 percentage points).

The following statistics highlight states with the highest and lowest percentages of seniors who self-identify as belonging to "one race":

• Maine is the state with the largest percentage of senior white population (96.6%), while Hawaii is the state with the lowest percentage (27.4%).
• Mississippi has the highest percentage of Black or African American elderly population (27.6%), and Montana has the smallest (0.1%).
• In Alaska, approximately 10.9% of seniors self-identify as American Indian or Alaska Native, a significantly higher percentage compared to most other states where they comprise less than 1% of the senior population.
• In Hawaii, Asians make up 52.9% of the elderly population, which is a stark contrast to states like Maine, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota and Montana where only 0.5% of the elderly population is Asian.

It is important to note the U.S. Census makes a clear distinction between the concept of race and the concept of origin. Individuals identifying their origin as Hispanic, Latino or Spanish can be classified among any racial group.

Aging population trends

Since 1900, the decade from 2010 to 2020 witnessed the most significant growth in the older demographic in terms of absolute numbers, percentage of the total population and growth rate.

As baby boomers age, state populations are seeing an increase in residents 65 years and over. In the last 10-year period, the states experiencing a change in senior population of at least 50% include Alaska (68.8%), Idaho (53.8%), Colorado (53.2%) and Nevada (52.8%). The three states with the lowest increase in elderly population in the same period are West Virginia (22.4%), Iowa (23.0%) and Arkansas (23.0%). The calculations are based on American Community Survey 5-year Estimates for the periods 2008-2012 and 2018-2022.

Aging population predictions

• It is projected that by 2050, the population of Americans aged 65 and older will reach 82 million, accounting for 23% of the total U.S. population.
• Estimates show that by 2050, the proportion of seniors identifying as non-Hispanic white is expected to be 60%, marking a considerable decrease from the 75% recorded in 2020.
• By 2030, projections indicate that in 26 states, at least 20% of the population will be 65 years or older.

Possible problems

States with larger aging populations may face future issues, including a surplus of homes for sale, a shortage of workers for both assisted living facilities and the general job market, declining economic growth and strain on their welfare and health care systems.

Increased desire to “age in place”

A recent study from the AARP shows a growing interest in aging in place among baby boomers and other generations. The AARP survey estimates that 76% of individuals ages 50 and older want to stay in their homes as they age, and 77% want to remain in their community for as long as possible. However, given that 90% of adults ages 50 and older still drive themselves, transportation becomes a crucial issue for older Americans. This is due to the potential safety concerns arising from changes in their driving abilities over time.

Declining birth rates

Over the past thirty years, there has been a general yet steady decrease in the birth rate in the United States. In 1990, the rate stood at 16.7 births per 1,000 people, which then dropped to 14.4 per 1,000 in 2000, further declined to 13 per 1,000 in 2010 and reached 10.9 births per 1,000 people in 2020.

Median age by state

The median age in the U.S. is approximately 39 years. Utah has the lowest median age at 31.4 years, while Maine registers the highest among all states at 44.8 years.

Among seniors, the median age is 73 years, with Alaska's seniors having a lower median age of 71.5 years and Florida's seniors being older on average, at 73.9 years.

Bottom line

In the U.S., seniors make up 16.5% of the overall population. This percentage varies significantly across states, with Utah at the lower end with 11.4% and Maine at the higher end with 21.5%. Florida, California and Texas have the largest numbers of elderly residents, with 1 in 4 U.S. seniors living in one of these states. Conversely, the states with the smallest total senior populations are Alaska, Wyoming and North Dakota. For more information, read about elderly poverty statistics next.

References

1. “2022: ACS 5-year Estimates.” U.S. Census Bureau. Evaluated Jan. 17, 2024. Link Here
2. “2012: ACS 5-year Estimates.” U.S. Census Bureau. Evaluated Jan. 22, 2024. Link Here
3. Rector, A. "Maine’s Changing Demographics: Implications for Workforce, Economy, and Policy.” Maine Policy Review. Evaluated Jan. 25, 2024. Link Here
4. Mageean, M., AvRuskin, G., Sherwood, R. "Whither Maine’s Population.” Maine Policy Review. Evaluated Jan. 25, 2024. Link Here
5. “Older Adult Health in Maine.” Maine Department of Health and Human Services. Evaluated Jan. 26, 2024. Link Here
6. Caplan, Z., Rabe, M. “The Older Population: 2020.” U.S. Census Bureau. Evaluated Jan. 20, 2024. Link Here
7. “Florida State Plan on Aging 2022-2025.” State of Florida Department of Elder Affairs. Evaluated Jan. 20, 2024. Link Here
8. “Race.” U.S. Census Bureau. Evaluated Jan. 17, 2024. Link Here
9. Mather, M., Scommegna, P. “Fact Sheet: Aging in the United States.” Population Reference Bureau. Evaluated Jan. 26, 2024. Link Here
10. Kilduff, L. “Which U.S. States Have the Oldest Populations?.” Population Reference Bureau. Evaluated Jan. 26, 2024. Link Here
11. Binette, J., Vasold, K. “2018 Home and Community Preferences: A National Survey of Adults Ages 18-Plus.” AARP. Evaluated Jan. 25, 2024. Link Here
12. “Birth rate in the United States from 1990 to 2021.” Statista. Evaluated Jan. 25, 2024. Link Here