Native American Elder Population, 1990
(Based on Bureau of the Census Count)

Office for American Indian Alaskan Native and Native Hawaiian Programs
U.S. Administration on Aging
Department of Health and Human Services
330 Independence Avenue, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20201

1997

Introduction Total Count Rural Dwelling Count by State Median Age Summary Concentration of Indians, 1990 (Charts) Data by State and Age (Tables)

NATIVE AMERICAN ELDER POPULATION, 1990

Elder Native Americans (American Indians) reside in each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia:

• Many live in rural environments

• Few represent the total older American population

Because of the small number of elder American Indians, reaching out to older Indians involves (a) targeting Older Americans Act (Act) programs, (b) creating ways for State and Area Agencies on Aging to tell a scattered group of people about local programs and services, and (c) making programs administered under Title III available to all eligible Title VI recipients as mandated by the Act. The older population, as mentioned in this document, refers to people age 60 or older, unless otherwise stated. This document contains figures based primarily on the Bureau of the Census 1990 count, which defined Indians as American Indian, Eskimo, or Aleut. The 1990 census enumeration contains the most comprehensive data on American Indians to date and of some relevance. This document includes charts and detailed statistical tables by state, in addition to text tables. Also, it includes information about the U.S. total older population and total American Indians to make comparisons with the older Indian population. The document focuses primarily on the size of the elder American Indian population by rural and urban areas and state.

Total Count

In 1990, the Bureau of the Census counted nearly 166,000 Indians among the 42.0 million older Americans. The 1990 census enumeration revealed 2.0 million American Indians of all ages in the total U.S. population of 248.7 million people. The figures show that:

• Indians made up less than 1 percent of the U.S. total older population.

• Older Indians comprised 8 percent of the 2.0 million American Indians of all ages.

• Indians of all ages made up 1 percent of the total U.S. population.

• Indians under age 60 represented 92 percent of the American Indian population. However, persons under age 60 made up 83 percent of the U.S. total population in 1990 (see Chart 1 and Chart 2 attached).

Older American Indians represent a small but rapidly increasing population. Between 1980 and 1990, the number of elder Indians increased 35 percentage points more than the U.S. total older population (Table A below). The sharp increase in the size of a population could play a significant role in terms of influencing policy.

Table A: All persons and Indians* Age 60+, by Sex, 1980 and 1990

Rural Dwelling

The 1990 census count shows elder Indians nearly twice as likely to be rural dwellers compared to the U.S. total older population (48 percent vs 25 percent). Also, the figures revealed a slight decline in the proportion of elder Indians living in rural areas between 1980 and 1990, but nearly half (48 percent) continued to be rural dwellers in 1990; the proportion of the U.S. total older population was about the same as in 1980 (Table B below).

Table B: Urban and Rural Populations of U.S. Total and Indian*
60+ Years old, 1980 and 1990

* American Indian, Eskimo, or Aleut
Source: See Table A.

The Indian Health Service (IHS) 1994 study indicates that a significant number of American Indians age 55+ living in rural environments are not enrolled in a Tribe and, as a result, may not have access to services provided by the IHS or Bureau of Indian Affairs. The 1994 study indicates also that like the U.S. total older population, some older Indians live alone, a higher proportion of the women than of the men.

Count by State

The 1990 census count identified American Indians among the U. S. total older population in each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Like the total

Indian population, the nearly 166,000 elder Indians were concentrated in a few states (Chart 4 and Table 5 attached). The census count shows:

• Nearly half (45 percent) of older Indians lived in just four states - Arizona 9 percent, California 13 percent, New Mexico 6 percent, and Oklahoma 17 percent.

• The proportion of older Indians in each of the remaining 46 states and the District of Columbia ranged from 4 percent to less than l percent.

Men and Women

In every age group, men usually experience higher death rates than women. In 1990, elder Indian women outnumbered their male counterparts in every state except New Hampshire; women comprised 64 percent to 47 percent of the older Indian population in each state (Table 5 attached).

Median Age

American Indians represent a very young group compared to the U.S. total population (Table C below). In 1990, half of American Indians were above the age of 26.2 and half were below this age; the median age for the U.S. total population was 32.9 during the same year.

Table C. Median Age of U.S. Total and Indian* Populations by Sex, 1980 and 1990

* American Indian, Eskimos or Aleut
Source: See Table A.

In terms of the aging of the population, the median age for American Indians and the U.S. total population inched up at about the same rate between 1980 and 1990, 3.4 and 2.9 respectively. The age composition of a population changes through the demographic processes of births, deaths, and migration. A significant change in any one of these entities (births, deaths, or migration) will change the median age of the population.

Summary 

The 1990 census enumeration shows American Indians among the total older population in each state. This older population lives concentrated in a few states and scattered throughout the remaining states. Elder Indians continued to represent a small but rapidly increasing population. The rapid rise in the number of older Indians becomes increasingly important when developing policies.

Concentration of Indians, 1990 

(Based on Bureau of the Census Count)

CHARTS

Data by State and Age

(Based on Bureau of the Census Count)

TABLES [= ]

Table 1. Total and Indian (American Indian, Eskimos or Aleut) Populations, All Ages - 1990
Table 2. Total and Indian (American Indian, Eskimos or Aleut) Populations Age 60 and older, 1990
Table 3. Indian Population (American Indian, Eskimos or Aleut): Percent and Distribution of Total and 60+ Age Groups by State - 1990
Table 4. Indian Population (American Indian, Eskimo, or Aleut): All Ages, State in Rank Number Order - 1990
Table 5. Indian Population (American Indian, Eskimo, or Aleut): Age 60+ States in Rank Number Order - 1990
Table 6. Indian Population (American Indian, Eskimo, or Aleut): Both Sexes and Percent Female, Age 60+,  States in Rank Number Order - 1990
Table 7. Indian Population (American Indian, Eskimos or Aleut) by Age, 1990

Table 1. Total and Indian (American Indian, Eskimos or Aleut) Populations, All Ages - 1990

State	All Ages
	Total	Indian
		Number	Percent of Total
Total, 50 States & D.C.	248,709,873	1,959,234	1
Alabama................ Alaska................. Arizona................ Arkansas............... California.............	4,040,587 550,043 3,665,228 2,350,725 29,760,021	16,506 85,698 203,527 12,773 242,164	* 16 6 1 1
Colorado............... Connecticut............ Delaware............... District of Columbia... Florida................	3,294,394 3,287,116 666,168 606,900 12,937,926	27,776 6,654 2,019 1,466 36,335	1 * * * *
Georgia................ Hawaii................. Idaho.................. Illinois............... Indiana................	6,478,216 1,108,229 1,006,749 11,430,602 5,544,159	13,348 5,099 13,780 21,836 12,720	* * 1 * *
Iowa................... Kansas................. Kentucky............... Louisiana.............. Maine..................	2,776,755 2,477,574 3,685,296 4,219,973 1,227,928	7,349 21,965 5,769 18,541 5,998	* 1 * * *
Maryland............... Massachusetts.......... Michigan............... Minnesota.............. Mississippi............	4,781,468 6,016,425 9,295,297 4,375,099 2,573,216	12,972 12,241 55,638 49,909 8,525	* * 1 1 *
Missouri............... Montana................ Nebraska............... Nevada................. New Hampshire..........	5,117,073 799,065 1,578,385 1,201,833 1,109,252	19,835 47,679 12,410 19,637 2,134	* 6 1 2 *
New Jersey............. New Mexico............. New York............... North Carolina......... North Dakota...........	7,730,188 1,515,069 17,990,455 6,628,637 638,800	14,970 134,355 62,651 80,155 25,917	* 9 * 1 4
Ohio................... Oklahoma............... Oregon................. Pennsylvania........... Rhode Island...........	10,847,115 3,145,585 2,842,321 11,881,643 1,003,464	20,358 252,420 38,496 14,733 4,071	* 8 1 * *
South Carolina......... South Dakota........... Tennessee.............. Texas.................. Utah...................	3,486,703 696,004 4,877,185 16,986,510 1,722,850	8,246 50,575 10,039 65,877 24,283	* 7 * * 1
Vermont................ Virginia............... Washington............. West Virginia.......... Wisconsin..............	562,758 6,187,358 4,866,692 1,793,477 4,891,769	1,696 15,282 81,483 2,458 39,387	* * 2 * 1
Wyoming................	453,588	9,479	2

* Less than 1 Percent
Source: Based on Bureau of the Census, 1990 Census of Population, CP-1-1

---

Table 2. Total and Indian (American Indian, Eskimos or Aleut) Populations Age 60 and older, 1990

State	60+
	Total	Indian
		Number	Percent of Total
Total 50 States & D.C.	41,857,998	165,842	*
Alabama............... Alaska................ Arizona............... Arkansas.............. California............	703,299 35,266 631,648 457,642 4,234,871	1,296 6,086 14,638 1,477 20,894	* 17 2 * *
Colorado.............. Connecticut........... Delaware.............. District of Columbia.. Florida...............	450,803 594,160 110,638 103,306 3,048,469	1,788 699 254 238 3,587	* * * * *
Georgia............... Hawaii................ Idaho................. Illinois.............. Indiana...............	893,049 173,737 159,815 1,925,649 938,560	1,026 242 989 1,847 1,226	* * 1 * *
Iowa.................. Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine	553,459 447,759 626,844 639,968 217,607	503 1,919 625 1,578 385	* * * * *
Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi	712,779 1,080,881 1,510,397 718,154 427,996	1,026 1,229 4,328 2,934 646	* * * * *
Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire	946,510 140,813 290,796 180,967 168,522	2,151 3,254 851 1,690 152	* 2 * 1 *
New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota	1,395,546 222,552 3,188,832 1,095,505 118,175	1,665 10,238 5,966 7,398 1,613	* 5 * 1 1
Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island	1,903,941 561,440 511,662 2,436,512 197,673	2,034 28,957 2,973 1,690 471	* 5 1 * *
South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah	540,955 132,913 832,455 2,344,407 202,439	618 3,498 1,042 5,934 1,159	* 3 * * 1
Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin	88,644 909,906 764,670 360,519 860,100	115 1,283 5,786 362 2,880	* * 1 * *
Wyoming	64,792	602	1

* Less than 1 percent
Source: See Table 1.

---

Table 3. Indian Population (American Indian, Eskimos or Aleut): Percent and Distribution of Total and 60+ Age Groups by State - 1990

(Percent may not add to 100 because of rounding)

State	Total All Ages		60+
	Number	Percent distribution	Number	Percent distribution	Percent of total
Total 50 States & D.C. Alabama............... Alaska................ Arizona............... Arkansas.............. California............	1,959,234 16,506 85,698 203,527 12,773 242,164	100 1 4 10 1 12	165,842 1,296 6,086 14,638 1,477 20,894	100 1 4 9 1 13	8 8 7 7 12 9
Colorado.............. Connecticut........... Delaware.............. District of Columbia.. Florida...............	27,776 6,654 2,019 1,466 36,335	1 * * * 2	1,788 699 254 238 3,587	1 * * * 2	6 11 13 16 10
Georgia............... Hawaii................ Idaho................. Illinois.............. Indiana...............	13,348 5,099 13,780 21,836 12,720	1 * 1 1 1	1,026 242 989 1,847 1,226	1 * 1 1 1	8 5 7 8 10
Iowa.................. Kansas................ Kentucky.............. Louisiana............. Maine.................	7,349 21,965 5,769 18,541 5,998	* 1 * 1 *	503 1,919 625 1,578 385	* 1 * 1 *	7 9 11 9 6
Maryland.............. Massachusetts......... Michigan.............. Minnesota............. Mississippi...........	12,972 12,241 55,638 49,909 8,525	1 1 3 3 *	1,026 1,229 4,328 2,934 646	1 1 3 2 *	8 10 8 6 8
Missouri.............. Montana............... Nebraska.............. Nevada................ New Hampshire.........	19,835 47,679 12,410 19,637 2,134	1 2 1 1 *	2,151 3,254 851 1,690 152	1 2 1 1 *	11 7 7 9 7
New Jersey............ New Mexico............ New York.............. North Carolina........ North Dakota..........	14,970 134,355 62,651 80,155 25,917	1 7 3 4 1	1,665 10,238 5,966 7,398 1,613	1 6 4 4 1	11 8 10 9 6
Ohio.................. Oklahoma.............. Oregon................ Pennsylvania.......... Rhode Island..........	20,358 252,420 38,496 14,733 4,071	1 13 2 1 *	2,034 28,957 2,973 1,690 471	1 17 2 1 *	10 11 8 11 12
South Carolina........ South Dakota.......... Tennessee............. Texas................. Utah..................	8,246 50,575 10,039 65,877 24,283	* 3 1 3 1	618 3,498 1,042 5,934 1,159	* 2 1 4 1	7 7 10 9 5
Vermont............... Virginia.............. Washington............ West Virginia......... Wisconsin.............	1,696 15,282 81,483 2,458 39,387	* 1 4 * 2	115 1,283 5,786 362 2,880	* 1 3 * 2	7 8 7 15 7
Wyoming...............	9,479	*	602	*	6

* Less than 1 Percent
Source: See Table l.

---

Table 4. Indian Population (American Indian, Eskimo, or Aleut): All Ages, State in Rank Number Order - 1990

(Percent may not add to 100 because of rounding)

Rank	State	All Ages
		Both Sexes	Percent
			distribution	Cumulative
1 2 3 4 5	Oklahoma............. California........... Arizona.............. New Mexico........... Alaska...............	252,420 242,164 203,527 134,355 85,698	13 12 10 7 4	13 25 35 42 46
6 7 8 9 10	Washington........... North Carolina....... Texas................ New York............. Michigan.............	81,483 80,155 65,877 62,651 55,638	4 4 3 3 3	50 54 57 60 63
11 12 13 14 15	South Dakota......... Minnesota............ Montana.............. Wisconsin............ Oregon...............	50,575 49,909 47,679 39,387 38,496	3 3 2 2 2	66 69 71 73 75
16 17 18 19 20	Florida.............. Colorado............. North Dakota......... Utah................. Kansas...............	36,335 27,776 25,917 24,283 21,965	2 1 1 1 1	77 78 79 80 81
21 22 23 24 25	Illinois............. Ohio................. Missouri............. Nevada............... Louisiana............	21,836 20,358 19,835 19,637 18,541	1 1 1 1 1	82 83 84 85 86
26 27 28 29 30	Alabama.............. Virginia............. New Jersey........... Pennsylvania......... Idaho................	16,506 15,282 14,970 14,733 13,780	1 1 1 1 1	87 88 89 90 91
31 32 33 34 35	Georgia.............. Maryland............. Arkansas............. Indiana.............. Nebraska.............	13,348 12,972 12,773 12,720 12,410	1 1 1 1 1	92 93 94 95 96
36 37 38 39 40	Massachusetts........ Tennessee............ Wyoming.............. Mississippi.......... South Carolina.......	12,241 10,039 9,479 8,525 8,246	1 1 * * *	97 98
41 42 43 44 45	Iowa................. Connecticut.......... Maine................ Kentucky............. Hawaii...............	7,349 6,654 5,998 5,769 5,099	* * * * *
46 47 48 49 50	Rhode Island......... West Virginia........ New Hampshire........ Delaware............. Vermont..............	4,071 2,458 2,134 2,019 1,696	* * * * *
51	District of Columbia.	1,466	*

Source: See Table 1.
* Less than 1 percent

---

Table 5. Indian Population (American Indian, Eskimo, or Aleut): Age 60+ States in Rank Number Order - 1990

Rank	State	Age 60+
		Number	Percent
			Distribution	Cumulative
1 2 3 4 5	Oklahoma................. California............... Arizona.................. New Mexico............... North Carolina...........	28,957 20,894 14,638 10,238 7,398	17 13 9 6 4	17 30 39 45 49
6 7 8 9 10	Alaska................... New York................. Texas.................... Washington............... Michigan.................	6,086 5,966 5,934 5,786 4,328	4 4 4 3 3	53 57 61 64 67
11 12 13 14 15	Florida.................. South Dakota............. Montana.................. Oregon................... Minnesota................	3,587 3,498 3,254 2,973 2,934	2 2 2 2 2	69 71 73 75 77
16 17 18 19 20	Wisconsin................ Missouri................. Ohio..................... Kansas................... Illinois.................	2,880 2,151 2,034 1,919 1,847	2 1 1 1 1	79 80 81 82 83
21 22 23 24 25	Colorado................. Nevada................... Pennsylvania............. New Jersey............... North Dakota.............	1,788 1,690 1,690 1,665 1,613	1 1 1 1 1	84 85 86 87 88
26 27 28 29 30	Louisiana................ Arkansas................. Alabama.................. Virginia................. Massachusetts............	1,578 1,477 1,296 1,283 1,229	1 1 1 1 1	89 90 91 92 93
31 32 33 34 35	Indiana.................. Utah..................... Tennessee................ Georgia.................. Maryland.................	1,226 1,159 1,042 1,026 1,026	1 1 1 1 1	94 95 96 97 98
36 37 38 39 40	Idaho.................... Nebraska................. Connecticut.............. Kentucky................. South Carolina...........	989 851 699 625 618	1 1 * * *	99 100 * * *
41 42 43 44 45	Mississippi.............. Wyoming.................. Iowa..................... Rhode Island............. Maine....................	646 602 503 471 385	* * * * *	* * * * *
46 47 48 49 50	West Virginia............ Delaware................. Hawaii................... District of Columbia..... New Hampshire............	362 254 242 238 152	* * * * *	* * * * *
51	Vermont..................	115	*	*

* Less than 1 percent
Source: See Table 1.

---

Table 6. Indian Population (American Indian, Eskimo, or Aleut): Both Sexes and Percent Female, Age 60+,  States in Rank Number Order - 1990

Rank	State	Age 60+
		Both Sexes	Female
			Number	Percent of Both Sexes
1 2 3 4 5	District of Columbia. Rhode Island......... New York............. Connecticut.......... North Carolina.......	238 471 5,966 699 7,398	152 297 3,584 417 4,307	64 63 60 60 58
6 7 8 9 10	New Jersey........... Massachusetts........ Indiana.............. South Carolina....... Kentucky.............	1,665 1,229 1,226 618 625	968 708 708 356 361	58 58 58 58 58
11 12 13 14 15	California........... Michigan............. Ohio................. Pennsylvania......... North Dakota.........	20,894 4,328 2,034 1,690 1,613	11,876 2,477 1,153 970 923	57 57 57 57 57
16 17 18 19 20	Arkansas............. Alabama.............. Tennessee............ Nebraska............. Mississippi..........	1,477 1,296 1,042 851 646	837 734 593 485 368	57 57 57 57 57
21 22 23 24 25	Oklahoma............. New Mexico........... Washington........... South Dakota......... Montana..............	28,957 10,238 5,786 3,498 3,254	16,316 5,718 3,257 1,975 1,815	56 56 56 56 56
26 27 28 29 30	Oregon............... Kansas............... Virginia............. Georgia.............. Maine................	2,973 1,919 1,283 1,026 385	1,658 1,066 714 575 216	56 56 56 56 56
31 32 33 34 35	Arizona.............. Minnesota............ Wisconsin............ Missouri............. Illinois.............	14,638 2,934 2,880 2,151 1,847	8,109 1,606 1,596 1,180 1,010	55 55 55 55 55
36 37 38 39 40	Idaho................ Alaska............... Louisiana............. Maryland............. Wyoming..............	989 6,086 1,578 1,026 602	541 3,262 851 551 326	55 54 54 54 54
41 42 43 44 45	Iowa................. Texas................ Florida.............. Colorado............. Nevada...............	503 5,934 3,587 1,788 1,690	273 3,162 1,907 940 901	54 53 53 53 53
46 47 48 49 50	Utah................. West Virginia........ Delaware............. Hawaii............... Vermont..............	1,159 362 254 242 115	618 192 134 127 60	53 53 53 52 52
51	New Hampshire........	152	72	47
	Total............	165,842	93,002	56

Source: See Table l.

---

Table 7. Indian Population (American Indian, Eskimos or Aleut) by Age, 1990

States	Age
	All Ages	Under 60	60-64	60+	65+
50 States & DC.	1,959,234	1,793,392.00	51,389	165,842	114,453
Alabama........ Alaska........... Arizona.......... Arkansas....... California.....	16,506 85,698 203,527 12,773 242,164	15,210 79,612 188,889 11,296 221,270	415 1,949 4,474 460 6,802	1,296 6,086 14,638 1,477 20,894	881 4,137 10,164 1,017 14,092
Colorado....... Connecticut.... Delaware....... District of Columbia..... Florida........	27,776 6,654 2,019 1,466 36,335	25,988 . 5,955 1,765 1,228 32,748	568 220 74 54 1,142	1,788 699 254 238 3,587	1,220 479 180 184 2,445
Georgia........ Hawaii......... Idaho.......... Illinois....... Indiana........	13,348 5,099 13,780 21,836 12,720	12,322 4,857 12,791 19,,989 11,494	343 93 321 630 378	1,026 242 989 1,847 1,226	683 149 668 1,217 848
Iowa........... Kansas......... Kentucky....... Louisiana....... Maine..........	7,349 21,965 5,769 18,541 5,998	6,846 20,046 5,144 16,963 5,613	162 546 208 503 131	503. 1,919 625 1,578 385	341 1,373 417 1,075 254
Maryland....... Massachusetts.. Michigan....... Minnesota...... Mississippi....	12,972 12,241 55,638 49,909 8,525	11,946 11.012 51,310 46,975 7,879	373 381 1,518 981 228	1,026 1,229 4,328 2,934 646	653 848 2,810 1,953 418
Missouri....... Montana........ Nebraska....... Nevada......... New Hampshire..	19,835 47,679 12,410 19,637 2,134	17,684 44,425 11.559 17,947 1,982	680 1,034 254 547 50	2,151 3,254 851 1,690 152	1,471 2,220 597 1,143 102
New Jersey..... New Mexico..... New York....... North Carolina..... North Dakota...	14,970 134,355 62,651 80,155 25,917	13,305 124,117 56,685 72,757 24,304	544 2,988 1,830 2,204 535	1,665 10,238 5,966 7,398 1,613	1,121 7,250 4,136 5,194 1,078
Ohio........... Oklahoma....... Oregon......... Pennsylvania... Rhode Island...	20,358 252,420 38,496 14,733 4,071	18,324 223.,463 35,523 13,043 3,600	695 7,915 942 476 126	2,034 28,957 2,973 1,690 471	1,339 21,042 2,031 1,214 345
South Carolina..... South Dakota... Tennessee...... Texas.......... Utah...........	8,246 50,575 10,039 65,877 24,283	7,628 47,077 8,997 59,943 23,124	205 1,075 327 1,980 414	618 3,498 1,042 5,934 1,159	413 2,423 715 3,954 745
Vermont........ Virginia....... Washington..... West Virginia.. Wisconsin......	1,696 15,282 81,483 2,458 39,387	1,581 13.999 75,697 2,096 36,507	39 435 1,974 102 869	115 1,283 5,786 362 2,880	76 848 3,812 260 2,011
Wyoming........	9,479	8,877.00	195	602.00	407

Source: See Table 1.

	Go to Top		Go to AoA Home Page
	Go Back to Table of Contents		Go to Tables Menu

Hypertext conversion by Saadia Greenberg, March 9, 1998