2003

February: Living Arrangements of the Elderly

Over half (55%) the older noninstitutionalized persons lived with their spouse in 2000 but there are major gender differences. Approximately 10.1 million or 73% of older men, and 7.7 million or 41% of older women, lived with their spouse.

Furthermore, the proportion living with their spouse decreased with age, especially for women. Only 28.8% of women 75+ years old lived with a spouse. In 2001, older men were much more likely to be married as older women-- 73% of men, 41% of women. Almost half of all older women in 2001 were widows (46%).

About 30% (9.7 million) of all noninstitutionalized older persons in 2000 lived alone (7.4 million women, 2.4 million men). They represented 40% of older women and 17% of older men. The proportion living alone increases with advanced age. Among women aged 75 and over, for example, half (49.4%) lived alone.

While a relatively small number (1.56 million) and percentage (4.5%) of the 65+ population lived in nursing homes in 2000, the percentage increases dramatically with age, ranging from 1.1% for persons 65-74 years to 4.7% for persons 75-84 years and 18.2% for persons 85+.

Living Arrangements of Persons 65+: 2000*

Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census