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Statistics
A Profile of Older Americans: 2004
Geographic Distribution
The proportion of the older persons in the population varies considerably
by state with some states experiencing much greater growth in their older
populations (Figures 4 and 5). In 2003, about half (52%) of persons 65+
lived in nine states. California had over 3.8 million; Florida 2.9 million;
New York 2.5 million; Texas 2.2 million; and Pennsylvania 1.9 million. Ohio,
Illinois, Michigan, and New Jersey each had well over 1 million (Figure
6).
Person 65+ constituted approximately 14% or more of the total population
in 9 states in 2003 (Figure 6): Florida (17.0%); Pennsylvania (15.4%);
West Virginia (15.3%); North Dakota (14.8%); Iowa (14.7%); Maine (14.4);
South Dakota (14.3); Rhode Island (14.0%); and Arkansas (13.9%). In nine
states, the 65+ population increased by 20% or more between 1993 and
2003 (Figure 6): Nevada (60.5% ); Alaska (50.3% ); Arizona (32.4% );
New Mexico (27.1% ); Colorado (22.8% ); Utah (22.5% ); Delaware (22.4%
); Hawaii (20.9% ); and Idaho (20.6% ). The ten jurisdictions with the
highest poverty rates for elderly over the period 2001-2003 were Mississippi
(17.1%); the District of Columbia (16.0%); Arkansas (15.7%); Texas (15.1%);
South Carolina (14.6%); North Carolina (13.7%); Massachusetts (13.0%);
Tennessee (12.8%); Alabama (12.6%); and New York (12.6%).
Most persons 65+ lived in metropolitan areas in 2003 (77.4%). About
50% of older persons lived in the suburbs, 27.2% lived in central cities,
and 22.6% lived in nonmetropolitan areas.
The elderly are less likely to change residence than other age groups.
In the five year period from 1995 to 2000, 22.8% of older persons had
moved (compared to 47.7% of persons under 65). Most older movers (59.7%)
stayed in the same county while only 18.8% (of the movers) moved to another
state. The 85+ segment of the older population had a much high rate of
moving. During this period, 32.3% of the 85+ population moved, 61.1%
of them within the same county.
(Data for this section and for Figure 4 were compiled primarily
from the Census Population Estimates for 2003 as well as other Internet
releases of the U.S. Bureau of the Census including tables from the
March 2003 Current Population Survey and “Internal Migration
of the Older Population: 1995 to 2000,” Census 2000 Special
Report, CENSR-10, August 2003).
Figure 4: Persons 65+ as a Percentage of Total Population -
2003
Based on Census 2003 Population Estimates from the U.S.
Bureau of the Census
Figure 5: Percentage
Increase in Population 65+ -- 1993 to 2003
Based on Census 1993 and 2003 Population Estimates from
the U.S. Bureau of the Census
Figure
6: The 65+ Population by State 2003 |
Numbers |
Number of Persons |
Percent of
All Ages |
Increase
from 1993 to 2003 |
Percent
Below Poverty 2001-2003 |
US Total (50 States + DC) |
35,919,174 |
12.4% |
9.5% |
10.3% |
Alabama |
592,181 |
13.2% |
8.6% |
12.6% |
Alaska |
40,598 |
6.3% |
50.3% |
7.9% |
Arizona |
714,467 |
12.8% |
32.4% |
6.5% |
Arkansas |
377,682 |
13.9% |
5.4% |
15.7% |
California |
3,764,870 |
10.6% |
12.8% |
8.6% |
Colorado |
441,371 |
9.7% |
22.8% |
9.0% |
Connecticut |
470,689 |
13.5% |
2.2% |
6.2% |
Delaware |
106,896 |
13.1% |
22.4% |
5.6% |
District of Columbia |
67,845 |
12.0% |
-11.9% |
16.0% |
Florida |
2,897,383 |
17.0% |
14.3% |
10.2% |
Georgia |
826,506 |
9.5% |
18.7% |
12.4% |
Hawaii |
169,346 |
13.5% |
20.9% |
8.8% |
Idaho |
155,652 |
11.4% |
20.6% |
5.4% |
Illinois |
1,507,377 |
11.9% |
1.8% |
8.2% |
Indiana |
763,059 |
12.3% |
5.3% |
8.0% |
Iowa |
433,618 |
14.7% |
0.1% |
8.7% |
Kansas |
353,585 |
13.0% |
0.5% |
8.6% |
Kentucky |
512,381 |
12.4% |
6.4% |
10.3% |
Louisiana |
524,348 |
11.7% |
7.8% |
12.4% |
Maine |
188,385 |
14.4% |
10.6% |
10.5% |
Maryland |
624,980 |
11.3% |
13.2% |
9.9% |
Massachusetts |
856,982 |
13.3% |
0.9% |
13.0% |
Michigan |
1,236,501 |
12.3% |
5.4% |
9.0% |
Minnesota |
609,396 |
12.0% |
7.6% |
9.1% |
Mississippi |
349,407 |
12.1% |
6.1% |
17.1% |
Missouri |
759,980 |
13.3% |
3.0% |
8.0% |
Montana |
125,160 |
13.6% |
12.2% |
10.8% |
Nebraska |
232,387 |
13.4% |
2.3% |
10.0% |
Nevada |
250,787 |
11.2% |
60.5% |
8.2% |
New Hampshire |
154,174 |
12.0% |
15.9% |
7.0% |
New Jersey |
1,123,842 |
13.0% |
4.8% |
9.3% |
New Mexico |
225,266 |
12.0% |
27.1% |
12.2% |
New York |
2,488,959 |
13.0% |
3.9% |
12.6% |
North Carolina |
1,016,214 |
12.1% |
17.0% |
13.7% |
North Dakota |
93,837 |
14.8% |
0.8% |
10.5% |
Ohio |
1,516,771 |
13.3% |
3.0% |
7.7% |
Oklahoma |
461,133 |
13.1% |
5.3% |
11.8% |
Oregon |
453,568 |
12.7% |
9.0% |
6.4% |
Pennsylvania |
1,901,764 |
15.4% |
0.4% |
9.0% |
Rhode Island |
150,797 |
14.0% |
-2.3% |
11.4% |
South Carolina |
511,732 |
12.3% |
19.9% |
14.6% |
South Dakota |
109,040 |
14.3% |
4.3% |
10.9% |
Tennessee |
726,683 |
12.4% |
12.3% |
12.8% |
Texas |
2,175,256 |
9.8% |
18.3% |
15.1% |
Utah |
203,007 |
8.6% |
22.5% |
8.4% |
Vermont |
80,132 |
12.9% |
16.1% |
8.9% |
Virginia |
833,427 |
11.3% |
17.2% |
10.0% |
Washington |
690,583 |
11.3% |
13.3% |
8.3% |
West Virginia |
277,220 |
15.3% |
0.4% |
10.1% |
Wisconsin |
711,987 |
13.0% |
5.5% |
7.8% |
Wyoming |
59,963 |
12.0% |
17.7% |
7.7% |
Population data is from the Census Bureau Population Estimates
and poverty data is from the Current Population Survey, 2001, 2002,
and 2003 Annual Social and Economic Supplements.
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