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A Profile of Older Americans: 2008
Geographic Distribution
The proportion of 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 2007, about half (52.4%) of persons 65+ lived in nine states. California had 4.0 million; Florida 3.1 million; New York 2.5 million; Texas 2.4 million; and Pennsylvania 1.9 million, Illinois, Ohio, Michigan, and New Jersey each had well over 1 million (Figure 6).
Person 65+ constituted approximately 14% or more of the total population in 10 states in 2007 (Figure 6): Florida (18.5%); Pennsylvania (15.8%); Rhode Island (15.8%) West Virginia (15.1%); Iowa (15.0%); North Dakota (14.4%); Connecticut (14.4); Arkansas (14.3%); South Dakota (14.3%); and Massachusetts (14.1%). In ten states, the 65+ population increased by 20% or more between 1997 and 2007 (Figure 6): Alaska (49.6%); Nevada (48.3%); Arizona (36.2%); Utah (30.0%); New Mexico (29.7%); Idaho (27.8%); Georgia (27.7%); South Carolina (26.3%) ; Colorado (25.2%); and Delaware (24.7%). The ten jurisdictions with the highest poverty rates for elderly during 2007 were the District of Columbia (14.6%), Mississippi (14.5%), North Dakota (14.4%), Kentucky (13.1%), Louisiana (13.1%), New Mexico (13.0%), Georgia (12.2%), South Carolina (12.1%), Texas (12.0%), and Alabama (11.9%).
Most persons 65+ lived in metropolitan areas in 2007 (80.5%). About 63.3% of these older persons lived outside the principal cities and 36.7% lived in principal cities. Also, 19.5% of older persons lived in nonmetropolitan areas.
The elderly are less likely to change residence than other age groups. From 2006 to 2007, only 4.2% of older persons moved as opposed to 17.0% of the under 65 population. Most older movers (57.9%) stayed in the same county and 78.9% remained in the same state. Only 21.1% of the movers moved out-of-state.
(Data for this section and for Figures 4-6 were compiled primarily from the Census Population Estimates for 2007 as well as other Internet releases of the U.S. Bureau of the Census including tables from the March 2008 Current Population Survey, Annual Social and Economic Supplement and the 2007 American Community survey)
Figure 4: Persons 65+ as a Percentage of Total Population - 2007
Figure 5: Percentage Increase in Population 65+ -- 1997 to 2007
Figure 6: The 65+ Population by State 2007
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Numbers
|
Number of Persons 65 and Older
|
Percent 65+ of the Total Population
|
Percent Increase in
numbers from 1997 to 2007
|
Percent Below Poverty 2007
|
|
US
Total (50 States + DC)
|
37,887,958
|
12.6%
|
11.2%
|
9.7%
|
|
Alabama
|
625,756
|
13.5%
|
11.5%
|
11.9%
|
|
Alaska
|
47,935
|
7.0%
|
49.6%
|
5.0%
|
|
Arizona
|
820,391
|
12.9%
|
36.2%
|
8.6%
|
|
Arkansas
|
397,108
|
14.0%
|
10.3%
|
11.9%
|
|
California
|
4,003,593
|
11.0%
|
12.1%
|
8.1%
|
|
Colorado
|
492,685
|
10.1%
|
25.2%
|
8.9%
|
|
Connecticut
|
472,284
|
13.5%
|
0.6%
|
6.2%
|
|
Delaware
|
117,678
|
13.6%
|
24.7%
|
8.6%
|
|
District of
Columbia
|
69,741
|
11.9%
|
-5.0%
|
14.6%
|
|
Florida
|
3,098,364
|
17.0%
|
14.4%
|
9.5%
|
|
Georgia
|
942,832
|
9.9%
|
27.7%
|
12.2%
|
|
Hawaii
|
183,994
|
14.3%
|
17.4%
|
6.5%
|
|
Idaho
|
174,946
|
11.7%
|
27.8%
|
8.6%
|
|
Illinois
|
1,548,781
|
12.1%
|
4.6%
|
8.6%
|
|
Indiana
|
795,441
|
12.5%
|
8.4%
|
7.8%
|
|
Iowa
|
438,448
|
14.7%
|
2.1%
|
8.1%
|
|
Kansas
|
360,216
|
13.0%
|
2.5%
|
8.7%
|
|
Kentucky
|
549,504
|
13.0%
|
12.4%
|
13.1%
|
|
Louisiana
|
522,334
|
12.2%
|
5.1%
|
13.1%
|
|
Maine
|
194,986
|
14.8%
|
12.5%
|
8.2%
|
|
Maryland
|
661,809
|
11.8%
|
13.4%
|
7.8%
|
|
Massachusetts
|
858,939
|
13.3%
|
-0.4%
|
9.2%
|
|
Michigan
|
1,280,152
|
12.7%
|
5.4%
|
8.1%
|
|
Minnesota
|
636,216
|
12.2%
|
10.1%
|
8.1%
|
|
Mississippi
|
364,614
|
12.5%
|
9.5%
|
14.5%
|
|
Missouri
|
788,371
|
13.4%
|
6.5%
|
9.4%
|
|
Montana
|
133,578
|
13.9%
|
15.0%
|
8.9%
|
|
Nebraska
|
236,648
|
13.3%
|
4.0%
|
8.4%
|
|
Nevada
|
285,654
|
11.1%
|
48.3%
|
6.6%
|
|
New Hampshire
|
165,742
|
12.6%
|
17.2%
|
6.2%
|
|
New Jersey
|
1,134,636
|
13.1%
|
2.6%
|
8.5%
|
|
New Mexico
|
250,235
|
12.7%
|
29.7%
|
13.0%
|
|
New York
|
2,546,405
|
13.2%
|
4.9%
|
11.8%
|
|
North Carolina
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1,103,413
|
12.2%
|
18.9%
|
11.0%
|
|
North Dakota
|
93,285
|
14.6%
|
0.8%
|
14.4%
|
|
Ohio
|
1,545,085
|
13.5%
|
3.4%
|
8.1%
|
|
Oklahoma
|
480,140
|
13.3%
|
8.0%
|
10.3%
|
|
Oregon
|
488,936
|
13.0%
|
13.6%
|
8.6%
|
|
Pennsylvania
|
1,889,660
|
15.2%
|
-0.8%
|
8.8%
|
|
Rhode Island
|
146,847
|
13.9%
|
-5.9%
|
9.1%
|
|
South Carolina
|
573,098
|
13.0%
|
26.3%
|
12.1%
|
|
South Dakota
|
113,555
|
14.3%
|
7.9%
|
10.9%
|
|
Tennessee
|
793,117
|
12.9%
|
18.4%
|
11.8%
|
|
Texas
|
2,394,157
|
10.0%
|
22.2%
|
12.0%
|
|
Utah
|
233,982
|
8.8%
|
30.0%
|
5.3%
|
|
Vermont
|
84,425
|
13.6%
|
16.9%
|
7.3%
|
|
Virginia
|
909,522
|
11.8%
|
20.4%
|
9.3%
|
|
Washington
|
757,852
|
11.7%
|
17.1%
|
7.5%
|
|
West Virginia
|
280,666
|
15.5%
|
2.3%
|
10.4%
|
|
Wisconsin
|
736,301
|
13.1%
|
7.7%
|
8.3%
|
|
Wyoming
|
63,901
|
12.2%
|
17.7%
|
4.6%
|
(Source: Population data is from Census Bureau 2007 Population Estimates. State level poverty data is from the Census 2007 American Community Survey. National level poverty data is from the 2007 Current Population Survey/American Social and Economic Survey.)
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AoA - Statistics - A Profile of Older Americans
2008 - Income
| Last Modified: 7/16/2009 8:31:09 AM |
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