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Older Americans Month originated with a presidential proclamation in May 1963 and it has been proclaimed each May by presidents every year since. Last year, President Bush stated, "Older Americans continue to work in a variety of jobs -- from teachers, to engineers, to business owners and entrepreneurs -- and in so doing bring invaluable experience and leadership skills. Additionally, their wisdom, strength and compassion reflect the character of our great nation."
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To compare statistics and read about Older Americans Month 2005, click here
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Census Bureau collects data on seniors for Older Americans Month 2004
April 28, 2004 - Older Americans Month originated with a presidential proclamation in May 1963 and it has been proclaimed each May by presidents every year since. Last year, President Bush stated, "Older Americans continue to work in a variety of jobs -- from teachers, to engineers, to business owners and entrepreneurs -- and in so doing bring invaluable experience and leadership skills. Additionally, their wisdom, strength and compassion reflect the character of our great nation." 35.9 million -- The number of people
65 and over in the United States on July 1, 2003. That is 12 percent of the
total population. Since Census 2000, 927,000 people have moved into this age
group. 86.7 million -- Projected population of people 65 and over in the year 2050. People in this age group would comprise 21 percent of the total population at that time. Click here for details. 147 percent -- Projected percentage
increase in the 65-and-over population between 2000 and 2050. By comparison,
the population as a whole would have increased by only 49 percent over the
same period. $120,000 -- Median net worth of households with householders ages 70 to 74. Click here for details. $23,152 -- Median 2002 income of households with householders 65 and over, statistically unchanged, in real terms, from the previous year. Click here for details. 10.4 percent -- Poverty rate for
people 65 and over in 2002, statistically unchanged from the previous year. Serving Our Nation 9.1 million -- Estimated number of people age 65 and over who are military veterans. Click here for details. Jobs 4.5 million -- Number of people age 65 and over who are still employed a ratio of more than 1-in-8 people in this age group. Click here for details. Education Among the older population, men are
more likely than women to have a bachelor's degree or higher education.
Among people ages 65 to 84, 22 percent of men and 13 percent of women have
achieved this level of education; for those 85 and over, the respective
rates are 17 percent and 12 percent. Marital Status and Living Arrangements Among the population 65 to 84, the
majority of men (74 percent) are married and living with their spouses,
compared with less than half (45 percent) of women in that age group. For
people 85 and over, the corresponding percentages are much lower: 58 percent
of men and only 12 percent of women. Voting 72 percent -- Percentage of citizens
ages 65 to 74 who voted in the last presidential election; that is the
highest rate of any age group. Homeownership 81 percent -- Proportion of
householders age 65 and over who own their homes. This compares with 68
percent for all householders. Population Distribution Nation 71 -- Overall, the number of men age
65 and over on July 1, 2002, for every 100 women in this age group. For
those in the 65- to-74 age group, the ratio is 83 men for every 100 women
and for those 85 and over, it drops to 43 men to 100 women. 58,684 -- Estimated number of
centenarians in the United States on July 1, 2002. States and Counties 17 percent -- Percentage of Florida's population that was 65 and over on July 1, 2003. Florida led all states in this category. Pennsylvania, West Virginia, North Dakota and Iowa followed closely, at 15 percent each. Click here for details. 15 percent -- Percentage increase in the number of people age 65 and over in Nevada between Census Day, April 1, 2000, and July 1, 2003. A state not traditionally thought of as a retirement haven Alaska -- was close behind, with a 14 percent increase. The next five states on the list -- Arizona, Utah, Idaho, New Mexico and Colorado -- also are located in the West. Click here for details. 3.8 million -- Number of people 65
and over living in California on July 1, 2003, the highest total of any
state. Florida, with 2.9 million, was the runner-up. 34 percent -- Percentage of Charlotte County, Fla., population, that consists of people 65 and over the highest such proportion in the nation. Florida was home to each of the 12 counties with the highest concentration of people 65 and over. (The findings pertain to counties with minimum populations of 100,000.) Click here for details. 21 percent -- Percentage increase in the 65-and-over population in Douglas County, Colo., between 2000 and 2002, the highest such increase for any county in the country. (The findings pertain to counties with minimum populations of 100,000.) Click here for details. Sports Activities The most popular sports activity
among people 65 and over, by far, is exercise walking: 9.4 million people in
this age category engage in this activity at least six times a year. The
next most popular forms of exercise are swimming (3.4 million participants),
exercising with equipment (3.1 million) and playing golf (2.5 million). See
Table 1247:
Click here for details.
Note from Census Bureau: Some of the preceding data were collected in surveys and, therefore, are subject to sampling error. |
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