Introduction
The population of the United States over 65 years old is increasing each year, making it one of the most rapidly aging countries in the world. The states with the highest percentage of elderly citizens are Florida, Maine, West Virginia, and Vermont. In terms of absolute numbers, there are approximately 15 million seniors currently living in these four states alone. This aging trend can be attributed to a number of factors such as longer life expectancy, low mortality rates among older people, and better access to health care in recent decades. However, increased economic insecurity has also been a major factor in why many seniors have not moved away from their homes even when they may have had a higher quality of life elsewhere. Ultimately this means that the population over 65 years old now accounts for an increasingly large part of our population and is driving major changes in planning for retirement security and other needs associated with this growing demographic.
| # | State | Population Over 65 Years Old | Median Age |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maine | 21.8% | 45 |
| 2 | Florida | 21.3% | 42 |
| 3 | West Virginia | 20.9% | 43 |
| 4 | Vermont | 20.6% | 43 |
| 5 | Delaware | 20% | 41 |
| 6 | Montana | 19.7% | 40 |
| 7 | Hawaii | 19.6% | 39 |
| 8 | New Hampshire | 19.3% | 43 |
| 9 | Pennsylvania | 19.1% | 41 |
| 10 | South Carolina | 18.7% | 40 |
| 11 | Oregon | 18.6% | 40 |
| 12 | Arizona | 18.5% | 38 |
| 13 | New Mexico | 18.5% | 38 |
| 14 | Connecticut | 18.2% | 41 |
| 15 | Michigan | 18.2% | 40 |
| 16 | Rhode Island | 18.2% | 40 |
| 17 | Wisconsin | 18% | 40 |
| 18 | Iowa | 17.9% | 38 |
| 19 | Ohio | 17.9% | 40 |
| 20 | Alabama | 17.8% | 39 |
| 21 | Wyoming | 17.8% | 38 |
| 22 | Arkansas | 17.7% | 38 |
| 23 | Missouri | 17.7% | 39 |
| 24 | South Dakota | 17.6% | 37 |
| 25 | Massachusetts | 17.4% | 40 |
| 26 | New York | 17.4% | 39 |
| 27 | Kentucky | 17.2% | 39 |
| 28 | North Carolina | 17.1% | 39 |
| 29 | Tennessee | 17.1% | 39 |
| 30 | New Jersey | 17% | 40 |
| 31 | Mississippi | 16.9% | 38 |
| 32 | Kansas | 16.8% | 37 |
| 33 | Minnesota | 16.8% | 38 |
| 34 | Idaho | 16.7% | 37 |
| 35 | Illinois | 16.6% | 38 |
| 36 | Indiana | 16.5% | 38 |
| 37 | Nebraska | 16.5% | 37 |
| 38 | Nevada | 16.5% | 38 |
| 39 | Louisiana | 16.4% | 37 |
| 40 | Oklahoma | 16.4% | 37 |
| 41 | Maryland | 16.3% | 39 |
| 42 | Virginia | 16.3% | 38 |
| 43 | Washington | 16.2% | 38 |
| 44 | North Dakota | 16.1% | 35 |
| 45 | California | 15.2% | 37 |
| 46 | Colorado | 15.1% | 37 |
| 47 | Georgia | 14.7% | 37 |
| 48 | Texas | 13.2% | |
| 49 | Alaska | 13.1% | 35 |
| 50 | Utah | 11.7% | 31 |
Population Over 65 Years Old by State
Alabama
Population Over 65 Years Old
17.8%
Ranked in the US
#20
Ranked in the US
#18
Alaska
Population Over 65 Years Old
13.1%
Ranked in the US
#49
Ranked in the US
#47
Arizona
Population Over 65 Years Old
18.5%
Ranked in the US
#12
Ranked in the US
#26
Arkansas
Population Over 65 Years Old
17.7%
Ranked in the US
#22
Ranked in the US
#27
California
Population Over 65 Years Old
15.2%
Ranked in the US
#45
Ranked in the US
#38
Colorado
Population Over 65 Years Old
15.1%
Ranked in the US
#46
Ranked in the US
#39
Connecticut
Population Over 65 Years Old
18.2%
Ranked in the US
#14
Ranked in the US
#6
Delaware
Population Over 65 Years Old
20%
Ranked in the US
#5
Ranked in the US
#7
Florida
Population Over 65 Years Old
21.3%
Ranked in the US
#2
Ranked in the US
#5
Georgia
Population Over 65 Years Old
14.7%
Ranked in the US
#47
Ranked in the US
#40
Hawaii
Population Over 65 Years Old
19.6%
Ranked in the US
#7
Ranked in the US
#19
Idaho
Population Over 65 Years Old
16.7%
Ranked in the US
#34
Ranked in the US
#41
Illinois
Population Over 65 Years Old
16.6%
Ranked in the US
#35
Ranked in the US
#28
Indiana
Population Over 65 Years Old
16.5%
Ranked in the US
#36
Ranked in the US
#29
Iowa
Population Over 65 Years Old
17.9%
Ranked in the US
#18
Ranked in the US
#30
Kansas
Population Over 65 Years Old
16.8%
Ranked in the US
#32
Ranked in the US
#42
Kentucky
Population Over 65 Years Old
17.2%
Ranked in the US
#27
Ranked in the US
#20
Louisiana
Population Over 65 Years Old
16.4%
Ranked in the US
#39
Ranked in the US
#43
Maine
Population Over 65 Years Old
21.8%
Ranked in the US
#1
Ranked in the US
#1
Maryland
Population Over 65 Years Old
16.3%
Ranked in the US
#41
Ranked in the US
#21
Massachusetts
Population Over 65 Years Old
17.4%
Ranked in the US
#25
Ranked in the US
#9
Michigan
Population Over 65 Years Old
18.2%
Ranked in the US
#15
Ranked in the US
#10
Minnesota
Population Over 65 Years Old
16.8%
Ranked in the US
#33
Ranked in the US
#31
Mississippi
Population Over 65 Years Old
16.9%
Ranked in the US
#31
Ranked in the US
#32
Missouri
Population Over 65 Years Old
17.7%
Ranked in the US
#23
Ranked in the US
#22
Montana
Population Over 65 Years Old
19.7%
Ranked in the US
#6
Ranked in the US
#11
Nebraska
Population Over 65 Years Old
16.5%
Ranked in the US
#37
Ranked in the US
#44
Nevada
Population Over 65 Years Old
16.5%
Ranked in the US
#38
Ranked in the US
#33
New Hampshire
Population Over 65 Years Old
19.3%
Ranked in the US
#8
Ranked in the US
#2
New Jersey
Population Over 65 Years Old
17%
Ranked in the US
#30
Ranked in the US
#12
New Mexico
Population Over 65 Years Old
18.5%
Ranked in the US
#13
Ranked in the US
#34
New York
Population Over 65 Years Old
17.4%
Ranked in the US
#26
Ranked in the US
#23
North Carolina
Population Over 65 Years Old
17.1%
Ranked in the US
#28
Ranked in the US
#24
North Dakota
Population Over 65 Years Old
16.1%
Ranked in the US
#44
Ranked in the US
#48
Ohio
Population Over 65 Years Old
17.9%
Ranked in the US
#19
Ranked in the US
#13
Oklahoma
Population Over 65 Years Old
16.4%
Ranked in the US
#40
Ranked in the US
#45
Oregon
Population Over 65 Years Old
18.6%
Ranked in the US
#11
Ranked in the US
#14
Pennsylvania
Population Over 65 Years Old
19.1%
Ranked in the US
#9
Ranked in the US
#8
Rhode Island
Population Over 65 Years Old
18.2%
Ranked in the US
#16
Ranked in the US
#15
South Carolina
Population Over 65 Years Old
18.7%
Ranked in the US
#10
Ranked in the US
#16
South Dakota
Population Over 65 Years Old
17.6%
Ranked in the US
#24
Ranked in the US
#46
Tennessee
Population Over 65 Years Old
17.1%
Ranked in the US
#29
Ranked in the US
#25
Texas
Population Over 65 Years Old
13.2%
Ranked in the US
#48
Utah
Population Over 65 Years Old
11.7%
Ranked in the US
#50
Ranked in the US
#50
Vermont
Population Over 65 Years Old
20.6%
Ranked in the US
#4
Ranked in the US
#3
Virginia
Population Over 65 Years Old
16.3%
Ranked in the US
#42
Ranked in the US
#35
Washington
Population Over 65 Years Old
16.2%
Ranked in the US
#43
Ranked in the US
#36
West Virginia
Population Over 65 Years Old
20.9%
Ranked in the US
#3
Ranked in the US
#4
Wisconsin
Population Over 65 Years Old
18%
Ranked in the US
#17
Ranked in the US
#17
Wyoming
Population Over 65 Years Old
17.8%
Ranked in the US
#21
Ranked in the US
#37
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