(April 2003) There were 35 million Americans age 65 or older counted in the 2000 Census. One quarter of these elderly Americans live in one of three states: California, Florida, and New York. Six other states � Illinois, Michigan, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Texas � have more than 1 million elderly each and account for another one-quarter of Americans age 65 or older. These nine states are also the most populous, and include about one-half of the total U.S. population. Sparsely populated states such as Alaska, Wyoming, Vermont, and North Dakota have very small elderly populations � less than 100,000 each in 2000.
But the states with the most elderly do not necessarily have the oldest population age profiles. California is still a relatively young state even though it has the greatest number of elderly residents: Less than 11 percent of the state's total population was age 65 or older in 2000. In contrast, nearly 18 percent of Florida's population was age 65 or older, the highest proportion of any state (see table). The older population also exceeded 15 percent of the populations of Pennsylvania and West Virginia. While southern states are regarded as retirement magnets, states in the Northeast and Midwest have among the largest proportional share of the elderly.
Table States Ranked by Percent of Population Age 65 or Older, 2000
Rank
State
Total resident population (thousands)
Population age 65+ (thousands)
Percent of population age 65+
1
Florida
15,982
2,808
17.6
2
Pennsylvania
12,281
1,919
15.6
3
West Virginia
1,808
277
15.3
4
Iowa
2,926
436
14.9
5
North Dakota
642
94
14.7
6
Rhode Island
1,048
152
14.5
7
Maine
1,275
183
14.4
8
South Dakota
755
108
14.3
9
Arkansas
2,673
374
14.0
10
Connecticut
3,406
470
13.8
11
Nebraska
1,711
232
13.6
12
Massachusetts
6,349
860
13.5
13
Missouri
5,595
755
13.5
14
Montana
902
121
13.4
15
Ohio
11,353
1,508
13.3
16
Hawaii
1,212
161
13.3
17
Kansas
2,688
356
13.3
18
New Jersey
8,414
1,113
13.2
19
Oklahoma
3,451
456
13.2
20
Wisconsin
5,364
703
13.1
21
Alabama
4,447
580
13.0
22
Arizona
5,131
668
13.0
23
Delaware
784
102
13.0
24
New York
18,976
2,448
12.9
25
Oregon
3,421
438
12.8
26
Vermont
609
78
12.7
27
Kentucky
4,042
505
12.5
28
Indiana
6,080
753
12.4
29
Tennessee
5,689
703
12.4
30
Michigan
9,938
1,219
12.3
31
District of Columbia
572
70
12.2
32
South Carolina
4,012
485
12.1
33
Minnesota
4,919
594
12.1
34
Illinois
12,419
1,500
12.1
35
Mississippi
2,845
344
12.1
36
North Carolina
8,049
969
12.0
37
New Hampshire
1,236
148
12.0
38
Wyoming
494
58
11.7
39
New Mexico
1,819
212
11.7
40
Louisiana
4,469
517
11.6
41
Maryland
5,296
599
11.3
42
Idaho
1,294
146
11.3
43
Washington
5,894
662
11.2
44
Virginia
7,079
792
11.2
45
Nevada
1,998
219
11.0
46
California
33,872
3,596
10.6
47
Texas
20,852
2,073
9.9
48
Colorado
4,301
416
9.7
49
Georgia
8,186
785
9.6
50
Utah
2,233
190
8.5
51
Alaska
627
36
5.7
Source: Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Demographic Profiles: Census 2000 (www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2001/demoprofile.htm, accessed Sept. 19, 2001).
The differences in states' age profiles are determined primarily by fertility and migration � mortality is fairly uniform among states. States with relatively high fertility rates, such as Utah, tend to have a younger age profile: A smaller proportion of state residents are age 65 or older. Migration, both internal and international, has a large impact on the elderly population's distribution. States in the Midwest and Northeast have seen steady outflows of younger people looking for job opportunities. As these younger people move south and west, the older population is left to "age in place." California has been a traditional destination for state-to-state and international migrants, which has kept its population relatively young. States that have attracted older retirees, Florida in particular, have greater proportions of older residents.
Christine L. Himes is associate professor of sociology and senior research analyst at the Center for Policy Research at Syracuse University.
