Effects Of America's Aging Population: NIH-commissioned Census Bureau report highlights effect of aging boomers

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65+ in the United States: 2010 - Highlights

Population Characteristics

In 2010, there were 40.3 million people aged 65 and older, 12 times the number in 1900.

The percentage of the population aged 65 and over among the total population increased from 4.1 percent in 1900 to 13.0 percent in 2010 and is projected to reach 20.9 percent by 2050.

From 2010 onwards, the older dependency ratio - the number of people aged 65 and over per 100 people aged 20 to 64 - is expected to rise sharply as the baby boomers enter the older ages. In 2030, when all baby boomers will have already passed age 65, the older dependency ratio is expected to be 37, which translates into fewer than three people of working age (20 to 64) to support every older person.

The older population has become more racially and ethnically diverse, with those identifying their race as white alone comprising 84.8 percent in 2010, down from 86.9 percent in 2000.

Health and Long-term Care

Over 38 percent of those aged 65 and over had one or more disabilities in 2010, with the most common difficulties being walking, climbing stairs and doing errands alone.

The share of the older population residing in skilled nursing facilities declined from 4.5 percent in 2000 to 3.1 percent in 2010. The share in other long-term care facilities, such as assisted living, has been growing.

Medicaid funds for long-term care have been shifting away from nursing homes with funding for home- and community-based services increasing from 13 percent of total funding in 1990 to 43 percent in 2007.

Changing marital trends, such as the rise of divorces, as well as the increase in living alone among the 65-and-over population, will likely alter the social support needs of aging baby boomers.

Economic Characteristics

Labor force participation rates rose for both older men and older women in the first decade of the 21st century, reaching 22.1 percent for older men and 13.8 percent for older women. In contrast, the labor force participation rates for the population aged 25 to 34 fell from 2000 to 2010 for both men and women.

The older white alone population was less likely than the older black alone and Asian alone populations to live in poverty. Older Hispanics were more likely to live in poverty than older non-Hispanic white alone residents.

Following the housing price peak in 2006, homeownership rates declined for the population under age 65 but remained flat for older householders.

Housing costs were slightly less of a burden in 2009 compared with 2001 for older householders.

Many older workers managed to stay employed during the recession. The population aged 65 and over was the only age group not to see a decline in its employment share from 2005 to 2010. In 2010, 16.2 percent of the population aged 65 and over were employed, up from 14.5 percent in 2005.

Geographic Distribution

Eleven states had more than 1 million people aged 65 and older in 2010.

States with the highest proportions of older people in their populations in 2010 included Florida, West Virginia, Maine, and Pennsylvania (all above 15 percent).

The West and South regions experienced the fastest growth in their 65-plus and 85-plus populations between 2000 and 2010.

In 2010, more than 7 out of 10 older Hispanics lived in four states: California (26.9 percent), Texas (19.2 percent), Florida (15.7 percent), and New York (9.0 percent).

The vast majority of older people do not move, but their moving rates remained stable between 2000 and 2010, in contrast to the slowdown in migration among younger populations.

Social Trends

The population aged 65 and over was the only age group to see an increase in voter participation in the 2012 presidential election compared with the 2008 presidential election.

In 2010, Internet usage among the older population was up 31 percentage points from a decade prior.

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