2015 White House Conference on Aging

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A Statistical Profile of Older Americans

Introduction

In 2013, there were 44.7 million Americans aged 65 and over and 6 million aged 85 and over.1 Over the next 50 years, the number of people aged 65 and older is expected to more than double to 92 million and the number of people aged 85 and older is expected to triple to 18 million.2 Among the population age 65 and over, there are 128 women for every 100 men. At age 85 and over this ratio increases to 196 women for every 100 men.3

In 2013, there were 75.9 million baby boomers (people born between 1946 and 1964) accounting for almost one-quarter of the population.4 Baby boomers began turning 65 years old in 2011.

Centenarians

Between 1980 and 2013, the centenarian population more than doubled from 32,194 in 1980 to 67,347 in 2013.5

Educational Level

The past decade has seen a significant increase in educational attainment among older Americans. In 2013, 83% of the population aged 65 and older had finished high school and 25% had a bachelor’s degree or higher.6 In 1965, only 24% of older Americans were high school graduates and 5% had a bachelor’s degree or higher.7 Nonetheless, there are still educational differences among racial and ethnic groups. In 2013, only 51% of older Hispanics were high school graduates and 10% had a bachelor’s degree or higher.8

Living Arrangements

In 2013, 71% of older men lived with their spouses, 8% lived with other relatives, 2% lived with non-relatives, and 19% lived alone. For older women, 45% lived with their spouses, 19% lived with other relatives, 1% lived with non-relatives, and 35% lived alone. The percentage of older women living alone (35%) is almost twice that of older men (19%) living alone.9

Community Living: Housing

Of the 25.1 million households headed by older persons in 2011,10 81% were owners11 12 and 19% were renters.13 14 The median family income of older homeowners was $32,900.15 The median family income of older renters was $16,200.16 In 2011, almost 50% of older householders spent more than one-fourth of their income on housing costs17—43% for owners18 and 71% for renters.19

For older homeowners in 2011, the median construction year was 1970 compared with 1976 for all homeowners.20 In 2011, the median value of homes owned by older persons was $150,000 (with a median purchase price of $55,000) compared to a median home value of $160,000 for all homeowners.21 About 65% of older homeowners in 2011 owned their homes free and clear.22

Income and Poverty

Households containing families headed by persons age 65 and over reported a median household income in 2012 of $48,957.23 The median personal income for older men was $27,612 and for older women it was $16,040.24 Over the past half century, the poverty rate for older Americans decreased dramatically from 35% in 195925 to 9.1% in 2012.26

Labor Force Participation

The labor force participation rate is the percentage of a population that is in the labor force—that is, either working (employed) or actively looking for work (unemployed). Some older Americans work out of economic necessity. Others may be attracted by the social contact, intellectual challenges, or sense of value that work often provides. Between 1990 and 2013, the labor force participation rate of people age 65 and over increased from 12% to 19%.27 28

Self-Rated Health Status

During 2010–2012, 76% of older men and older women reported good, very good, or excellent health status. Positive health evaluations decline with age. Among men ages 65–74, 79% reported good, very good, or excellent health, compared with 67% among those aged 85 or older. Similarly, among women, this rate declined from 80% at ages 65–74 to 68% at age 85 or older.29

Chronic Conditions

Most older Americans (86%) had at least one chronic condition in 2012, and the majority (61%) had two or more chronic conditions.30 In 2012, among the traditional Medicare population, the majority of whom are older adults, the most commonly occurring conditions were high blood pressure (55%), high cholesterol (45%), ischemic heart disease (29%), arthritis (29%), and diabetes (27%). Just over 15% of older adults have six or more chronic conditions.31 Some of the most frequently occurring conditions among older Americans in 2010-2012 were: diagnosed arthritis (50%), cancer (24%), all types of heart disease (30%),32 diagnosed diabetes (20% in 2007–2010),33 and hypertension (72% in 2007–2010).34

FUNCTIONAL LIMITATIONS

In 2009, about 41% of people aged 65 and over enrolled in Medicare reported a functional limitation.35 12% had difficulty performing one or more instrumental activities of daily living (such as meal preparation), but no activities of daily living limitations (such as bathing). Approximately 25% had difficulty with at least one activity of daily living.

Access to Medical Care

The Medicare program has ensured that nearly 100% of people aged 65 and older have health insurance. In 2012, 50% of all older adults had both Medicare and supplementary private health insurance and 8% were covered by both Medicare and Medicaid.36 In 2010–2012, 4% of older Americans reported they had no usual source of health care.37

Footnotes

  1. U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates. Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Selected Age Groups by Sex for the United States, States, Counties, and Puerto Rico Commonwealth and Municipios: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2013. View table online »
  2. U.S. Census Bureau, 2012 National Population Projections: Summary Tables. Table 2. Projections of the Population by Selected Age Groups and Sex for the United States: 2015 to 2060. View table online »
  3. U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates. Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Selected Age Groups by Sex for the United States, States, Counties, and Puerto Rico Commonwealth and Municipios: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2013. View table online »
  4. U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates. Annual Estimates of the Resident Population by Single Year of Age and Sex for the United States: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2013. View table online »
  5. U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates. Annual Estimates of the Resident Population by Single Year of Age and Sex for the United States: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2013. View table online »
  6. U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey, Annual Social and Economic Supplement. Educational Attainment in the United States: 2013—Detailed Tables. Table 1. Educational Attainment of the Population 18 Years and Over, by Age, Sex, Race, and Hispanic Origin: 2013. View table online »
  7. U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey, March Supplement. Table 4. Years of School Completed By Persons 14 Years Old and Over, By Age, Race, and Sex, For The United States: March 1965. View PDF »
  8. U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey, Annual Social and Economic Supplement. Educational Attainment in the United States: 2013—Detailed Tables. Table 1. Educational Attainment of the Population 18 Years and Over, by Age, Sex, Race, and Hispanic Origin: 2013. View table online »
  9. U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey, Annual Social and Economic Supplement. America’s Families and Living Arrangements: 2013: Adults. Table A1. Marital Status Of People 15 Years And Over, By Age, Sex, Personal Earnings, Race, And Hispanic Origin: 2013. View table online »
  10. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. American Housing Survey. Table C-09-AO. Income Characteristics—All Occupied Units. View table online »
  11. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. American Housing Survey. Table C-01-OO. General Housing Data—Owner-Occupied Units. View table online »
  12. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. American Housing Survey. Table C-01-AO. General Housing Data—All Occupied Units. View table online »
  13. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. American Housing Survey. Table C-01-RO. General Housing Data—Renter-Occupied Units. View table online »
  14. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. American Housing Survey. Table C-01-AO. General Housing Data—All Occupied Units. View table online »
  15. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. American Housing Survey. Table C-09-OO. Income Characteristics—Owner-Occupied Units. View table online »
  16. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. American Housing Survey. Table C-09-RO. Income Characteristics—Renter-Occupied Units. View table online »
  17. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. American Housing Survey. Table C-10-AO. Housing Costs —All Occupied Units. View table online »
  18. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. American Housing Survey. Table C-10-OO. Housing Costs—Owner-Occupied Units. View table online »
  19. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. American Housing Survey. Table C-10-RO. Housing Costs—Renter-Occupied Units. View table online »
  20. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. American Housing Survey. Table C-01-OO. General Housing Data—Owner-Occupied Units. View table online »
  21. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. American Housing Survey. Table C-13-OO. Value, Purchase Price, and Source of Down Payment—Owner-Occupied Units. View table online »
  22. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. American Housing Survey. Table C-14A-OO. Mortgage Characteristics—Owner-Occupied Units. View table online »
  23. U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey, Annual Social and Economic Supplement. Table FINC-02. Age of Reference Person, by Total Money Income in 2012, Type of Family, Race and Hispanic Origin of Reference Person View tables »
  24. U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey, Annual Social and Economic Supplement. Table PINC-01. Selected Characteristics of People 15 Years and Over, by Total Money Income in 2010, Work Experience in 2010 (Based on Census 2000 Population Controls), Race, Hispanic Origin, and Sex. View tables »
  25. U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey, Annual Social and Economic Supplement. Historical Poverty Tables – People. Table 3. Poverty Status of People, by Age, Race, and Hispanic Origin: 1959 to 2012 View tables »
  26. U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey, Annual Social and Economic Supplement. Table POV01. Age and Sex of All People, Family Members and Unrelated Individuals Iterated by Income-to-Poverty Ratio and Race. View tables »
  27. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey Briefs. “Labor Force Participation and Work Status of People 65 Years and Older.” Braedyn Kromer and David Howard. ACSBR/11-09. January 2013. View PDF »
  28. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Household Data Annual Averages. Table 3. Employment status of the civilian noninstitutional population by age, sex, and race. View table online »
  29. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. National Center for Health Statistics. National Health Interview Survey. Health status, respondent reported: US, 1998-2012. View table online »
  30. Ward BW, Schiller JS, Goodman RA. Multiple Chronic Conditions Among US Adults: A 2012 Update. Prev Chronic Dis 2014;11:130389. DOI. View »
  31. Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services. View »
  32. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. National Center for Health Statistics. National Health Interview Survey. Chronic conditions, ages 18+: US, 1998-2012. View »
  33. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. National Center for Health Statistics. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Diabetes, ages 20+, US, 1988-2010. View »
  34. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. National Center for Health Statistics. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Hypertension, ages 20+: US, 1988-2010. View »
  35. Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey, 2009.
  36. U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey, Annual Social and Economic Supplement. Health Insurance. Table HI01. Health Insurance Coverage Status and Type of Coverage by Selected Characteristics: 2012. View »
  37. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. National Center for Health Statistics. National Health Interview Survey. No usual source of health care: US, 1998-2012. View »

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This website was last updated on February 3, 2016. It is no longer being maintained; however, it remains here as an archive for information on the 2015 White House Conference on Aging forums, blogs, press releases and activities over the period from October 2014–December 2015.

Some material on this website may be superseded, as it was created at a particular time. It may contain references to activities, policies and programs that have no current application. Content in the archive may link to web pages that have moved or no longer exist, or may refer to other documents that are no longer available.

For further information on the use of these archived documents please contact the Administration on Aging/Administration for Community Living at aclinfo@acl.hhs.gov. To stay up to date on issues important to older Americans, please visit Aging.gov or the Administration on Aging.