Older Americans
Month May, 2002
America : A Community
for All Ages
By: Administration on Aging
April 2002
"I am
pleased to announce the theme for Older Americans Month 2002: "America:
A Community for All Ages." This theme has been selected in
recognition of the national community in which we live, and in tribute to
the American family which is the strength of our nation.
Our families are our greatest hope for the future.
Families span generations. They offer us comfort, security and sustenance.
And older members of our families B
grandparents, parents, relatives and even neighbors B provide us with the historical
perspective that enables us to move forward and contribute to our nation=s
greatness and prosperity as so many have done before. It is this
multi-generational perspective upon which we must continue to build. We
must work to ensure health and human services reach across generations,
where we have young people working as volunteers to assist our elders, and
at the same time, we have older adults working with youth. Stronger
multi-generational programs result in stronger individuals, who are more
connected to their communities. Stronger individuals result in stronger
communities, and stronger communities create a stronger nation overall.
Families are the main providers of care for older
persons in our country. In fact, we know that 95 percent of the care
provided to older persons with disabilities in the community is provided
by family members. One of our biggest challenges as a nation is to ensure
that in-home and community-based care is available to help all older
adults achieve the promise their senior years bring. We must build upon
the success that has already been achieved throughout the aging network so
that all older Americans can lead engaged and productive lives in their
communities.
Over the next several months, you will receive more
information about our plans in recognition of Older
Americans Month 2002. I am very proud to continue this tradition of
honoring older Americans and their caregivers, and of celebrating our
families and our communities as the foundation of our society."
Josefina G. Carbonell
Assistant Secretary for Aging
Older Americans Month Celebrated in May
Population Total
35.0 million
The number of people 65 and over in the United States who were counted in
Census 2000. That is about 12 percent of the total population. http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2001/cb01cn184.html
Income and Poverty
$23,047
Median household income for householders 65 and over in 2000. This was
down 2.3 percent from 1999 after adjustment for inflation. http://www.census.gov/hhes/income/histinc/h10.html
10.2%
The poverty rate in 2000 for people 65 and over, statistically unchanged
from their historic low in 1999. However, this population group did
experience a slight numeric increase from 3.2 million to 3.4 million. http://www.census.gov/hhes/poverty/histpov/hstpov3.html
Jobs
14%
Proportion of people 65 and over in the civilian labor force in 2000. http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2001/cb01-96.html
Among
employed people 65 and over, women were less likely than men to work in
executive, administrative and managerial occupations in 2000 (12 percent
versus 19 percent). Women, on the other hand, worked more frequently in
administrative support jobs than did men (28 percent versus 6 percent). http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2001/cb01-96.html
Back to School
49,000
Number of people 65 and over enrolled in college in October 2000. http://www.census.gov/population/socdemo/school/ppl-148/tab02.txt
In 2000,
22 percent of men and 11 percent of women ages 65 to 84 and 17 percent of
men and 11 percent of women age 85 and older had college degrees. http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2002/cb02-22.html
Marital Status and Living Arrangements
Among
the population 75 years and over in 2000, 67 percent of men and only 29
percent of women were living with their spouses. Of the women, 49 percent
were living alone and 22 percent were not currently married but living
with relatives or nonrelatives. Only 21 percent of men lived alone at this
age. http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2001/cb01-113.html
Among
the population 65-to-74 years old, 77 percent of men and 53 percent of
women lived with their spouses in 2000. http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2001/cb01-113.html
4.5%
The percentage of people 65 and over living in nursing homes, down from
5.1 percent in 1990, according to Census 2000. The decline over the
10-year period was particularly sharp among those age 85 and over: 18.2
percent resided in nursing homes in 2000; 24.5 percent did so in 1990. http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2001/cb01cn184.html
Voting
72%
Percentage of citizens ages 65 to 74 who voted in the 2000 presidential
elections, the highest rate of any age group. http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2002/cb02-31.html
Homeownership
81%
Proportion of householders 65 to 74 who owned the home in which they
lived, according to Census 2000. This is the highest homeownership rate of
any age group. http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2001/cb01cn191.html
Coming to America
27%
Percentage of U.S. residents 65 and over in 2000 who were foreign-born
themselves or had at least one foreign-born parent. http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2002/cb02-18.html
Population Distribution
Nation
The
decade leading up to Census 2000 was the first time in census history when
the population 65-years-old and over did not grow faster than the total
population. (The older population increased by 12 percent between 1990 and
2000, compared with 13 percent for the total population.) This relatively
slow growth was attributed to the relatively low number of births in the
late 1920s and early 1930s. http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2001/cb01cn67.html
During
the current decade, the 65-and-over population will once again begin
growing at rates exceeding those of the total U.S. population. Annual
percentage increases of the older population will increase to at least
double those of the total population during the 2008-2010 period and to
three to four times those of the total population from 2011 (when the
"baby boomers" begin to reach 65) through 2025. http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2002/cb02cn53.html
During
the 1990s, the most rapid growth in the older population occurred among
the oldest age groups: the population 85 years and over increased by 38
percent, from 3.1 million in 1990 to 4.2 million in 2000. http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2001/cb01cn184.html
2nd
The U.S. rank among all countries in number of people 80 and over in 2000.
(China ranked first.) Although the United States contains 5 percent of the
world's total population, it has 13 percent of all people 80 and over. http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2002/cb02cn53.html
70
The number of men 65 and over in 2000 for every 100 women in this age
group; in 1990, the ratio was 67. The male-female ratio drops steadily by
age group, from 82 for those in the 65-to-74 age group to 41 for those 85
and over. http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2001/cb01cn184.html
50,454
Number of centenarians counted in Census 2000, about 1 in every 5,578
people. In 1990, centenarians numbered 37,306 people, or 1 in every 6,667.
http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2001/cb01cn184.html
States, Counties and Cities
72%
Percentage growth in Nevada's 65-and-over population between 1990 and
2000. Nevada led the nation in rate of growth of the older population,
followed by Alaska (60 percent), Arizona (39 percent) and New Mexico (30
percent). http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2001/cb01cn184.html
18%
Proportion of Florida residents who were 65 and over in Census 2000. Among
states, Florida edged out Pennsylvania (16 percent) and West Virginia (15
percent) for the highest proportion. http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2001/cb01cn184.html
35%
Percentage of residents of Charlotte County, Fla., who in Census 2000
reported they were 65 and over -- the highest proportion of any county in
the nation. Among places with populations of 100,000 or more, Clearwater,
Fla., had the highest percentage of older people: 21 percent. http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2001/cb01cn184.html
1-in-3,056
According to Census 2000, the ratio of centenarians to the total
population in South Dakota. Centenarians were more common in the home of
Mount Rushmore than in any other state, with Iowa (1 centenarian for every
3,110 people) coming in second. http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2001/cb01cn184.html
Recreation
The most
popular form of recreation among people 65 and over, by far, is exercise
walking. In 1999, 12.7 million people in this age category, more than
1-in-3, engaged in this activity at least six times during the year. Other
popular forms of exercise included swimming (3.8 million participants) and
exercising with equipment (3.6 million). http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2002/cb02-12.html
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