The Atlas of American Society

14. Senior Citizens

14 Senior Citizens 14.1 SENIO R CITIZEN S The 199 0 census counte d mor e than 3 1 million person s ove r 65 , making u p 12. 6 percent of the population. Thu s on e in eight citizens fall s int o the category o f "th e elderly," or "senio r citizens," or "older adults." It is projected tha t by the year 2010 this age group will increase to a total o f ove r 3 9 millio n people . Ou r natio n i s agin g i n th e sam e demographi c proces s observed in all industrialized, urbanized, highly developed countries. In Japan, the percentage is abou t the sam e a s in the United States , in Europe a s a whole it is slightl y higher , an d in Sweden i t rise s t o 1 8 percent. Within th e Unite d States , the ag e structur e o f th e populatio n varie s fro m stat e to state . Overall, the percentages o f peopl e over 6 5 fall withi n a range from abou t 1 0 to 1 5 percent, but ther e ar e a few extreme s a t both end s o f th e spectrum . Florida , a magne t fo r retirees , ranked highest at 18.3 percent, about the same as Sweden. Alaska, attractive to young pioneers, had a dramatic low 4.1 percent, whic h is more like that of som e developing countries . Utah, noted for its high birth rate, was next lowest with 8.7 percent. Th e pattern show n on the map is one of three regions of older populations. There is the Megalopolitan region of the Northeast, which extend s southwestwar d t o includ e Wes t Virginia . Vermon t an d Ne w Hampshir e ar e exceptions t o this regional pattern . The n ther e is a very larg e interior regio n o f farmin g an d ranching states , including th e wester n state s o f th e Midwest an d som e Plains an d Mountain states. In this region Minnesota stands out as an exception wit h a somewhat lower percentage of olde r adults . Finally, there i s the region o f th e Pacific Northwest . Smalle r proportion s o f elderly are generally characteristic of the Sunbelt, with its youthful population . Exceptions are Florida an d Arizona , whic h ar e retiremen t meccas . Although differences in birth rates affect the age structure of the population, the demographic process that has particularly influence d thes e regional differences i n the elderly population of the United State s i s age-selectiv e migration . I n som e cases, particularly i n the interior state s of th e country , i t i s out-migratio n o f th e young , leavin g a n olde r population ; thi s i s calle d aging i n place . In othe r cases , including Sunbel t state s an d wit h Florid a a s the prototypica l example, it is in-migration of the elderly, who are attracted by the climate and other retirement amenities. Arizona ia a good example of a state where both high birth rates and high in-migration rates o f olde r peopl e ar e importan t i n th e ag e structur e o f th e population . MARITAL STATUS PERSONS 6 5 YEAR S AN D OLDER , 199 2 MARRIED, SPOUSE PRESENT 54.0% s^ 200 WIDOWED 34.4 % Source: Statistical Abstract of the United States, 1993,Table 48 14.1 SENIO R CITIZEN S PERCENT O F POPULATIO N 6 5 AN D OLDER , 199 0 201 14.2 PROJECTE D GROWT H I N ELDERL Y POPULATIO N This ma p show s th e projecte d growt h rat e i n th e populatio n 6 5 an d ove r fo r th e tw o decade s from 199 0 t o 2010 . Th e patter n i s quit e differen t fro m th e precedin g map . I t i s i n th e ver y regions tha t no w hav e youthfu l population s tha t th e rat...