Americans Age 60 and Older
An interactive atlas of U.S. age-60+ demographic, economic, housing, disability, employment, and income-support indicators — 80+ indicators, 51 jurisdictions, and 15 displayed years from Census ACS S0102.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS Table S0102 · data.census.gov · 2020 shown as ACS 5-Year bridge year where available
What this atlas shows
This atlas uses U.S. Census ACS S0102 data to show how older Americans are doing by state. It covers population aging, poverty, housing costs, disability, Social Security, SNAP, language access, work, and other senior-life indicators.
Key senior statistics
These values come from the embedded 2024 national ACS S0102 data used by the charts.
Americans age 60+
U.S. population age 60+
Below poverty line
Senior renters burdened
With any disability
Receive Social Security
America's Senior Population: Size, Growth & Age Distribution
From 57.5M in 2010 to 83.0M in 2024 — a 44% increase driven by Baby Boomer aging. The median age of the 60+ cohort is now 70.1 years. Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Delaware, West Virginia have the highest 60+ population shares; Utah, District of Columbia, Texas are among the lowest.
A Diversifying Senior Population
The 60+ population is becoming more diverse. Hispanic adults age 60+ grew from 7.3% in 2010 to 10.6% in 2024. White non-Hispanic adults age 60+ fell from 78.7% to 71.0%. Asian adults age 60+ grew to 5.2%. These shifts carry major implications for multilingual outreach and culturally competent benefit delivery.
Living Arrangements of America's Seniors
How seniors live — alone, with partners, with family — has major implications for caregiving, social isolation, housing policy, and benefit eligibility. In 2024, 42.0% of senior nonfamily householders lived alone. Family households fell from 55.4% in 2010 to 54.7% in 2024.
Marriage, Widowhood & Divorce Among Seniors
Marital status is one of the strongest predictors of senior economic security. Widowed seniors are significantly more likely to live alone, fall below poverty, and struggle with benefit navigation. Divorce rates among seniors have risen since 2010 (often called "gray divorce"), adding to financial vulnerability.
Education Levels Rising — Gaps Persist
The educational profile of seniors has shifted dramatically. Seniors without a high school diploma fell from 18.6% in 2010 to 11.6% in 2024. Bachelor's degree holders grew from 23.3% to 31.7%. Education is one of the strongest predictors of benefit take-up, health outcomes, and economic security in later life.
Grandparents Raising Grandchildren
About 5% of seniors live with a grandchild in their household. About 1.1% are responsible for a grandchild's care — acting as a primary caregiver in the ACS measure. This "grandfamily" pattern is concentrated in some Southern and Appalachian states. Local causes vary, so state and county context matters.
Veteran Seniors: A Declining but Significant Population
11.2% of Americans age 60+ are veterans — a large group that may need VA healthcare, benefits counseling, pension screening, burial benefits, transportation help, and state or county veteran-service support. The senior veteran share has declined since 2010 as older service eras age out.
Nearly 1-in-3 Seniors Has a Disability
In 2024, 29.0% of Americans age 60+ — roughly 24.1 million people if applied to the national 60+ count — had a disability as defined by the ACS. Southern and Appalachian states often show higher rates. Disability can overlap with poverty, housing modification needs, transportation barriers, and greater reliance on local help.
Senior Geographic Mobility: Who Moves and Where
Seniors are far less geographically mobile than younger adults. 94.3% of Americans aged 60+ lived in the same house they occupied one year prior. Only 1.1% moved to a different state. Understanding senior mobility patterns informs Medicaid portability, housing policy, and benefit transfer challenges.
Immigrant Seniors: Nativity, Citizenship & Year of Entry
15.5% of Americans age 60+ are foreign-born — about 12.9 million people if applied to the national 60+ count. Of these, 74.9% have naturalized citizenship. Non-citizen seniors can face program-eligibility barriers. Rules vary by immigration status, state, program, and date of entry, so official eligibility review is important.
Language Barriers Among Seniors
16.2% of seniors speak a language other than English at home. About 9.1% speak English "less than very well" — creating serious barriers to benefit enrollment, healthcare communication, and emergency notifications. Spanish, Chinese, and Tagalog are the most common non-English languages among seniors.
Working Seniors: A Growing Segment of the Workforce
Labor force participation among adults age 60+ grew from 27.6% in 2010 to 30.3% in 2024. Some continue working by choice; others keep working because housing, healthcare, food, debt, or family costs make retirement harder. The unemployment rate among older workers in the labor force was 2.9% in 2024.
How Seniors Fund Retirement — Sources & Gaps
Social Security reaches 73.1% of households headed by adults age 60+, down from 76.8% in 2010. Mean Social Security income grew 53% nominally to $26,251. Earnings, retirement income, SNAP, SSI, and public assistance round out the income mix — each with its own geographic pattern.
Poverty & Near-Poverty Among Older Americans
After reaching 9.5% in 2015, poverty among adults age 60+ climbed to 11.2% in 2024 — roughly 9.3 million people if applied to the national 60+ count. An additional 7.3% are "near-poor" (100–149% FPL): often above the strictest program limits but still under pressure. Louisiana saw one of the largest state-level increases (+4.4 pts since 2010).
Homeownership, Rent, Costs & Burden
78.2% of households headed by adults age 60+ own their home, but for the 21.8% who rent, affordability is a genuine emergency: 55.0% of senior renters are housing-burdened (30%+ of income on rent). Median senior rent rose $746 in Colorado and $714 in Florida since 2010. The national median senior home value in the embedded 2024 data is $344,300.
Regional Patterns & 15-Year Structural Shifts
Clear regional differences persist across the four U.S. Census regions. Southern states show higher average poverty and disability rates in this dataset. The Northeast has a high senior share. The West faces the strongest rent-pressure signal. The Midwest remains relatively lower-cost on several housing indicators.
Interactive State Data Explorer
Compare all 50 states + D.C. across 20 key metrics. Click column headers to sort. Toggle "Show 2010 changes" to see 15-year deltas inline.
Complete 15-Year Profile for Any State
Select any of the 50 states or D.C. for a comprehensive 15-year analysis across all major categories — compared against the national average and regional peers.
Methodology, Data Sources & How to Cite
This atlas was built from U.S. Census Bureau public data. This page explains data decisions, limitations, and column mappings so readers, journalists, researchers, and program staff can use the findings carefully.
📊 Primary Data Source
All data in this atlas is drawn from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), Table S0102: "Population 60 Years and Over in the United States." Standard ACS 1-Year estimates are used for 2010–2019 and 2021–2024; 2020 is shown as an ACS 5-Year bridge year. Data is accessed via data.census.gov and downloaded as CSV files for years 2010 through 2024.
The ACS 1-Year Estimates are published annually and represent estimates based on approximately 12 months of survey data collection. They are the most current available ACS data but have larger margins of error than 5-Year Estimates, especially for smaller geographies and subgroups.
Note: The 2020 ACS 1-Year Estimates were not released due to data quality concerns related to COVID-19 response disruptions. This atlas covers 15 displayed years spanning 2010–2024 (2020 shown as ACS 5-Year bridge year where available).
🌎 Geographic Coverage
This atlas covers all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia (51 jurisdictions). Puerto Rico is excluded because S0102 Puerto Rico data requires separate ACS PRCS files and uses different geographic reference populations. Geographic unit = state.
All maps use U.S. Albers Equal-Area projection via D3.js and us-atlas TopoJSON. Alaska and Hawaii are shown in their standard inset positions.
📈 Population Coverage: Who Is "60 Years and Over"?
Table S0102 Column C02 ("60 Years and Over") provides estimates for the population aged 60 and older. This includes institutionalized and non-institutionalized persons for most questions, with the following exceptions:
- Disability status (C02_044E) covers only the civilian noninstitutionalized population
- Veteran status (C02_042E) covers only the civilian population aged 18+
- Employment status (C02_066E) covers the civilian population aged 16+
- Education (C02_033E) covers the population aged 25+
- Marital status (C02_027E) covers the population aged 15+
- Grandchildren (C02_038E) covers the population aged 30+
- Language (C02_062E) covers the population aged 5+
- Residence 1 year ago (C02_046E) covers the population aged 1+
All percentages published by the ACS for C02 columns are expressed as percentages of the relevant universe for each section (not of the total 60+ population), consistent with ACS methodology.
🔢 Nativity & Citizenship: Special Computation Note
ACS Table S0102 columns C02_055E (Native) and C02_056E (Foreign born) are published as raw counts, not percentages. This atlas converts these to percentages by dividing by the 60+ total population (C02_001E) and multiplying by 100. Foreign-born percentage is also computed as (100 − native-born %).
Citizenship percentages (C02_060E Naturalized, C02_061E Not a U.S. citizen) are published as percentages of the foreign-born universe, not the total 60+ population. These are displayed as shown in the ACS.
🏢 Senior Ratio Computation
The "senior ratio" (% of total state population aged 60+) is not directly published in S0102. This atlas computes it by dividing the 60+ population (S0102 C02_001E) by the total state population (S0102 C01_001E, the "Total population" universe). This ratio is then used as the weighting variable for all national averages.
⚖️ National Averages: Weighting Method
National trend lines use the embedded national ACS S0102 values when available. State and regional charts use the state-level records in this file. Do not treat averages of state medians as official U.S. medians.
Regional averages (South, Northeast, Midwest, West) are computed as simple, unweighted averages across member states within each U.S. Census region. That means each state receives equal weight in regional charts, regardless of population size.
💵 Dollar Values: Nominal, Not Inflation-Adjusted
All dollar figures (mean SS income, mean retirement income, mean earnings, median rent, median home value, etc.) are presented in nominal (current-year) dollars as published by the ACS, not inflation-adjusted. ACS income figures are adjusted to the reference year of the survey (e.g., "2024 inflation-adjusted dollars" for the 2024 survey), meaning comparisons across years reflect both real income changes and general price level changes.
To compare real income growth, apply BLS CPI-U deflators to the nominal dollar series. The CPI-U increased approximately 35% from 2010 to 2024, meaning nominal income gains of less than 35% represent real income declines.
📊 Complete Metric Index
This atlas tracks 80+ embedded indicators across 15 displayed years and 51 jurisdictions, with the available fields documented below. The table below shows each metric, its ACS column code, universe, and category.
C02_001ECount of all persons aged 60+C02_002E / C02_003ESex composition of 60+ populationC02_004EMedian age within the 60+ cohortC02_006E–010ERacial composition of 60+ popC02_013EHispanic origin (any race)C02_014EWhite NH composition of 60+ popC02_022E% of senior HHs that are family HHsC02_023E% married-couple family householdsC02_026E% nonfamily householders living aloneC02_028–030EMarital status of pop 15+C02_031–032EMarital status of pop 15+C02_034EPop 25+ without HS diplomaC02_035–037EEducational attainment pop 25+C02_039EPop 30+ living with grandchildC02_040EPop 30+ responsible for grandchildC02_042E% of civilian pop 18+ who are veteransC02_044ECivilian noninstitutionalized pop with disabilityC02_047–053EResidence 1 year ago, pop 1+C02_055E (count converted)Nativity of total 60+ popC02_060–061ECitizenship of foreign-bornC02_063–064ELanguage spoken at home, pop 5+C02_065ESpeaks English "less than very well"C02_067–069EEmployment status, pop 16+C02_071E% of civilian labor force unemployedC02_075–076EEarnings among senior householdsC02_077–078ESocial Security receiptC02_079–080ESupplemental Security IncomeC02_083–084ERetirement income receiptC02_085EFood Stamp/SNAP receiptC02_087–089EPoverty status of senior popC02_091–092EHousing tenure of occupied unitsC02_099E / C02_105E30%+ of income on housing costsC02_100E / C02_106EMedian dollar values for senior housingC02_101–102EMonthly owner housing costs⚠️ Key Limitations
Sampling error: All ACS estimates are subject to sampling error. For small states and rare subgroups, margins of error may be large relative to the estimate. The ACS publishes margin of error (MOE) values alongside each estimate; this atlas uses point estimates only, so small differences should not be over-interpreted.
Questionnaire revisions: The ACS questionnaire was substantially redesigned between the 2016 and 2017 surveys (race/ethnicity questions) and between 2016 and 2019 (disability questions). Small trend breaks around these years may reflect question wording changes rather than real-world changes.
Inflation: Dollar figures are nominal unless otherwise stated. See the "Dollar Values" section above.
Institutionalized population: Residents of nursing homes, prisons, and other group quarters are largely excluded from ACS income, poverty, disability, and employment estimates. Senior poverty and disability rates would be higher if institutionalized populations were included.
2020 bridge year: COVID-19 disrupted ACS field operations in 2020. The Census Bureau did not release standard 2020 ACS 1-Year estimates. This atlas displays 2020 as an ACS 5-Year bridge year where available. Use caution when comparing 2020 with standard ACS 1-Year years.
Missing and null values: Some state-year cells are missing or null in the embedded dataset. Alaska is not present in the 2010–2012 state records in this file. D.C. also has null values for some same-state/different-state mobility fields. Maps and rankings may omit unavailable values.
📝 Publisher & Citation
This atlas is produced by GrantsForSeniors.org, an independent, private informational website. GrantsForSeniors.org is not affiliated with the U.S. Census Bureau, any government agency, or any political organization.
GrantsForSeniors.org. (2026). U.S. Senior Statistics Atlas 2010–2024: An Analysis of American Community Survey Table S0102, Population 60 Years and Over. GrantsForSeniors.org. https://grantsforseniors.org/senior-statistics-60-plus
Underlying data: U.S. Census Bureau. (2010–2024). American Community Survey, 1-Year Estimates, Subject Table S0102: Population 60 Years and Over in the United States. U.S. Department of Commerce. https://data.census.gov
📝 About This Atlas
This atlas uses U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey data from Table S0102, "Population 60 Years and Over in the United States." It was created by GrantsForSeniors.org as an independent public information resource.
Editorial note: GrantsForSeniors.org is not a government agency. We do not process applications, issue benefits, or guarantee eligibility. This atlas is meant to help readers, caregivers, journalists, researchers, and local helpers understand broad senior population patterns.
Verification: Last verified June 2, 2026, next review September 2, 2026.
Corrections: If you find a data or labeling error, email info@grantsforseniors.org. We review corrections and update pages when needed.
Disclaimer: This atlas is for informational purposes only. Census data does not determine eligibility for any benefit, housing program, tax relief program, health program, or local assistance service.