May Is ‘Older Americans Month’

President Kennedy first celebrated older Americans by designating May 1963 as Senior Citizens Month. After a meeting with the National Council of Senior Citizens, Kennedy encouraged all Americans to pay tribute to older people across the country. Every President since has issued a formal proclamation during or before the month of May in support of older Americans. In 1980, President Jimmy Carter’s proclamation changed the name to Older Americans Month. This month continues to be a time to celebrate those 65 and older through ceremonies, events and public recognition.

3,470,646

Number of responding business owners 65 and older, which is 15.6 percent of the responding business owners in firms with and without paid employees in 2012. Source: 2012 Survey of Business Owners, Table SCBO08 <http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/SBO/2012/00CSCBO08>

875,633

Number of responding business owners 65 and older, which is 15.9 percent of the responding business owners in firms with paid employees in 2012. Source: 2012 Survey of Business Owners, Table SCBO08 <http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/SBO/2012/00CSCBO08>

1,132,051

Number of responding women business owners 65 and older, which is 13.2 percent of the responding women business owners in firms with and without paid employees in 2012. Source: 2012 Survey of Business Owners, Table SBO08 <http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/SBO/2012/00CSCBO08>

Education

81.9%

Proportion of people 65 and older in 2014 who had completed high school or higher education. Source: 2014 American Community Survey, Table S1501 <http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/14_1YR/S1501>

24.8%

Percentage of the population 65 and older in 2014 who had earned a bachelor’s degree or higher. Source: 2014 American Community Survey, Table S1501 <http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/14_1YR/S1501>

Marital Status and Living Arrangements

57.6%

Percentage of people 65 and older who were married in 2015. Source: Families and Living Arrangements, Table A1 <http://www.census.gov/hhes/families/data/cps2015A.html>

24.4%

Percentage of people 65 and older in 2015 who were widowed. Source: Families and Living Arrangements, Table A1 <http://www.census.gov/hhes/families/data/cps2015A.html>

Computer and Internet Use

71%

The percentage of those 65 and older who reported living in homes with computers in 2013. Additionally, 62.4 percent accessed the internet through a high-speed internet connection. Source: Computer and Internet Use, Table 2 <http://census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/publications/2014/acs/acs-28.pdf>

Voting

59.4%

Percentage of citizens 65 and older who reported casting a ballot in the 2014 elections. Source: Voting and Registration in the Election of November 2014, Table 2 <http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/socdemo/voting/publications/p20/2014/tables.html>

Homeownership

79.3%

Percentage of householders 65 and older who owned their homes as of fourth quarter 2015. Source: Current Population Survey/Housing Vacancy Survey, Table 19 <http://www.census.gov/housing/hvs/data/histtabs.html>

Services for the Older Population

4,815

Number of continuing care retirement communities in 2012. These businesses employed 423,627 workers and generated $27.6 billion in revenues. In 2007, there were 5,373 such establishments, employing 416,402 people and producing $24.7 billion in revenues. These establishments provide a range of residential and personal care services with on-site nursing care facilities for the elderly and other people who are unable to fully care for themselves and the elderly and other people who do not desire to live independently. Individuals live in a variety of residential settings with meals, housekeeping, social, leisure and other services available to assist residents in daily living. Source: 2012 Economic Census Geographic Area Series (NAICS 623311) <http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ECN/2012_US/62A2/0100000US/naics~623311>

25,964

Number of business establishments providing services for the elderly and people with disabilities in 2012. These businesses employed 901,359 workers and generated $34.1 billion in revenues. In 2007, there were 20,433 such establishments, employing 621,545 people and producing $25.3 billion in revenues. Senior citizens centers are among the establishments in this industry.

Source: 2012 Economic Census Geographic Area Series (NAICS 624120)<http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ECN/2012_US/62A2/0100000US/naics~624120>

On the Map

19.1%

Percentage of Florida’s population that was 65 and older in 2014, followed by Maine (18.3 percent). Alaska had the lowest percentage (9.4 percent) followed by Utah (10.0 percent). Source: 2014 Population Estimates <http://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2015/cb15-113.html

52.9%

Percentage of the population in Sumter, Fla., that was 65 and older in 2014, which led all of the nation’s counties. Chattahoochee County, Ga., had the lowest at 4.1 percent. Source: 2014 Population Estimates <http://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2015/cb15-113.html>

118,891

The estimated July 1, 2015, population of The Villages, Fla., metro area. The Villages, a metro area located to the west of the Orlando metro area, was the nation’s fastest-growing metro area between July 1, 2014, and July 1, 2015, with its population increasing by 4.3 percent. The metro area is home to one of the largest age-restricted retirement communities in the world. Source: 2015 metro area population estimates <http://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2016/cb16-43.html>

<http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/PEP/2015/GCTPEPANNR.US24PR>

Centenarians

53,364

The number of people age 100 and older counted by the 2010 Census. Source: Centenarians: 2010 <http://www.census.gov/prod/cen2010/reports/c2010sr-03.pdf>

20.7

For every 100 centenarian women, the number of centenarian men in 2010. Source: Centenarians: 2010 <http://www.census.gov/prod/cen2010/reports/c2010sr-03.pdf>

43.5%

In 2010, percentage of centenarian men who lived with others in a household, the most common living arrangement for this group. For their female counterparts, the most common living arrangement was residing in a nursing home (35.2 percent). Source: Centenarians: 2010 <http://www.census.gov/prod/cen2010/reports/c2010sr-03.pdf>

3.29

Number of centenarians per 10,000 people in North Dakota in 2010. North Dakota was the only state with more than three centenarians per 10,000 people. Source: Centenarians: 2010 <http://www.census.gov/prod/cen2010/reports/c2010sr-03.pdf>