Old people don’t like cold weather. If they are going to see polar bears, they would generally prefer to do it while watching the Discovery Channel in a beachfront condo in Boca Raton.
In the most recent census survey, Florida had the largest proportion of elderly people of any state (19 percent), and is projected to grow its lead by 2025, when the state’s population is expected to be 26 percent people 65 and older.
Alaska ranked last in number of senior citizens – and will continue to skew younger than Florida until global warming evens things out. This will come as no surprise to anyone who has ever tried to play shuffleboard on permafrost.
Currently, the elderly make up 12.6 percent of the total U.S. population. Between 1995 and 2025, the number of elderly are projected to double in 21 states. Only four states drew at least 15 percent of their population from the elderly in 1995. Over the next 16 years, that number should grow to 48 states.
Not surprisingly, Alaska is one of the two states expected to fall short in elder-growth. However, California – which will likely have the largest population overall by 2025 – is projected to be the other state in which old folks are under represented, with 13 percent.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau/Bradenton Herald
