What is the outlook for older Americans? The Administration on Community Living recently released the 2020 Profile of Older Americans, an annual summary of statistics related to older adults in the United States. The report included key topic areas such as housing, income, living arrangements, education, health, and caregiving. The 2020 Profile also included special sections on COVID-19 and mental health.
Highlights of the report, covering 2019, included the following:
- In 2019, the population age 65+ was 54.1 million—30 million women and 24.1 million men.
- 45% of older householders spent one-third or more of their income on housing costs: 36% for owners and 76% for renters.
- Of the 14.1 million households headed by persons age 75 and older in 2019, 77% (10.8 million) owned their homes and 23% (3.3 million) rented.
- The median household income of older homeowners was $36,200 while the median household income of older renters was $18,280.
- In 2019, 4.9 million people age 65+ lived below the poverty level and another 2.6 million were “near-poor.”
For more details, read the full report and access data tables here.
