Seniors will comprise more than 20% of U.S. residents in 2030, up from 15% in 2020. By 2034, older adults will outnumber children, according to Census Bureau projections.
Across the U.S., 52 million Americans are 65 years or older, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, and a quarter of them live in just three states: California, Florida, and Texas. By comparison, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont, Wyoming, and Alaska each have fewer than 150,000 senior residents. The size of a state's senior population means a lot in terms of demand for resources like health care, affordable housing, assisted living, in-home and nursing care, and support services, and the quality and availability of those resources help determine where seniors migrate.
With baby boomers moving into old age, fewer babies being born, and longer life expectancies, the senior population of America is on a spectacular rise. The lengthening of the U.S. life expectancy has been particularly dramatic, rising to nearly 79 years from 68 years in 1950.
Stacker compiled a list of counties with the most seniors in California using data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Counties are ranked by the highest percentage of residents 65 years or older according to 2020 5-year estimates.
Keep reading to find out which counties have the most seniors in California.
Armona // Wikicommons
1 / 58#58. Kings County
- Population aged 65 or older: 10.3%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 27.1%
- Median age: 32 years old
--- Median age of males: 32.2 years old
--- Median age of females: 31.5 years old
- Total population: 151,090 people
nickchapman // Wikicommons
2 / 58#57. Kern County
- Population aged 65 or older: 11%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 28.9%
- Median age: 31.9 years old
--- Median age of males: 31.3 years old
--- Median age of females: 32.5 years old
- Total population: 892,458 people
Mark Miller // Wikimedia Commons
3 / 58#56. Merced County
- Population aged 65 or older: 11.2%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 29.5%
- Median age: 31.2 years old
--- Median age of males: 30.4 years old
--- Median age of females: 32 years old
- Total population: 273,661 people
#55. Tulare County
- Population aged 65 or older: 11.4%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 30.8%
- Median age: 31.2 years old
--- Median age of males: 30.5 years old
--- Median age of females: 31.9 years old
- Total population: 463,955 people
#54. San Bernardino County
- Population aged 65 or older: 11.6%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 26.4%
- Median age: 33.6 years old
--- Median age of males: 32.6 years old
--- Median age of females: 34.7 years old
- Total population: 2,162,532 people
David Jordan // Wikicommons
6 / 58#53. Fresno County
- Population aged 65 or older: 12.2%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 28.4%
- Median age: 32.4 years old
--- Median age of males: 31.6 years old
--- Median age of females: 33.3 years old
- Total population: 990,204 people
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Sacramento District // Wikimedia Commons
7 / 58#52. Yuba County
- Population aged 65 or older: 12.4%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 27.5%
- Median age: 33 years old
--- Median age of males: 32.3 years old
--- Median age of females: 34 years old
- Total population: 77,524 people
Epolk // Wikimedia Commons
8 / 58#51. Yolo County
- Population aged 65 or older: 12.5%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 21.0%
- Median age: 31.1 years old
--- Median age of males: 30.5 years old
--- Median age of females: 31.8 years old
- Total population: 218,774 people
Michael Patrick // Wikimedia Commons
9 / 58#50. San Benito County
- Population aged 65 or older: 12.7%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 25.7%
- Median age: 35.7 years old
--- Median age of males: 35 years old
--- Median age of females: 36.5 years old
- Total population: 61,547 people
LPS.1 // Wikicommons
10 / 58#49. San Joaquin County
- Population aged 65 or older: 12.8%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 27.1%
- Median age: 34.4 years old
--- Median age of males: 33.3 years old
--- Median age of females: 35.6 years old
- Total population: 751,615 people
Cbl62 // Wikicommons
11 / 58#48. Imperial County
- Population aged 65 or older: 12.9%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 28.7%
- Median age: 32.5 years old
--- Median age of males: 31.6 years old
--- Median age of females: 33.6 years old
- Total population: 180,580 people
#47. Stanislaus County
- Population aged 65 or older: 13%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 27.1%
- Median age: 34.3 years old
--- Median age of males: 33.1 years old
--- Median age of females: 35.2 years old
- Total population: 546,235 people
Uladzik Kryhin // Shutterstock
13 / 58#46. Santa Clara County
- Population aged 65 or older: 13.5%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 21.9%
- Median age: 37.2 years old
--- Median age of males: 36.1 years old
--- Median age of females: 38.4 years old
- Total population: 1,924,379 people
Naotake Murayama // Wikicommons
14 / 58#45. Monterey County
- Population aged 65 or older: 13.6%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 26.2%
- Median age: 34.7 years old
--- Median age of males: 34.2 years old
--- Median age of females: 35.2 years old
- Total population: 432,977 people
BDS2006 // Wikimedia
15 / 58#44. Los Angeles County
- Population aged 65 or older: 13.6%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 21.7%
- Median age: 36.7 years old
--- Median age of males: 35.6 years old
--- Median age of females: 37.9 years old
- Total population: 10,040,682 people
Jennifer Williams // Wikimedia Commons
16 / 58#43. Alameda County
- Population aged 65 or older: 13.9%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 20.6%
- Median age: 37.8 years old
--- Median age of males: 36.9 years old
--- Median age of females: 38.6 years old
- Total population: 1,661,584 people
#42. Madera County
- Population aged 65 or older: 14%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 27.4%
- Median age: 34.1 years old
--- Median age of males: 33.2 years old
--- Median age of females: 34.9 years old
- Total population: 155,925 people
#41. San Diego County
- Population aged 65 or older: 14.1%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 21.6%
- Median age: 36.1 years old
--- Median age of males: 34.8 years old
--- Median age of females: 37.5 years old
- Total population: 3,323,970 people
#40. Sacramento County
- Population aged 65 or older: 14.1%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 23.7%
- Median age: 36.4 years old
--- Median age of males: 35.2 years old
--- Median age of females: 37.7 years old
- Total population: 1,537,948 people
Finetooth // Wikimedia Commons
20 / 58#39. Lassen County
- Population aged 65 or older: 14.4%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 16.1%
- Median age: 36.8 years old
--- Median age of males: 35 years old
--- Median age of females: 44.2 years old
- Total population: 30,600 people
Daniel Orth // Flickr
21 / 58#38. Riverside County
- Population aged 65 or older: 14.5%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 25.2%
- Median age: 35.8 years old
--- Median age of males: 35 years old
--- Median age of females: 36.7 years old
- Total population: 2,437,864 people
CleanWater17 // Wikimedia Commons
22 / 58#37. Colusa County
- Population aged 65 or older: 14.6%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 27.3%
- Median age: 35.4 years old
--- Median age of males: 34.5 years old
--- Median age of females: 36.4 years old
- Total population: 21,491 people
Hollywood // Wikimedia Commons
23 / 58#36. Orange County
- Population aged 65 or older: 14.8%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 22.0%
- Median age: 38.3 years old
--- Median age of males: 36.9 years old
--- Median age of females: 39.6 years old
- Total population: 3,170,345 people
#35. Santa Barbara County
- Population aged 65 or older: 15.3%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 22.3%
- Median age: 33.8 years old
--- Median age of males: 33 years old
--- Median age of females: 34.9 years old
- Total population: 444,895 people
clr_flickr from Rocklin, USA // Wikimedia Commons
25 / 58#34. Mono County
- Population aged 65 or older: 15.3%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 20.7%
- Median age: 39.5 years old
--- Median age of males: 38.3 years old
--- Median age of females: 40.6 years old
- Total population: 14,395 people
Ray Bouknight // Wikicommons
26 / 58#33. Sutter County
- Population aged 65 or older: 15.4%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 25.9%
- Median age: 35.8 years old
--- Median age of males: 34.7 years old
--- Median age of females: 37.1 years old
- Total population: 96,315 people
#32. Ventura County
- Population aged 65 or older: 15.6%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 22.9%
- Median age: 38.5 years old
--- Median age of males: 37.2 years old
--- Median age of females: 39.9 years old
- Total population: 845,599 people
#31. Solano County
- Population aged 65 or older: 15.7%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 22.2%
- Median age: 38.3 years old
--- Median age of males: 36.9 years old
--- Median age of females: 40.1 years old
- Total population: 444,538 people
#30. San Francisco
- Population aged 65 or older: 15.8%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 13.4%
- Median age: 38.3 years old
--- Median age of males: 37.9 years old
--- Median age of females: 38.7 years old
- Total population: 874,784 people
MARELBU // Wikimedia Commons
30 / 58#29. Contra Costa County
- Population aged 65 or older: 15.8%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 22.7%
- Median age: 39.9 years old
--- Median age of males: 38.5 years old
--- Median age of females: 41.1 years old
- Total population: 1,147,788 people
Craig Howell // Wikimedia Commons
31 / 58#28. San Mateo County
- Population aged 65 or older: 16.2%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 20.5%
- Median age: 39.8 years old
--- Median age of males: 38.4 years old
--- Median age of females: 41.3 years old
- Total population: 765,623 people
Trance addict // Wikimedia Commons
32 / 58#27. Glenn County
- Population aged 65 or older: 16.4%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 26.7%
- Median age: 35.9 years old
--- Median age of males: 35 years old
--- Median age of females: 37.4 years old
- Total population: 28,060 people
Aaronbrick // Wikicommons
33 / 58#26. Santa Cruz County
- Population aged 65 or older: 16.4%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 19.1%
- Median age: 38.2 years old
--- Median age of males: 37.3 years old
--- Median age of females: 39.3 years old
- Total population: 273,170 people
Cory Maylett // Wikimedia Commons
34 / 58#25. Humboldt County
- Population aged 65 or older: 17.8%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 19.1%
- Median age: 38.9 years old
--- Median age of males: 38.3 years old
--- Median age of females: 39.5 years old
- Total population: 136,101 people
#24. Del Norte County
- Population aged 65 or older: 17.8%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 21.7%
- Median age: 40 years old
--- Median age of males: 38.8 years old
--- Median age of females: 42.1 years old
- Total population: 27,692 people
#23. Butte County
- Population aged 65 or older: 18.2%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 20.1%
- Median age: 36.9 years old
--- Median age of males: 35.6 years old
--- Median age of females: 38.2 years old
- Total population: 223,344 people
Stan Shebs // Wikicommons
37 / 58#22. Napa County
- Population aged 65 or older: 19.2%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 20.6%
- Median age: 41.8 years old
--- Median age of males: 40.8 years old
--- Median age of females: 43 years old
- Total population: 138,572 people
Doug Olson // Wikimedia Commons
38 / 58#21. Placer County
- Population aged 65 or older: 19.6%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 22.2%
- Median age: 42.2 years old
--- Median age of males: 40.7 years old
--- Median age of females: 43.6 years old
- Total population: 391,799 people
Fred Hsu // Wikicommons
39 / 58#20. Sonoma County
- Population aged 65 or older: 19.6%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 19.6%
- Median age: 42.4 years old
--- Median age of males: 40.9 years old
--- Median age of females: 44 years old
- Total population: 496,801 people
Frank Schulenburg // Wikimedia Commons
40 / 58#19. Tehama County
- Population aged 65 or older: 19.8%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 23.9%
- Median age: 40.6 years old
--- Median age of males: 39.3 years old
--- Median age of females: 42.3 years old
- Total population: 64,176 people
Basar // Wikicommons
41 / 58#18. San Luis Obispo County
- Population aged 65 or older: 20.1%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 17.7%
- Median age: 39.5 years old
--- Median age of males: 37.8 years old
--- Median age of females: 41.6 years old
- Total population: 282,517 people
Doug Kerr // Wikicommons
42 / 58#17. Shasta County
- Population aged 65 or older: 20.6%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 21.6%
- Median age: 41.7 years old
--- Median age of males: 39.9 years old
--- Median age of females: 43.7 years old
- Total population: 179,267 people
DimiTalen // Wikimedia Commons
43 / 58#16. El Dorado County
- Population aged 65 or older: 21.2%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 19.9%
- Median age: 46.3 years old
--- Median age of males: 45.2 years old
--- Median age of females: 47.4 years old
- Total population: 190,345 people
Binksternet // Wikimedia Commons
44 / 58#15. Mendocino County
- Population aged 65 or older: 22.1%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 21.3%
- Median age: 43.4 years old
--- Median age of males: 42.2 years old
--- Median age of females: 44.8 years old
- Total population: 87,110 people
Kglavin // Wikimedia Commons
45 / 58#14. Marin County
- Population aged 65 or older: 22.3%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 20.0%
- Median age: 47.1 years old
--- Median age of males: 45.6 years old
--- Median age of females: 48.4 years old
- Total population: 259,441 people
CFang // Wikimedia Commons
46 / 58#13. Lake County
- Population aged 65 or older: 22.8%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 21.0%
- Median age: 45.3 years old
--- Median age of males: 43.4 years old
--- Median age of females: 47.1 years old
- Total population: 64,276 people
Chuck Abbe // Wikimedia Commons
47 / 58#12. Inyo County
- Population aged 65 or older: 23.3%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 20.8%
- Median age: 45.3 years old
--- Median age of males: 43.9 years old
--- Median age of females: 46.9 years old
- Total population: 17,930 people
Chmee2 // Wikimedia Commons
48 / 58#11. Siskiyou County
- Population aged 65 or older: 25.2%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 20.2%
- Median age: 47.7 years old
--- Median age of males: 46.2 years old
--- Median age of females: 49.4 years old
- Total population: 43,516 people
Bobak Ha'Eri // Wikimedia Commons
49 / 58#10. Tuolumne County
- Population aged 65 or older: 26.1%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 16.6%
- Median age: 48.7 years old
--- Median age of males: 45.4 years old
--- Median age of females: 51.5 years old
- Total population: 54,147 people
Bobak Ha'Eri // Wikimedia Commons
50 / 58#9. Amador County
- Population aged 65 or older: 27%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 15.3%
- Median age: 49.9 years old
--- Median age of males: 47.2 years old
--- Median age of females: 53.7 years old
- Total population: 39,023 people
Scott Burley // Wikimedia Commons
51 / 58#8. Modoc County
- Population aged 65 or older: 27.4%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 19.7%
- Median age: 47.6 years old
--- Median age of males: 46.9 years old
--- Median age of females: 47.8 years old
- Total population: 8,853 people
Frank Schulenburg // Wikimedia Commons
52 / 58#7. Nevada County
- Population aged 65 or older: 27.4%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 17.1%
- Median age: 50.5 years old
--- Median age of males: 48.4 years old
--- Median age of females: 52.7 years old
- Total population: 99,417 people
Kenneth Green // Wikimedia Commons
53 / 58#6. Plumas County
- Population aged 65 or older: 27.7%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 16.8%
- Median age: 51.9 years old
--- Median age of males: 51.8 years old
--- Median age of females: 52.2 years old
- Total population: 18,844 people
Almonroth // Wikimedia Commons
54 / 58#5. Trinity County
- Population aged 65 or older: 28%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 17.2%
- Median age: 52.4 years old
--- Median age of males: 52.5 years old
--- Median age of females: 52.3 years old
- Total population: 12,541 people
#4. Calaveras County
- Population aged 65 or older: 28%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 16.6%
- Median age: 52.8 years old
--- Median age of males: 51 years old
--- Median age of females: 53.7 years old
- Total population: 45,828 people
EPoelzl // Wikimedia Commons
56 / 58#3. Mariposa County
- Population aged 65 or older: 28.2%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 16.4%
- Median age: 51.8 years old
--- Median age of males: 50.7 years old
--- Median age of females: 53.6 years old
- Total population: 17,319 people
#2. Sierra County
- Population aged 65 or older: 28.2%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 15.3%
- Median age: 54 years old
--- Median age of males: 49 years old
--- Median age of females: 55.1 years old
- Total population: 2,898 people
Susan Popielaski // Wikimedia Commons
58 / 58#1. Alpine County
- Population aged 65 or older: 29.1%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 21.7%
- Median age: 47.6 years old
--- Median age of males: 48.7 years old
--- Median age of females: 42.3 years old
- Total population: 1,159 people
