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 Colorado 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 Colorado.
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#50. Boulder County
- Population aged 65 or older: 14.4%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 19.0%
- Median age: 36.9 years old
--- Median age of males: 35.4 years old
--- Median age of females: 38.5 years old
- Total population: 324,682 people
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#49. San Miguel County
- Population aged 65 or older: 14.4%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 17.2%
- Median age: 42.1 years old
--- Median age of males: 43 years old
--- Median age of females: 40.7 years old
- Total population: 8,110 people
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#48. Crowley County
- Population aged 65 or older: 14.6%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 14.3%
- Median age: 38.8 years old
--- Median age of males: 38.5 years old
--- Median age of females: 43.9 years old
- Total population: 5,733 people
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#47. Morgan County
- Population aged 65 or older: 15.4%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 25.9%
- Median age: 36.2 years old
--- Median age of males: 35.2 years old
--- Median age of females: 37.7 years old
- Total population: 28,617 people
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#46. Rio Blanco County
- Population aged 65 or older: 15.4%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 23.8%
- Median age: 37.6 years old
--- Median age of males: 37.7 years old
--- Median age of females: 37.3 years old
- Total population: 6,369 people
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#45. Routt County
- Population aged 65 or older: 15.5%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 17.7%
- Median age: 40.5 years old
--- Median age of males: 40 years old
--- Median age of females: 42.5 years old
- Total population: 25,317 people
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#44. Larimer County
- Population aged 65 or older: 15.6%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 19.5%
- Median age: 36.2 years old
--- Median age of males: 35.1 years old
--- Median age of females: 37.4 years old
- Total population: 350,523 people
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#43. Phillips County
- Population aged 65 or older: 16.1%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 27.2%
- Median age: 37.5 years old
--- Median age of males: 37.4 years old
--- Median age of females: 37.7 years old
- Total population: 4,343 people
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#42. Elbert County
- Population aged 65 or older: 16.1%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 21.3%
- Median age: 46.2 years old
--- Median age of males: 45.2 years old
--- Median age of females: 46.7 years old
- Total population: 26,230 people
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#41. Jefferson County
- Population aged 65 or older: 16.5%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 19.7%
- Median age: 40.2 years old
--- Median age of males: 39 years old
--- Median age of females: 41.5 years old
- Total population: 578,795 people
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#40. Gilpin County
- Population aged 65 or older: 17%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 16.2%
- Median age: 49.1 years old
--- Median age of males: 48.8 years old
--- Median age of females: 49.3 years old
- Total population: 6,108 people
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#39. Logan County
- Population aged 65 or older: 17.4%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 18.0%
- Median age: 38.9 years old
--- Median age of males: 37.3 years old
--- Median age of females: 40.7 years old
- Total population: 22,282 people
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#38. La Plata County
- Population aged 65 or older: 17.4%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 18.7%
- Median age: 40.8 years old
--- Median age of males: 39.6 years old
--- Median age of females: 42.1 years old
- Total population: 56,138 people
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#37. Grand County
- Population aged 65 or older: 17.4%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 17.3%
- Median age: 43.5 years old
--- Median age of males: 42.8 years old
--- Median age of females: 45 years old
- Total population: 15,536 people
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#36. Lincoln County
- Population aged 65 or older: 17.5%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 20.1%
- Median age: 37.7 years old
--- Median age of males: 36.1 years old
--- Median age of females: 47.4 years old
- Total population: 5,608 people
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#35. Cheyenne County
- Population aged 65 or older: 17.8%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 30.4%
- Median age: 41.1 years old
--- Median age of males: 42.1 years old
--- Median age of females: 40.9 years old
- Total population: 1,999 people
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#34. Prowers County
- Population aged 65 or older: 17.9%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 25.5%
- Median age: 38.5 years old
--- Median age of males: 36.1 years old
--- Median age of females: 40.4 years old
- Total population: 12,035 people
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#33. Yuma County
- Population aged 65 or older: 18.1%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 26.6%
- Median age: 38.9 years old
--- Median age of males: 37.4 years old
--- Median age of females: 41 years old
- Total population: 10,013 people
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#32. Pueblo County
- Population aged 65 or older: 18.6%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 22.5%
- Median age: 39.7 years old
--- Median age of males: 38.1 years old
--- Median age of females: 40.8 years old
- Total population: 167,412 people
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#31. Pitkin County
- Population aged 65 or older: 18.7%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 16.4%
- Median age: 43.3 years old
--- Median age of males: 44 years old
--- Median age of females: 42 years old
- Total population: 17,980 people
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#30. Conejos County
- Population aged 65 or older: 19%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 25.9%
- Median age: 38.5 years old
--- Median age of males: 39.7 years old
--- Median age of females: 37.6 years old
- Total population: 8,130 people
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#29. Bent County
- Population aged 65 or older: 19.1%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 15.2%
- Median age: 40.6 years old
--- Median age of males: 39.9 years old
--- Median age of females: 46.9 years old
- Total population: 5,677 people
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#28. Mesa County
- Population aged 65 or older: 19.2%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 21.6%
- Median age: 40 years old
--- Median age of males: 38.7 years old
--- Median age of females: 41.1 years old
- Total population: 152,962 people
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#27. Kit Carson County
- Population aged 65 or older: 19.3%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 25.1%
- Median age: 38.4 years old
--- Median age of males: 36.3 years old
--- Median age of females: 40.6 years old
- Total population: 7,246 people
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#26. Rio Grande County
- Population aged 65 or older: 20.2%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 22.8%
- Median age: 41.2 years old
--- Median age of males: 39.5 years old
--- Median age of females: 42.6 years old
- Total population: 11,300 people
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#25. Clear Creek County
- Population aged 65 or older: 20.2%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 16.0%
- Median age: 48.6 years old
--- Median age of males: 47.6 years old
--- Median age of females: 49.2 years old
- Total population: 9,533 people
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#24. Mineral County
- Population aged 65 or older: 20.2%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 15.1%
- Median age: 51 years old
--- Median age of males: 51.1 years old
--- Median age of females: 50.8 years old
- Total population: 853 people
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#23. Otero County
- Population aged 65 or older: 20.3%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 24.0%
- Median age: 40.4 years old
--- Median age of males: 39.5 years old
--- Median age of females: 40.9 years old
- Total population: 18,284 people
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#22. Washington County
- Population aged 65 or older: 20.5%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 22.0%
- Median age: 41.3 years old
--- Median age of males: 38.7 years old
--- Median age of females: 43 years old
- Total population: 4,869 people
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#21. Kiowa County
- Population aged 65 or older: 20.6%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 28.2%
- Median age: 39.8 years old
--- Median age of males: 37.5 years old
--- Median age of females: 43.4 years old
- Total population: 1,463 people
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#20. Park County
- Population aged 65 or older: 21.1%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 15.4%
- Median age: 51.9 years old
--- Median age of males: 51.6 years old
--- Median age of females: 51.9 years old
- Total population: 18,345 people
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#19. Sedgwick County
- Population aged 65 or older: 21.3%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 26.4%
- Median age: 39.7 years old
--- Median age of males: 42.8 years old
--- Median age of females: 35.6 years old
- Total population: 2,306 people
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#18. Fremont County
- Population aged 65 or older: 21.5%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 15.8%
- Median age: 45.2 years old
--- Median age of males: 42.6 years old
--- Median age of females: 50.2 years old
- Total population: 47,725 people
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#17. Teller County
- Population aged 65 or older: 21.8%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 17.2%
- Median age: 50.2 years old
--- Median age of males: 49.8 years old
--- Median age of females: 50.3 years old
- Total population: 24,981 people
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#16. Montezuma County
- Population aged 65 or older: 22.4%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 21.7%
- Median age: 45.2 years old
--- Median age of males: 43.3 years old
--- Median age of females: 46.7 years old
- Total population: 26,266 people
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#15. San Juan County
- Population aged 65 or older: 23.2%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 18.4%
- Median age: 45.1 years old
--- Median age of males: 42.5 years old
--- Median age of females: 47.8 years old
- Total population: 646 people
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#14. Saguache County
- Population aged 65 or older: 23.3%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 21.6%
- Median age: 49.1 years old
--- Median age of males: 49 years old
--- Median age of females: 49.2 years old
- Total population: 6,730 people
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#13. Montrose County
- Population aged 65 or older: 23.8%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 21.3%
- Median age: 45.5 years old
--- Median age of males: 43.7 years old
--- Median age of females: 47.1 years old
- Total population: 42,280 people
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#12. Las Animas County
- Population aged 65 or older: 24.1%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 18.3%
- Median age: 46.2 years old
--- Median age of males: 43.4 years old
--- Median age of females: 49.3 years old
- Total population: 14,323 people
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#11. Chaffee County
- Population aged 65 or older: 25.2%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 15.0%
- Median age: 49 years old
--- Median age of males: 45.8 years old
--- Median age of females: 52.1 years old
- Total population: 19,977 people
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#10. Archuleta County
- Population aged 65 or older: 25.8%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 17.5%
- Median age: 50.3 years old
--- Median age of males: 49.8 years old
--- Median age of females: 51.1 years old
- Total population: 13,588 people
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#9. Delta County
- Population aged 65 or older: 25.9%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 19.5%
- Median age: 47.7 years old
--- Median age of males: 45.4 years old
--- Median age of females: 50.5 years old
- Total population: 30,758 people
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#8. Hinsdale County
- Population aged 65 or older: 26%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 14.6%
- Median age: 55.5 years old
--- Median age of males: 56.3 years old
--- Median age of females: 54.9 years old
- Total population: 781 people
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#7. Baca County
- Population aged 65 or older: 26.3%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 20.9%
- Median age: 45.9 years old
--- Median age of males: 41.5 years old
--- Median age of females: 50.2 years old
- Total population: 3,570 people
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#6. Costilla County
- Population aged 65 or older: 26.3%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 16.9%
- Median age: 49.6 years old
--- Median age of males: 48.6 years old
--- Median age of females: 51.3 years old
- Total population: 3,810 people
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#5. Ouray County
- Population aged 65 or older: 28.1%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 14.7%
- Median age: 53.5 years old
--- Median age of males: 53.1 years old
--- Median age of females: 53.7 years old
- Total population: 4,890 people
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#4. Huerfano County
- Population aged 65 or older: 33.6%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 15.6%
- Median age: 55.6 years old
--- Median age of males: 55.4 years old
--- Median age of females: 55.6 years old
- Total population: 6,769 people
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#3. Custer County
- Population aged 65 or older: 34%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 14.8%
- Median age: 60.1 years old
--- Median age of males: 60.1 years old
--- Median age of females: 60 years old
- Total population: 4,941 people
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#2. Jackson County
- Population aged 65 or older: 36.8%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 13.6%
- Median age: 53.9 years old
--- Median age of males: 53.8 years old
--- Median age of females: 55.1 years old
- Total population: 1,316 people
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#1. Dolores County
- Population aged 65 or older: 37.5%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 14.9%
- Median age: 57.5 years old
--- Median age of males: 54.1 years old
--- Median age of females: 61.3 years old
- Total population: 1,896 people
