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 Kentucky 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 Kentucky.
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#50. Rockcastle County
- Population aged 65 or older: 18.3%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 22.0%
- Median age: 42.6 years old
--- Median age of males: 41.7 years old
--- Median age of females: 43.3 years old
- Total population: 16,795 people
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#49. Lewis County
- Population aged 65 or older: 18.3%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 22.4%
- Median age: 42.8 years old
--- Median age of males: 42.6 years old
--- Median age of females: 43.1 years old
- Total population: 13,345 people
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#48. Lee County
- Population aged 65 or older: 18.3%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 20.2%
- Median age: 44.2 years old
--- Median age of males: 43.7 years old
--- Median age of females: 45.8 years old
- Total population: 7,088 people
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#47. Graves County
- Population aged 65 or older: 18.4%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 24.0%
- Median age: 39.6 years old
--- Median age of males: 38.9 years old
--- Median age of females: 40.4 years old
- Total population: 37,125 people
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#46. Mason County
- Population aged 65 or older: 18.4%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 22.6%
- Median age: 41 years old
--- Median age of males: 40 years old
--- Median age of females: 43.6 years old
- Total population: 17,122 people
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#45. Hopkins County
- Population aged 65 or older: 18.4%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 22.9%
- Median age: 41.5 years old
--- Median age of males: 39.8 years old
--- Median age of females: 43.1 years old
- Total population: 45,044 people
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#44. Knott County
- Population aged 65 or older: 18.4%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 20.0%
- Median age: 43.7 years old
--- Median age of males: 42.4 years old
--- Median age of females: 44.6 years old
- Total population: 15,041 people
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#43. Washington County
- Population aged 65 or older: 18.5%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 23.3%
- Median age: 41.6 years old
--- Median age of males: 39 years old
--- Median age of females: 43.4 years old
- Total population: 12,044 people
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#42. Pike County
- Population aged 65 or older: 18.5%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 20.6%
- Median age: 42.5 years old
--- Median age of males: 41.1 years old
--- Median age of females: 44.2 years old
- Total population: 58,595 people
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#41. Bell County
- Population aged 65 or older: 18.6%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 21.1%
- Median age: 41.2 years old
--- Median age of males: 38.8 years old
--- Median age of females: 43.5 years old
- Total population: 26,426 people
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#40. Monroe County
- Population aged 65 or older: 18.6%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 22.6%
- Median age: 41.4 years old
--- Median age of males: 39.5 years old
--- Median age of females: 44.3 years old
- Total population: 10,616 people
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#39. Owen County
- Population aged 65 or older: 18.6%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 22.3%
- Median age: 42.3 years old
--- Median age of males: 41.3 years old
--- Median age of females: 43 years old
- Total population: 10,847 people
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#38. Metcalfe County
- Population aged 65 or older: 18.6%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 23.6%
- Median age: 43.6 years old
--- Median age of males: 43 years old
--- Median age of females: 44.2 years old
- Total population: 10,062 people
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#37. Adair County
- Population aged 65 or older: 18.7%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 19.5%
- Median age: 40.4 years old
--- Median age of males: 39.3 years old
--- Median age of females: 42.2 years old
- Total population: 19,366 people
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#36. Carter County
- Population aged 65 or older: 18.7%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 23.1%
- Median age: 41.6 years old
--- Median age of males: 39.3 years old
--- Median age of females: 43.2 years old
- Total population: 26,976 people
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#35. Harrison County
- Population aged 65 or older: 18.7%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 22.4%
- Median age: 42.7 years old
--- Median age of males: 41.8 years old
--- Median age of females: 43.9 years old
- Total population: 18,763 people
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#34. Pulaski County
- Population aged 65 or older: 18.9%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 22.3%
- Median age: 41.9 years old
--- Median age of males: 40.9 years old
--- Median age of females: 43.1 years old
- Total population: 64,789 people
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#33. Mercer County
- Population aged 65 or older: 18.9%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 22.0%
- Median age: 43.2 years old
--- Median age of males: 41.5 years old
--- Median age of females: 45.4 years old
- Total population: 21,690 people
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#32. Boyle County
- Population aged 65 or older: 19%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 20.0%
- Median age: 40.1 years old
--- Median age of males: 37.6 years old
--- Median age of females: 42.9 years old
- Total population: 30,090 people
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#31. Logan County
- Population aged 65 or older: 19%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 23.6%
- Median age: 41.1 years old
--- Median age of males: 40.2 years old
--- Median age of females: 41.7 years old
- Total population: 27,049 people
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#30. Letcher County
- Population aged 65 or older: 19.1%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 21.6%
- Median age: 42.6 years old
--- Median age of males: 41.1 years old
--- Median age of females: 44.6 years old
- Total population: 21,936 people
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#29. Estill County
- Population aged 65 or older: 19.1%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 20.8%
- Median age: 44.3 years old
--- Median age of males: 43.5 years old
--- Median age of females: 46 years old
- Total population: 14,187 people
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#28. Bourbon County
- Population aged 65 or older: 19.2%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 22.5%
- Median age: 41.8 years old
--- Median age of males: 39.1 years old
--- Median age of females: 43.1 years old
- Total population: 19,998 people
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#27. Wolfe County
- Population aged 65 or older: 19.3%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 23.2%
- Median age: 41.4 years old
--- Median age of males: 39.8 years old
--- Median age of females: 43.7 years old
- Total population: 7,188 people
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#26. Muhlenberg County
- Population aged 65 or older: 19.3%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 20.5%
- Median age: 42.5 years old
--- Median age of males: 41.3 years old
--- Median age of females: 44 years old
- Total population: 30,815 people
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#25. Boyd County
- Population aged 65 or older: 19.4%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 21.4%
- Median age: 42.1 years old
--- Median age of males: 40.2 years old
--- Median age of females: 44.7 years old
- Total population: 47,361 people
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#24. Breckinridge County
- Population aged 65 or older: 19.5%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 22.9%
- Median age: 42.4 years old
--- Median age of males: 41.6 years old
--- Median age of females: 43.9 years old
- Total population: 20,283 people
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#23. McLean County
- Population aged 65 or older: 19.5%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 23.7%
- Median age: 43.7 years old
--- Median age of males: 43.2 years old
--- Median age of females: 44.3 years old
- Total population: 9,202 people
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#22. Clinton County
- Population aged 65 or older: 19.6%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 21.7%
- Median age: 42.8 years old
--- Median age of males: 41 years old
--- Median age of females: 43.7 years old
- Total population: 10,175 people
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#21. Elliott County
- Population aged 65 or older: 19.8%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 18.0%
- Median age: 42.4 years old
--- Median age of males: 39.3 years old
--- Median age of females: 46.1 years old
- Total population: 7,461 people
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#20. McCracken County
- Population aged 65 or older: 19.9%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 22.2%
- Median age: 42.3 years old
--- Median age of males: 40.5 years old
--- Median age of females: 44 years old
- Total population: 65,485 people
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#19. Green County
- Population aged 65 or older: 20%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 21.0%
- Median age: 43.8 years old
--- Median age of males: 41.7 years old
--- Median age of females: 45 years old
- Total population: 11,000 people
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#18. Russell County
- Population aged 65 or older: 20.2%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 22.7%
- Median age: 43.4 years old
--- Median age of males: 41.8 years old
--- Median age of females: 44.9 years old
- Total population: 17,846 people
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#17. Casey County
- Population aged 65 or older: 20.3%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 22.8%
- Median age: 42.6 years old
--- Median age of males: 40.8 years old
--- Median age of females: 43.8 years old
- Total population: 15,968 people
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#16. Edmonson County
- Population aged 65 or older: 20.4%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 18.8%
- Median age: 44 years old
--- Median age of males: 42.7 years old
--- Median age of females: 45.1 years old
- Total population: 12,195 people
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#15. Fulton County
- Population aged 65 or older: 20.5%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 21.2%
- Median age: 42.7 years old
--- Median age of males: 37 years old
--- Median age of females: 47.3 years old
- Total population: 6,064 people
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#14. Crittenden County
- Population aged 65 or older: 20.6%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 22.4%
- Median age: 43.5 years old
--- Median age of males: 41.2 years old
--- Median age of females: 45.9 years old
- Total population: 8,940 people
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#13. Carlisle County
- Population aged 65 or older: 20.8%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 22.9%
- Median age: 42.3 years old
--- Median age of males: 40.6 years old
--- Median age of females: 43.5 years old
- Total population: 4,738 people
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#12. Greenup County
- Population aged 65 or older: 20.8%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 21.5%
- Median age: 43.5 years old
--- Median age of males: 41.5 years old
--- Median age of females: 45.9 years old
- Total population: 35,359 people
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#10. Owsley County
- Population aged 65 or older: 20.9%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 19.1%
- Median age: 47.2 years old
--- Median age of males: 43.1 years old
--- Median age of females: 48.1 years old
- Total population: 4,416 people
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#9. Menifee County
- Population aged 65 or older: 21.3%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 21.1%
- Median age: 44 years old
--- Median age of males: 40 years old
--- Median age of females: 48.7 years old
- Total population: 6,463 people
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#8. Caldwell County
- Population aged 65 or older: 21.4%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 22.4%
- Median age: 42.9 years old
--- Median age of males: 40.4 years old
--- Median age of females: 45.8 years old
- Total population: 12,679 people
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#7. Ballard County
- Population aged 65 or older: 21.4%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 21.0%
- Median age: 44 years old
--- Median age of males: 41.3 years old
--- Median age of females: 46.9 years old
- Total population: 7,914 people
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#6. Livingston County
- Population aged 65 or older: 21.5%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 21.7%
- Median age: 46 years old
--- Median age of males: 44.1 years old
--- Median age of females: 47.4 years old
- Total population: 9,172 people
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#5. Cumberland County
- Population aged 65 or older: 21.8%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 21.6%
- Median age: 46.1 years old
--- Median age of males: 45.9 years old
--- Median age of females: 46.1 years old
- Total population: 6,660 people
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#4. Marshall County
- Population aged 65 or older: 21.9%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 20.3%
- Median age: 45 years old
--- Median age of males: 44 years old
--- Median age of females: 46.2 years old
- Total population: 31,225 people
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#3. Trigg County
- Population aged 65 or older: 22.8%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 22.1%
- Median age: 45.8 years old
--- Median age of males: 44.6 years old
--- Median age of females: 47.4 years old
- Total population: 14,569 people
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#2. Hickman County
- Population aged 65 or older: 24.1%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 19.8%
- Median age: 46.4 years old
--- Median age of males: 43.1 years old
--- Median age of females: 49.8 years old
- Total population: 4,461 people
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#1. Lyon County
- Population aged 65 or older: 27.3%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 13.7%
- Median age: 50.3 years old
--- Median age of males: 47.2 years old
--- Median age of females: 55.5 years old
- Total population: 8,226 people
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