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 Minnesota 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 Minnesota.
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#50. St. Louis County
- Population aged 65 or older: 19.4%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 19.0%
- Median age: 41 years old
--- Median age of males: 39.9 years old
--- Median age of females: 41.9 years old
- Total population: 199,499 people
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#49. Morrison County
- Population aged 65 or older: 19.4%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 23.7%
- Median age: 41.9 years old
--- Median age of males: 41.3 years old
--- Median age of females: 42.9 years old
- Total population: 33,119 people
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#48. Goodhue County
- Population aged 65 or older: 19.6%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 22.1%
- Median age: 42.6 years old
--- Median age of males: 40.8 years old
--- Median age of females: 44.3 years old
- Total population: 46,330 people
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#47. Wilkin County
- Population aged 65 or older: 19.7%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 21.8%
- Median age: 43 years old
--- Median age of males: 42.4 years old
--- Median age of females: 45.3 years old
- Total population: 6,264 people
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#46. Meeker County
- Population aged 65 or older: 19.8%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 24.3%
- Median age: 41.8 years old
--- Median age of males: 40.6 years old
--- Median age of females: 42.9 years old
- Total population: 23,149 people
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#45. Rock County
- Population aged 65 or older: 20.1%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 24.4%
- Median age: 41 years old
--- Median age of males: 40.7 years old
--- Median age of females: 41.5 years old
- Total population: 9,386 people
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#44. Watonwan County
- Population aged 65 or older: 20.3%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 24.2%
- Median age: 40.7 years old
--- Median age of males: 40 years old
--- Median age of females: 41.3 years old
- Total population: 10,903 people
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#43. Clearwater County
- Population aged 65 or older: 20.5%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 24.8%
- Median age: 42.3 years old
--- Median age of males: 40.7 years old
--- Median age of females: 43.8 years old
- Total population: 8,872 people
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#42. Red Lake County
- Population aged 65 or older: 20.5%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 24.5%
- Median age: 43 years old
--- Median age of males: 42.7 years old
--- Median age of females: 43.2 years old
- Total population: 4,005 people
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#41. Yellow Medicine County
- Population aged 65 or older: 20.6%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 23.2%
- Median age: 42.5 years old
--- Median age of males: 41.3 years old
--- Median age of females: 44 years old
- Total population: 9,775 people
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#40. Pine County
- Population aged 65 or older: 20.6%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 19.6%
- Median age: 45.6 years old
--- Median age of males: 43.8 years old
--- Median age of females: 47.6 years old
- Total population: 29,254 people
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#39. Becker County
- Population aged 65 or older: 20.7%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 24.3%
- Median age: 42.3 years old
--- Median age of males: 42.4 years old
--- Median age of females: 42 years old
- Total population: 34,227 people
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#38. Fillmore County
- Population aged 65 or older: 20.9%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 24.5%
- Median age: 42.1 years old
--- Median age of males: 40.7 years old
--- Median age of females: 43.8 years old
- Total population: 21,031 people
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#37. Renville County
- Population aged 65 or older: 20.9%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 23.0%
- Median age: 44 years old
--- Median age of males: 43 years old
--- Median age of females: 45.4 years old
- Total population: 14,572 people
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#36. Kanabec County
- Population aged 65 or older: 20.9%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 21.4%
- Median age: 45.3 years old
--- Median age of males: 44.6 years old
--- Median age of females: 45.5 years old
- Total population: 16,205 people
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#35. Wadena County
- Population aged 65 or older: 21%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 25.5%
- Median age: 41.3 years old
--- Median age of males: 40.2 years old
--- Median age of females: 41.9 years old
- Total population: 13,681 people
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#34. Pipestone County
- Population aged 65 or older: 21%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 25.7%
- Median age: 42.1 years old
--- Median age of males: 40.6 years old
--- Median age of females: 43.7 years old
- Total population: 9,163 people
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#33. Norman County
- Population aged 65 or older: 21.1%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 23.7%
- Median age: 43.2 years old
--- Median age of males: 42.6 years old
--- Median age of females: 43.8 years old
- Total population: 6,466 people
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#32. Brown County
- Population aged 65 or older: 21.2%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 21.8%
- Median age: 42 years old
--- Median age of males: 39.8 years old
--- Median age of females: 44.4 years old
- Total population: 25,076 people
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#31. Chippewa County
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#30. Redwood County
- Population aged 65 or older: 21.3%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 24.8%
- Median age: 41.5 years old
--- Median age of males: 40.2 years old
--- Median age of females: 43.1 years old
- Total population: 15,193 people
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#29. Todd County
- Population aged 65 or older: 21.4%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 23.8%
- Median age: 43.9 years old
--- Median age of males: 43.1 years old
--- Median age of females: 44.8 years old
- Total population: 24,603 people
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#28. Houston County
- Population aged 65 or older: 21.5%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 21.9%
- Median age: 45.3 years old
--- Median age of males: 43.8 years old
--- Median age of females: 47.1 years old
- Total population: 18,670 people
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#27. Marshall County
- Population aged 65 or older: 21.6%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 23.0%
- Median age: 43.1 years old
--- Median age of males: 41.9 years old
--- Median age of females: 44.3 years old
- Total population: 9,353 people
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#26. Wabasha County
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#25. Swift County
- Population aged 65 or older: 22%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 22.7%
- Median age: 43.8 years old
--- Median age of males: 42 years old
--- Median age of females: 44.8 years old
- Total population: 9,329 people
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#24. Jackson County
- Population aged 65 or older: 22%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 21.7%
- Median age: 45 years old
--- Median age of males: 44.1 years old
--- Median age of females: 46.4 years old
- Total population: 9,873 people
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#23. Freeborn County
- Population aged 65 or older: 22.2%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 21.9%
- Median age: 44.5 years old
--- Median age of males: 43.5 years old
--- Median age of females: 45.3 years old
- Total population: 30,465 people
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#22. Crow Wing County
- Population aged 65 or older: 22.5%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 21.5%
- Median age: 44.7 years old
--- Median age of males: 43.5 years old
--- Median age of females: 46.2 years old
- Total population: 64,775 people
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#21. Cottonwood County
- Population aged 65 or older: 22.8%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 24.4%
- Median age: 42.6 years old
--- Median age of males: 40.8 years old
--- Median age of females: 44.5 years old
- Total population: 11,279 people
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#20. Faribault County
- Population aged 65 or older: 22.8%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 22.1%
- Median age: 45.3 years old
--- Median age of males: 42.7 years old
--- Median age of females: 47.5 years old
- Total population: 13,727 people
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#19. Douglas County
- Population aged 65 or older: 23%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 21.4%
- Median age: 44.3 years old
--- Median age of males: 43 years old
--- Median age of females: 45.5 years old
- Total population: 37,820 people
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#18. Martin County
- Population aged 65 or older: 23.3%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 21.7%
- Median age: 45.5 years old
--- Median age of males: 43.8 years old
--- Median age of females: 47.1 years old
- Total population: 19,737 people
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#17. Itasca County
- Population aged 65 or older: 23.5%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 20.8%
- Median age: 46.6 years old
--- Median age of males: 45.3 years old
--- Median age of females: 48.1 years old
- Total population: 45,180 people
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#16. Otter Tail County
- Population aged 65 or older: 23.8%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 21.7%
- Median age: 46.8 years old
--- Median age of males: 45.4 years old
--- Median age of females: 48 years old
- Total population: 58,416 people
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#15. Lake of the Woods County
- Population aged 65 or older: 24%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 19.9%
- Median age: 51 years old
--- Median age of males: 47.9 years old
--- Median age of females: 53.1 years old
- Total population: 3,747 people
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#14. Grant County
- Population aged 65 or older: 24.1%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 23.0%
- Median age: 44.8 years old
--- Median age of males: 44.1 years old
--- Median age of females: 46.2 years old
- Total population: 5,962 people
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#13. Pope County
- Population aged 65 or older: 24.4%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 20.5%
- Median age: 46.5 years old
--- Median age of males: 44.4 years old
--- Median age of females: 48.8 years old
- Total population: 11,107 people
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#12. Traverse County
- Population aged 65 or older: 24.8%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 19.9%
- Median age: 46.6 years old
--- Median age of males: 45.7 years old
--- Median age of females: 47.1 years old
- Total population: 3,282 people
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#11. Lincoln County
- Population aged 65 or older: 24.9%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 23.6%
- Median age: 45.3 years old
--- Median age of males: 44.3 years old
--- Median age of females: 46.5 years old
- Total population: 5,641 people
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#10. Kittson County
- Population aged 65 or older: 24.9%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 21.3%
- Median age: 48 years old
--- Median age of males: 45.7 years old
--- Median age of females: 49.6 years old
- Total population: 4,272 people
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#9. Koochiching County
- Population aged 65 or older: 25.3%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 18.0%
- Median age: 50 years old
--- Median age of males: 48.8 years old
--- Median age of females: 51.1 years old
- Total population: 12,355 people
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#8. Hubbard County
- Population aged 65 or older: 25.4%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 20.9%
- Median age: 49 years old
--- Median age of males: 48.4 years old
--- Median age of females: 49.4 years old
- Total population: 21,287 people
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#7. Murray County
- Population aged 65 or older: 25.8%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 21.5%
- Median age: 47.9 years old
--- Median age of males: 46.3 years old
--- Median age of females: 49.5 years old
- Total population: 8,247 people
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#6. Cass County
- Population aged 65 or older: 25.8%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 21.0%
- Median age: 48.9 years old
--- Median age of males: 48.3 years old
--- Median age of females: 50 years old
- Total population: 29,462 people
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#5. Lake County
- Population aged 65 or older: 26%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 17.6%
- Median age: 50.5 years old
--- Median age of males: 49.8 years old
--- Median age of females: 51.1 years old
- Total population: 10,571 people
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#4. Big Stone County
- Population aged 65 or older: 26.1%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 21.4%
- Median age: 48.5 years old
--- Median age of males: 46.6 years old
--- Median age of females: 50.1 years old
- Total population: 4,974 people
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#3. Lac qui Parle County
- Population aged 65 or older: 27.2%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 19.8%
- Median age: 49.9 years old
--- Median age of males: 49 years old
--- Median age of females: 50.8 years old
- Total population: 6,645 people
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#2. Cook County
- Population aged 65 or older: 28.1%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 15.5%
- Median age: 52.8 years old
--- Median age of males: 52.6 years old
--- Median age of females: 53.2 years old
- Total population: 5,402 people
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#1. Aitkin County
- Population aged 65 or older: 33.1%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 16.5%
- Median age: 55.9 years old
--- Median age of males: 55.9 years old
--- Median age of females: 55.9 years old
- Total population: 15,826 people
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