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 Missouri 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 Missouri.
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#50. Ste. Genevieve County
- Population aged 65 or older: 19.6%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 21.4%
- Median age: 43.7 years old
--- Median age of males: 42.7 years old
--- Median age of females: 45.3 years old
- Total population: 17,887 people
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#49. Howell County
- Population aged 65 or older: 19.8%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 24.0%
- Median age: 40.8 years old
--- Median age of males: 38.9 years old
--- Median age of females: 42.6 years old
- Total population: 40,130 people
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#48. Wright County
- Population aged 65 or older: 19.8%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 25.7%
- Median age: 41.5 years old
--- Median age of males: 38.5 years old
--- Median age of females: 43.1 years old
- Total population: 18,256 people
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#47. Caldwell County
- Population aged 65 or older: 19.8%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 23.6%
- Median age: 42.9 years old
--- Median age of males: 40.8 years old
--- Median age of females: 43.8 years old
- Total population: 9,052 people
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#46. Livingston County
- Population aged 65 or older: 19.9%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 21.2%
- Median age: 40 years old
--- Median age of males: 39.4 years old
--- Median age of females: 40.3 years old
- Total population: 14,969 people
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#45. Bollinger County
- Population aged 65 or older: 20%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 21.7%
- Median age: 44.9 years old
--- Median age of males: 44.1 years old
--- Median age of females: 45.6 years old
- Total population: 12,181 people
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#44. Stoddard County
- Population aged 65 or older: 20.3%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 21.8%
- Median age: 42 years old
--- Median age of males: 40.4 years old
--- Median age of females: 43.9 years old
- Total population: 29,255 people
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#43. Montgomery County
- Population aged 65 or older: 20.5%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 22.0%
- Median age: 43.9 years old
--- Median age of males: 43 years old
--- Median age of females: 45.5 years old
- Total population: 11,414 people
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#42. Daviess County
- Population aged 65 or older: 20.6%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 25.7%
- Median age: 40.9 years old
--- Median age of males: 40.9 years old
--- Median age of females: 40.9 years old
- Total population: 8,294 people
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#41. Barton County
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#40. Ripley County
- Population aged 65 or older: 20.8%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 22.6%
- Median age: 42.1 years old
--- Median age of males: 40.8 years old
--- Median age of females: 43.8 years old
- Total population: 13,484 people
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#39. Texas County
- Population aged 65 or older: 20.8%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 21.6%
- Median age: 43.1 years old
--- Median age of males: 41.8 years old
--- Median age of females: 45.2 years old
- Total population: 25,518 people
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#38. Dallas County
- Population aged 65 or older: 21%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 23.7%
- Median age: 43.3 years old
--- Median age of males: 42.5 years old
--- Median age of females: 44.1 years old
- Total population: 16,841 people
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#37. Linn County
- Population aged 65 or older: 21.2%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 23.6%
- Median age: 42 years old
--- Median age of males: 40.8 years old
--- Median age of females: 43.5 years old
- Total population: 12,004 people
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#36. Barry County
- Population aged 65 or older: 21.2%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 22.7%
- Median age: 43.6 years old
--- Median age of males: 42.6 years old
--- Median age of females: 44.7 years old
- Total population: 35,615 people
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#35. Grundy County
- Population aged 65 or older: 21.3%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 24.5%
- Median age: 40.5 years old
--- Median age of males: 38.3 years old
--- Median age of females: 42.6 years old
- Total population: 9,885 people
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#34. Shannon County
- Population aged 65 or older: 21.3%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 21.6%
- Median age: 45 years old
--- Median age of males: 43.2 years old
--- Median age of females: 46.4 years old
- Total population: 8,207 people
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#33. Shelby County
- Population aged 65 or older: 21.4%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 24.0%
- Median age: 42.8 years old
--- Median age of males: 39.6 years old
--- Median age of females: 45.8 years old
- Total population: 5,975 people
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#32. Clark County
- Population aged 65 or older: 21.4%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 22.9%
- Median age: 44.4 years old
--- Median age of males: 43.2 years old
--- Median age of females: 45.7 years old
- Total population: 6,783 people
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#31. Ralls County
- Population aged 65 or older: 21.4%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 21.5%
- Median age: 45.2 years old
--- Median age of males: 44.6 years old
--- Median age of females: 45.9 years old
- Total population: 10,258 people
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#30. Knox County
- Population aged 65 or older: 21.6%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 23.8%
- Median age: 44.2 years old
--- Median age of males: 41.9 years old
--- Median age of females: 45.3 years old
- Total population: 3,948 people
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#29. Mercer County
- Population aged 65 or older: 21.7%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 24.2%
- Median age: 42.7 years old
--- Median age of males: 43.1 years old
--- Median age of females: 41.9 years old
- Total population: 3,623 people
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#28. Taney County
- Population aged 65 or older: 21.7%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 21.1%
- Median age: 43.2 years old
--- Median age of males: 41.7 years old
--- Median age of females: 44 years old
- Total population: 55,563 people
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#27. Carroll County
- Population aged 65 or older: 21.7%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 22.2%
- Median age: 44.2 years old
--- Median age of males: 44 years old
--- Median age of females: 44.5 years old
- Total population: 8,723 people
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#26. Maries County
- Population aged 65 or older: 21.7%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 20.5%
- Median age: 45.3 years old
--- Median age of males: 44.6 years old
--- Median age of females: 46.2 years old
- Total population: 8,791 people
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#25. Henry County
- Population aged 65 or older: 21.9%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 22.1%
- Median age: 44.3 years old
--- Median age of males: 42.7 years old
--- Median age of females: 44.8 years old
- Total population: 21,854 people
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#24. Dent County
- Population aged 65 or older: 21.9%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 22.3%
- Median age: 45.6 years old
--- Median age of males: 43.4 years old
--- Median age of females: 47.1 years old
- Total population: 15,518 people
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#23. Iron County
- Population aged 65 or older: 22.3%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 20.8%
- Median age: 45.9 years old
--- Median age of males: 44.6 years old
--- Median age of females: 46.6 years old
- Total population: 10,150 people
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#22. Macon County
- Population aged 65 or older: 22.4%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 23.4%
- Median age: 43.1 years old
--- Median age of males: 41 years old
--- Median age of females: 45.7 years old
- Total population: 15,154 people
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#21. Harrison County
- Population aged 65 or older: 22.5%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 24.5%
- Median age: 42.8 years old
--- Median age of males: 40.1 years old
--- Median age of females: 45.7 years old
- Total population: 8,427 people
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#20. Gasconade County
- Population aged 65 or older: 22.8%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 20.7%
- Median age: 47.5 years old
--- Median age of males: 45.1 years old
--- Median age of females: 49.4 years old
- Total population: 14,673 people
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#19. Cedar County
- Population aged 65 or older: 23.2%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 24.3%
- Median age: 44.3 years old
--- Median age of males: 43.3 years old
--- Median age of females: 45.1 years old
- Total population: 14,144 people
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#18. Morgan County
- Population aged 65 or older: 23.4%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 22.8%
- Median age: 46 years old
--- Median age of males: 45 years old
--- Median age of females: 46.6 years old
- Total population: 20,438 people
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#17. Reynolds County
- Population aged 65 or older: 23.4%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 18.6%
- Median age: 46.3 years old
--- Median age of males: 45.1 years old
--- Median age of females: 47.2 years old
- Total population: 6,274 people
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#16. Oregon County
- Population aged 65 or older: 23.4%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 22.6%
- Median age: 46.5 years old
--- Median age of males: 44 years old
--- Median age of females: 47.6 years old
- Total population: 10,561 people
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#15. Monroe County
- Population aged 65 or older: 23.4%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 21.7%
- Median age: 46.6 years old
--- Median age of males: 44.9 years old
--- Median age of females: 47.6 years old
- Total population: 8,630 people
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#14. Wayne County
- Population aged 65 or older: 23.9%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 20.2%
- Median age: 48.2 years old
--- Median age of males: 46.7 years old
--- Median age of females: 49.2 years old
- Total population: 13,058 people
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#13. Dade County
- Population aged 65 or older: 24%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 20.5%
- Median age: 46.4 years old
--- Median age of males: 43.7 years old
--- Median age of females: 49.8 years old
- Total population: 7,571 people
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#12. Chariton County
- Population aged 65 or older: 24.3%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 22.7%
- Median age: 46.2 years old
--- Median age of males: 44.6 years old
--- Median age of females: 47.5 years old
- Total population: 7,449 people
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#11. Douglas County
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#10. Worth County
- Population aged 65 or older: 24.8%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 21.0%
- Median age: 48.2 years old
--- Median age of males: 45.9 years old
--- Median age of females: 50.1 years old
- Total population: 2,001 people
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#9. Putnam County
- Population aged 65 or older: 25.1%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 22.9%
- Median age: 46.4 years old
--- Median age of males: 45.3 years old
--- Median age of females: 46.8 years old
- Total population: 4,746 people
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#8. Atchison County
- Population aged 65 or older: 25.5%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 19.8%
- Median age: 48.3 years old
--- Median age of males: 47.1 years old
--- Median age of females: 49.5 years old
- Total population: 5,180 people
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#7. Holt County
- Population aged 65 or older: 25.9%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 20.3%
- Median age: 48.7 years old
--- Median age of males: 47.5 years old
--- Median age of females: 50.5 years old
- Total population: 4,374 people
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#6. St. Clair County
- Population aged 65 or older: 27.1%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 19.8%
- Median age: 49.3 years old
--- Median age of males: 47.9 years old
--- Median age of females: 51.6 years old
- Total population: 9,455 people
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#5. Ozark County
- Population aged 65 or older: 28%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 19.1%
- Median age: 51.8 years old
--- Median age of males: 51.3 years old
--- Median age of females: 52.5 years old
- Total population: 9,138 people
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#4. Camden County
- Population aged 65 or older: 28%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 17.7%
- Median age: 52.1 years old
--- Median age of males: 51.3 years old
--- Median age of females: 53.1 years old
- Total population: 45,823 people
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#3. Stone County
- Population aged 65 or older: 30.8%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 16.5%
- Median age: 54.2 years old
--- Median age of males: 53.9 years old
--- Median age of females: 54.6 years old
- Total population: 31,875 people
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#2. Benton County
- Population aged 65 or older: 30.9%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 17.3%
- Median age: 54.1 years old
--- Median age of males: 54 years old
--- Median age of females: 54.3 years old
- Total population: 19,305 people
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#1. Hickory County
- Population aged 65 or older: 33.4%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 16.7%
- Median age: 55 years old
--- Median age of males: 55.2 years old
--- Median age of females: 54.7 years old
- Total population: 9,452 people
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