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 New York 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 New York.
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1 / 50#50. Clinton County
- Population aged 65 or older: 16.9%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 18.0%
- Median age: 40.3 years old
--- Median age of males: 39.5 years old
--- Median age of females: 41.4 years old
- Total population: 80,320 people
Tim Hettler from New York, NY, USA // Wikimedia Commons
2 / 50#49. Suffolk County
- Population aged 65 or older: 16.9%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 21.2%
- Median age: 41.7 years old
--- Median age of males: 40.2 years old
--- Median age of females: 43.3 years old
- Total population: 1,481,364 people
Matt H. Wade // Wikimedia Commons
3 / 50#48. Rensselaer County
- Population aged 65 or older: 17%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 19.5%
- Median age: 39.9 years old
--- Median age of males: 38.5 years old
--- Median age of females: 41.6 years old
- Total population: 159,013 people
littlenySTOCK // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Onondaga County
- Population aged 65 or older: 17.1%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 21.3%
- Median age: 39.2 years old
--- Median age of males: 37.9 years old
--- Median age of females: 40.5 years old
- Total population: 461,591 people
Mwanner // Wikimedia Commons
5 / 50#46. Franklin County
- Population aged 65 or older: 17.1%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 19.3%
- Median age: 40.5 years old
--- Median age of males: 38.3 years old
--- Median age of females: 44.2 years old
- Total population: 50,389 people
#45. Westchester County
- Population aged 65 or older: 17.1%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 22.0%
- Median age: 41.1 years old
--- Median age of males: 39.5 years old
--- Median age of females: 42.8 years old
- Total population: 968,738 people
UpstateNYer // Wikimedia Commons
7 / 50#44. Schenectady County
- Population aged 65 or older: 17.2%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 21.6%
- Median age: 39.9 years old
--- Median age of males: 38.5 years old
--- Median age of females: 40.8 years old
- Total population: 155,086 people
Paul Brady Photography // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Monroe County
- Population aged 65 or older: 17.3%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 20.8%
- Median age: 39 years old
--- Median age of males: 37.5 years old
--- Median age of females: 40.9 years old
- Total population: 743,084 people
P199 // Wikimedia Commons
9 / 50#42. St. Lawrence County
- Population aged 65 or older: 17.4%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 20.1%
- Median age: 39 years old
--- Median age of males: 37 years old
--- Median age of females: 41.4 years old
- Total population: 108,352 people
James Kirkikis // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Putnam County
- Population aged 65 or older: 17.4%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 19.8%
- Median age: 44.2 years old
--- Median age of males: 42.8 years old
--- Median age of females: 45.5 years old
- Total population: 98,714 people
Colin D. Young // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Dutchess County
- Population aged 65 or older: 17.6%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 18.9%
- Median age: 42.5 years old
--- Median age of males: 41.1 years old
--- Median age of females: 43.8 years old
- Total population: 293,524 people
littlenySTOCK // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Nassau County
- Population aged 65 or older: 17.8%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 21.6%
- Median age: 41.9 years old
--- Median age of males: 40.2 years old
--- Median age of females: 43.5 years old
- Total population: 1,355,683 people
Jimmy Emerson // Wikimedia Commons
13 / 50#38. Orleans County
- Population aged 65 or older: 17.8%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 19.3%
- Median age: 43.4 years old
--- Median age of males: 41.4 years old
--- Median age of females: 45.6 years old
- Total population: 40,624 people
Benjamin D. Esham (bdesham) // Wikimedia Commons
14 / 50#37. Livingston County
- Population aged 65 or older: 17.9%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 17.7%
- Median age: 41.5 years old
--- Median age of males: 40.6 years old
--- Median age of females: 42.6 years old
- Total population: 63,218 people
#36. Erie County
- Population aged 65 or older: 18%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 20.3%
- Median age: 40.2 years old
--- Median age of males: 38.5 years old
--- Median age of females: 42 years old
- Total population: 918,873 people
PhotoItaliaStudio // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Saratoga County
- Population aged 65 or older: 18.1%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 20.0%
- Median age: 42.9 years old
--- Median age of males: 41.5 years old
--- Median age of females: 44.3 years old
- Total population: 229,313 people
Kenneth C. Zirkel // Wikimedia Commons
17 / 50#34. Wyoming County
- Population aged 65 or older: 18.1%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 19.0%
- Median age: 42.9 years old
--- Median age of males: 41.4 years old
--- Median age of females: 44.5 years old
- Total population: 40,027 people
Colgate University // Wikimedia Commons
18 / 50#33. Madison County
- Population aged 65 or older: 18.3%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 19.2%
- Median age: 42.3 years old
--- Median age of males: 41.2 years old
--- Median age of females: 43.3 years old
- Total population: 70,990 people
Jwilson855 // Wikimedia Commons
19 / 50#32. Montgomery County
- Population aged 65 or older: 18.6%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 22.9%
- Median age: 40.9 years old
--- Median age of males: 39.7 years old
--- Median age of females: 42.6 years old
- Total population: 49,294 people
Nina Alizada // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Oneida County
- Population aged 65 or older: 18.7%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 21.2%
- Median age: 40.8 years old
--- Median age of males: 39.2 years old
--- Median age of females: 42.8 years old
- Total population: 229,074 people
North woodsman // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Lewis County
- Population aged 65 or older: 18.7%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 22.9%
- Median age: 42.2 years old
--- Median age of males: 42.2 years old
--- Median age of females: 42.2 years old
- Total population: 26,456 people
Daniel Case // Wikimedia Commons
22 / 50#29. Genesee County
- Population aged 65 or older: 18.7%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 20.3%
- Median age: 43 years old
--- Median age of males: 41.7 years old
--- Median age of females: 44.7 years old
- Total population: 57,554 people
Andre Carrotflower // Wikimedia Commons
23 / 50#28. Allegany County
- Population aged 65 or older: 18.8%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 19.9%
- Median age: 39.3 years old
--- Median age of males: 38.4 years old
--- Median age of females: 40.2 years old
- Total population: 46,304 people
Andre Carrotflower // Wikimedia Commons
24 / 50#27. Wayne County
- Population aged 65 or older: 18.8%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 21.4%
- Median age: 43.9 years old
--- Median age of males: 42.8 years old
--- Median age of females: 45 years old
- Total population: 90,103 people
Lvklock // Wikimedia Commons
25 / 50#26. Chemung County
- Population aged 65 or older: 18.9%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 21.4%
- Median age: 41.3 years old
--- Median age of males: 39.4 years old
--- Median age of females: 43.3 years old
- Total population: 84,115 people
Eric Richards // Wikimedia Commons
26 / 50#25. Sullivan County
- Population aged 65 or older: 18.9%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 21.3%
- Median age: 42.8 years old
--- Median age of males: 42 years old
--- Median age of females: 43.7 years old
- Total population: 75,329 people
PQK // Shuterstock
27 / 50#24. Cayuga County
- Population aged 65 or older: 19%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 19.7%
- Median age: 43.2 years old
--- Median age of males: 41.2 years old
--- Median age of females: 45.2 years old
- Total population: 76,958 people
#23. Broome County
- Population aged 65 or older: 19.1%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 19.4%
- Median age: 39.7 years old
--- Median age of males: 37.6 years old
--- Median age of females: 41.6 years old
- Total population: 192,042 people
Mihai_Andritoiu // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Niagara County
- Population aged 65 or older: 19.1%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 20.0%
- Median age: 43.4 years old
--- Median age of males: 41.6 years old
--- Median age of females: 44.8 years old
- Total population: 210,145 people
marjobani // Wikimedia Commons
30 / 50#21. Seneca County
- Population aged 65 or older: 19.2%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 20.0%
- Median age: 41.9 years old
--- Median age of males: 39.9 years old
--- Median age of females: 45 years old
- Total population: 34,295 people
Pubdog // Wikimedia Commons
31 / 50#20. Cattaraugus County
- Population aged 65 or older: 19.2%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 22.2%
- Median age: 42.5 years old
--- Median age of males: 41 years old
--- Median age of females: 43.5 years old
- Total population: 76,750 people
Marduk // Wikimedia Commons
32 / 50#19. Steuben County
- Population aged 65 or older: 19.4%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 21.6%
- Median age: 42.9 years old
--- Median age of males: 41.6 years old
--- Median age of females: 44.2 years old
- Total population: 95,843 people
UpstateNYer // Wikimedia Commons
33 / 50#18. Washington County
- Population aged 65 or older: 19.4%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 18.8%
- Median age: 44.2 years old
--- Median age of males: 42.1 years old
--- Median age of females: 46.7 years old
- Total population: 61,304 people
Beyond My Ken // Wikimedia Commons
34 / 50#17. Fulton County
- Population aged 65 or older: 19.5%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 20.2%
- Median age: 44.2 years old
--- Median age of males: 42.6 years old
--- Median age of females: 45.3 years old
- Total population: 53,452 people
Fred Hsu // Wikimedia Commons
35 / 50#16. Ulster County
- Population aged 65 or older: 19.8%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 17.7%
- Median age: 44.1 years old
--- Median age of males: 42.7 years old
--- Median age of females: 45.6 years old
- Total population: 178,371 people
Daniel Case // Wikimedia Commons
36 / 50#15. Ontario County
- Population aged 65 or older: 20%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 20.1%
- Median age: 43.8 years old
--- Median age of males: 42.1 years old
--- Median age of females: 45.4 years old
- Total population: 109,774 people
Andre Carrotflower // Wikimedia Commons
37 / 50#14. Chautauqua County
- Population aged 65 or older: 20.1%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 20.4%
- Median age: 42.8 years old
--- Median age of males: 41.6 years old
--- Median age of females: 44.2 years old
- Total population: 127,584 people
WCohen // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Tioga County
- Population aged 65 or older: 20.2%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 20.8%
- Median age: 44.8 years old
--- Median age of males: 43.3 years old
--- Median age of females: 45.8 years old
- Total population: 48,431 people
Daniel Case // Wikimedia Commons
39 / 50#12. Chenango County
- Population aged 65 or older: 20.5%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 20.7%
- Median age: 44.8 years old
--- Median age of males: 43.8 years old
--- Median age of females: 46 years old
- Total population: 47,527 people
Doug Kerr from Upstate New York // Wikimedia Commons
40 / 50#11. Herkimer County
- Population aged 65 or older: 20.6%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 20.6%
- Median age: 44.3 years old
--- Median age of males: 42.7 years old
--- Median age of females: 45.4 years old
- Total population: 61,738 people
PQK // Shuterstock
41 / 50#10. Yates County
- Population aged 65 or older: 20.7%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 22.5%
- Median age: 40.7 years old
--- Median age of males: 40.2 years old
--- Median age of females: 40.9 years old
- Total population: 24,981 people
Kenneth Sponsler // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Otsego County
- Population aged 65 or older: 21.1%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 15.9%
- Median age: 42 years old
--- Median age of males: 41.1 years old
--- Median age of females: 43 years old
- Total population: 59,593 people
Lamar Gore/USFWS // Wikimedia Commons
43 / 50#8. Schuyler County
- Population aged 65 or older: 21.2%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 19.1%
- Median age: 46.8 years old
--- Median age of males: 45.9 years old
--- Median age of females: 47.8 years old
- Total population: 17,845 people
Reilchey27 // Wikimedia Commons
44 / 50#7. Schoharie County
- Population aged 65 or older: 21.8%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 17.7%
- Median age: 45.8 years old
--- Median age of males: 45.2 years old
--- Median age of females: 46.4 years old
- Total population: 31,189 people
Felix Lipov // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Greene County
- Population aged 65 or older: 22.2%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 16.5%
- Median age: 46.7 years old
--- Median age of males: 44.5 years old
--- Median age of females: 49.2 years old
- Total population: 47,335 people
Gbklyn // Wikimedia Commons
46 / 50#5. Warren County
- Population aged 65 or older: 22.3%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 18.1%
- Median age: 46.9 years old
--- Median age of males: 45.2 years old
--- Median age of females: 48.4 years old
- Total population: 64,187 people
tomtsya// Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Essex County
- Population aged 65 or older: 23.5%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 16.1%
- Median age: 48.3 years old
--- Median age of males: 45.8 years old
--- Median age of females: 51 years old
- Total population: 37,281 people
Daniel Case // Wikimedia Commons
48 / 50#3. Columbia County
- Population aged 65 or older: 23.9%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 17.3%
- Median age: 48.5 years old
--- Median age of males: 47.6 years old
--- Median age of females: 49.4 years old
- Total population: 60,016 people
Doug Kerr // Wikimedia Commons
49 / 50#2. Delaware County
- Population aged 65 or older: 24.5%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 16.7%
- Median age: 48.3 years old
--- Median age of males: 47.5 years old
--- Median age of females: 49.2 years old
- Total population: 44,676 people
Mwanner // Wikimedia Commons
50 / 50#1. Hamilton County
- Population aged 65 or older: 30.8%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 13.5%
- Median age: 55.5 years old
--- Median age of males: 54.7 years old
--- Median age of females: 57.1 years old
- Total population: 4,454 people
