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 Oregon 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 Oregon.
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#36. Washington County
- Population aged 65 or older: 13.3%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 22.8%
- Median age: 36.9 years old
--- Median age of males: 35.9 years old
--- Median age of females: 37.9 years old
- Total population: 595,761 people
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#35. Multnomah County
- Population aged 65 or older: 13.5%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 18.7%
- Median age: 37.5 years old
--- Median age of males: 37.1 years old
--- Median age of females: 37.8 years old
- Total population: 809,869 people
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#34. Morrow County
- Population aged 65 or older: 15%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 27.6%
- Median age: 38.3 years old
--- Median age of males: 38.6 years old
--- Median age of females: 37.9 years old
- Total population: 11,425 people
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#33. Hood River County
- Population aged 65 or older: 15.2%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 23.7%
- Median age: 39.5 years old
--- Median age of males: 40.5 years old
--- Median age of females: 38.6 years old
- Total population: 23,270 people
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#32. Umatilla County
- Population aged 65 or older: 15.6%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 25.3%
- Median age: 36.7 years old
--- Median age of males: 35.4 years old
--- Median age of females: 38.1 years old
- Total population: 77,319 people
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#31. Marion County
- Population aged 65 or older: 15.7%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 24.5%
- Median age: 36.9 years old
--- Median age of males: 35.5 years old
--- Median age of females: 37.9 years old
- Total population: 343,742 people
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#30. Benton County
- Population aged 65 or older: 16%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 16.2%
- Median age: 33.2 years old
--- Median age of males: 31.7 years old
--- Median age of females: 35 years old
- Total population: 92,168 people
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#29. Malheur County
- Population aged 65 or older: 16.6%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 25.0%
- Median age: 36.1 years old
--- Median age of males: 35.4 years old
--- Median age of females: 37.9 years old
- Total population: 30,632 people
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#28. Yamhill County
- Population aged 65 or older: 17.2%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 22.1%
- Median age: 38.6 years old
--- Median age of males: 37.5 years old
--- Median age of females: 39.8 years old
- Total population: 106,087 people
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#27. Polk County
- Population aged 65 or older: 17.8%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 22.6%
- Median age: 37 years old
--- Median age of males: 36.1 years old
--- Median age of females: 38.2 years old
- Total population: 84,730 people
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#26. Clackamas County
- Population aged 65 or older: 18%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 21.5%
- Median age: 41.7 years old
--- Median age of males: 40.6 years old
--- Median age of females: 42.9 years old
- Total population: 415,084 people
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#25. Linn County
- Population aged 65 or older: 18.6%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 22.5%
- Median age: 39.9 years old
--- Median age of males: 38.9 years old
--- Median age of females: 40.6 years old
- Total population: 127,216 people
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#24. Columbia County
- Population aged 65 or older: 18.7%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 21.0%
- Median age: 43.3 years old
--- Median age of males: 42.4 years old
--- Median age of females: 44.5 years old
- Total population: 52,117 people
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#23. Lane County
- Population aged 65 or older: 19.3%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 18.4%
- Median age: 39.7 years old
--- Median age of males: 38.3 years old
--- Median age of females: 41.1 years old
- Total population: 377,749 people
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#22. Jefferson County
- Population aged 65 or older: 19.3%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 23.4%
- Median age: 41 years old
--- Median age of males: 40.3 years old
--- Median age of females: 42 years old
- Total population: 24,048 people
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#21. Deschutes County
- Population aged 65 or older: 19.9%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 20.0%
- Median age: 42.4 years old
--- Median age of males: 41.4 years old
--- Median age of females: 43.5 years old
- Total population: 191,749 people
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#20. Wasco County
- Population aged 65 or older: 20.1%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 22.4%
- Median age: 40.2 years old
--- Median age of males: 38.8 years old
--- Median age of females: 41.8 years old
- Total population: 26,274 people
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#19. Union County
- Population aged 65 or older: 20.6%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 22.1%
- Median age: 40 years old
--- Median age of males: 38.6 years old
--- Median age of females: 41.1 years old
- Total population: 26,502 people
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#18. Klamath County
- Population aged 65 or older: 21.2%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 21.7%
- Median age: 42 years old
--- Median age of males: 41.3 years old
--- Median age of females: 42.9 years old
- Total population: 67,606 people
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#17. Jackson County
- Population aged 65 or older: 22%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 20.5%
- Median age: 42.6 years old
--- Median age of males: 41.2 years old
--- Median age of females: 44.2 years old
- Total population: 218,781 people
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#16. Clatsop County
- Population aged 65 or older: 22.3%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 18.9%
- Median age: 44.4 years old
--- Median age of males: 42.6 years old
--- Median age of females: 45.7 years old
- Total population: 39,656 people
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#15. Sherman County
- Population aged 65 or older: 23.1%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 19.4%
- Median age: 47.8 years old
--- Median age of males: 46.8 years old
--- Median age of females: 49.1 years old
- Total population: 1,686 people
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#14. Harney County
- Population aged 65 or older: 23.9%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 20.3%
- Median age: 45.1 years old
--- Median age of males: 42.4 years old
--- Median age of females: 46.7 years old
- Total population: 7,310 people
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#13. Crook County
- Population aged 65 or older: 24.9%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 19.8%
- Median age: 46.8 years old
--- Median age of males: 47.4 years old
--- Median age of females: 46.4 years old
- Total population: 23,733 people
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#11. Tillamook County
- Population aged 65 or older: 25.5%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 18.8%
- Median age: 48.6 years old
--- Median age of males: 46.4 years old
--- Median age of females: 51 years old
- Total population: 26,782 people
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#10. Douglas County
- Population aged 65 or older: 25.7%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 19.3%
- Median age: 47 years old
--- Median age of males: 45.4 years old
--- Median age of females: 49 years old
- Total population: 110,015 people
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#9. Coos County
- Population aged 65 or older: 25.9%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 18.4%
- Median age: 48.7 years old
--- Median age of males: 46.9 years old
--- Median age of females: 49.8 years old
- Total population: 64,175 people
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#8. Josephine County
- Population aged 65 or older: 26%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 19.5%
- Median age: 47.5 years old
--- Median age of males: 45.5 years old
--- Median age of females: 49.8 years old
- Total population: 87,097 people
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#7. Baker County
- Population aged 65 or older: 26.7%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 19.6%
- Median age: 48.2 years old
--- Median age of males: 46.1 years old
--- Median age of females: 50.2 years old
- Total population: 16,090 people
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#6. Wallowa County
- Population aged 65 or older: 28.5%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 18.4%
- Median age: 52.4 years old
--- Median age of males: 51.5 years old
--- Median age of females: 53 years old
- Total population: 7,065 people
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#5. Lincoln County
- Population aged 65 or older: 28.8%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 16.9%
- Median age: 51.8 years old
--- Median age of males: 50.2 years old
--- Median age of females: 53.4 years old
- Total population: 49,336 people
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#4. Gilliam County
- Population aged 65 or older: 29.7%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 17.4%
- Median age: 52.6 years old
--- Median age of males: 51.3 years old
--- Median age of females: 53.5 years old
- Total population: 1,896 people
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#3. Grant County
- Population aged 65 or older: 30.6%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 17.2%
- Median age: 52.8 years old
--- Median age of males: 51.7 years old
--- Median age of females: 53.6 years old
- Total population: 7,174 people
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#1. Wheeler County
- Population aged 65 or older: 34.4%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 18.1%
- Median age: 56.9 years old
--- Median age of males: 55.2 years old
--- Median age of females: 59.1 years old
- Total population: 1,417 people
