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 West Virginia 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 West Virginia.
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#55. Monongalia County
- Population aged 65 or older: 12.7%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 16.3%
- Median age: 32.2 years old
--- Median age of males: 31.2 years old
--- Median age of females: 33.5 years old
- Total population: 106,196 people
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#54. Berkeley County
- Population aged 65 or older: 14.8%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 23.3%
- Median age: 38.9 years old
--- Median age of males: 38.6 years old
--- Median age of females: 39.2 years old
- Total population: 117,615 people
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#53. Jefferson County
- Population aged 65 or older: 16.2%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 22.2%
- Median age: 40.9 years old
--- Median age of males: 40.1 years old
--- Median age of females: 42 years old
- Total population: 56,922 people
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#52. Gilmer County
- Population aged 65 or older: 17%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 15.0%
- Median age: 39.9 years old
--- Median age of males: 37.8 years old
--- Median age of females: 41.8 years old
- Total population: 7,970 people
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#51. Putnam County
- Population aged 65 or older: 18.4%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 22.4%
- Median age: 42.2 years old
--- Median age of males: 41.1 years old
--- Median age of females: 43.6 years old
- Total population: 56,604 people
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#50. Cabell County
- Population aged 65 or older: 18.7%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 19.8%
- Median age: 39 years old
--- Median age of males: 37 years old
--- Median age of females: 40.5 years old
- Total population: 93,328 people
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#49. Pleasants County
- Population aged 65 or older: 18.7%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 19.7%
- Median age: 44 years old
--- Median age of males: 40.9 years old
--- Median age of females: 47.2 years old
- Total population: 7,457 people
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#48. Mingo County
- Population aged 65 or older: 18.9%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 22.2%
- Median age: 43.1 years old
--- Median age of males: 42.1 years old
--- Median age of females: 44.4 years old
- Total population: 23,808 people
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#47. Lincoln County
- Population aged 65 or older: 19.2%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 22.5%
- Median age: 43.1 years old
--- Median age of males: 41.3 years old
--- Median age of females: 43.8 years old
- Total population: 20,617 people
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#46. Harrison County
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#45. Marion County
- Population aged 65 or older: 19.6%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 20.0%
- Median age: 41 years old
--- Median age of males: 39.7 years old
--- Median age of females: 42.7 years old
- Total population: 56,233 people
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#44. Boone County
- Population aged 65 or older: 19.9%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 21.3%
- Median age: 44 years old
--- Median age of males: 43.2 years old
--- Median age of females: 45.1 years old
- Total population: 21,897 people
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#43. Preston County
- Population aged 65 or older: 20%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 18.8%
- Median age: 43.3 years old
--- Median age of males: 42.3 years old
--- Median age of females: 44.9 years old
- Total population: 33,610 people
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#42. Wirt County
- Population aged 65 or older: 20%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 20.9%
- Median age: 46.1 years old
--- Median age of males: 43.8 years old
--- Median age of females: 46.5 years old
- Total population: 5,764 people
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#41. Barbour County
- Population aged 65 or older: 20.1%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 19.6%
- Median age: 42 years old
--- Median age of males: 41.8 years old
--- Median age of females: 42.1 years old
- Total population: 16,543 people
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#40. Logan County
- Population aged 65 or older: 20.1%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 20.6%
- Median age: 43.9 years old
--- Median age of males: 43.2 years old
--- Median age of females: 45 years old
- Total population: 32,593 people
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#39. Taylor County
- Population aged 65 or older: 20.1%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 20.0%
- Median age: 43.9 years old
--- Median age of males: 42.6 years old
--- Median age of females: 44.8 years old
- Total population: 16,817 people
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#38. Jackson County
- Population aged 65 or older: 20.2%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 21.7%
- Median age: 43.5 years old
--- Median age of males: 41 years old
--- Median age of females: 45.9 years old
- Total population: 28,793 people
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#37. Wood County
- Population aged 65 or older: 20.4%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 21.0%
- Median age: 43.8 years old
--- Median age of males: 42.7 years old
--- Median age of females: 44.9 years old
- Total population: 84,387 people
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#36. Upshur County
- Population aged 65 or older: 20.5%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 20.1%
- Median age: 42 years old
--- Median age of males: 41.2 years old
--- Median age of females: 43 years old
- Total population: 24,451 people
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#35. Kanawha County
- Population aged 65 or older: 20.5%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 20.0%
- Median age: 43.6 years old
--- Median age of males: 41.8 years old
--- Median age of females: 45.1 years old
- Total population: 181,014 people
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#34. Lewis County
- Population aged 65 or older: 20.5%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 21.5%
- Median age: 44.3 years old
--- Median age of males: 43.4 years old
--- Median age of females: 45.4 years old
- Total population: 16,024 people
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#33. Clay County
- Population aged 65 or older: 20.5%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 22.4%
- Median age: 44.4 years old
--- Median age of males: 42.3 years old
--- Median age of females: 45.6 years old
- Total population: 8,599 people
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#32. Raleigh County
- Population aged 65 or older: 20.7%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 20.7%
- Median age: 42.3 years old
--- Median age of males: 40.7 years old
--- Median age of females: 44.3 years old
- Total population: 74,452 people
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#31. Mason County
- Population aged 65 or older: 20.9%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 20.6%
- Median age: 44.4 years old
--- Median age of males: 43.6 years old
--- Median age of females: 45.2 years old
- Total population: 26,700 people
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#30. Wayne County
- Population aged 65 or older: 20.9%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 20.5%
- Median age: 44.5 years old
--- Median age of males: 43.8 years old
--- Median age of females: 45.2 years old
- Total population: 39,952 people
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#29. Fayette County
- Population aged 65 or older: 21.1%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 20.6%
- Median age: 44.5 years old
--- Median age of males: 43.6 years old
--- Median age of females: 45.6 years old
- Total population: 43,087 people
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#28. Doddridge County
- Population aged 65 or older: 21.1%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 15.6%
- Median age: 46 years old
--- Median age of males: 42.1 years old
--- Median age of females: 47.3 years old
- Total population: 8,499 people
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#27. McDowell County
- Population aged 65 or older: 21.5%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 20.5%
- Median age: 45.5 years old
--- Median age of males: 42.8 years old
--- Median age of females: 48.8 years old
- Total population: 18,083 people
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#26. Mineral County
- Population aged 65 or older: 21.7%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 19.9%
- Median age: 44.4 years old
--- Median age of males: 41.5 years old
--- Median age of females: 47.1 years old
- Total population: 27,047 people
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#25. Wyoming County
- Population aged 65 or older: 21.7%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 20.6%
- Median age: 45 years old
--- Median age of males: 44.1 years old
--- Median age of females: 46 years old
- Total population: 20,890 people
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#24. Roane County
- Population aged 65 or older: 21.7%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 21.5%
- Median age: 46.1 years old
--- Median age of males: 45.1 years old
--- Median age of females: 46.7 years old
- Total population: 13,831 people
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#23. Ohio County
- Population aged 65 or older: 21.8%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 19.2%
- Median age: 43.2 years old
--- Median age of males: 41.5 years old
--- Median age of females: 45.4 years old
- Total population: 41,875 people
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#22. Randolph County
- Population aged 65 or older: 22%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 19.5%
- Median age: 43.8 years old
--- Median age of males: 42.8 years old
--- Median age of females: 46.1 years old
- Total population: 28,763 people
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#21. Mercer County
- Population aged 65 or older: 22.1%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 20.5%
- Median age: 43.4 years old
--- Median age of males: 41.9 years old
--- Median age of females: 45.1 years old
- Total population: 59,370 people
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#20. Hardy County
- Population aged 65 or older: 22.1%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 20.6%
- Median age: 45.4 years old
--- Median age of males: 45.1 years old
--- Median age of females: 46 years old
- Total population: 13,789 people
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#19. Marshall County
- Population aged 65 or older: 22.3%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 19.4%
- Median age: 46 years old
--- Median age of males: 43.7 years old
--- Median age of females: 47.5 years old
- Total population: 30,900 people
38 / 55
#18. Tyler County
- Population aged 65 or older: 22.4%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 19.6%
- Median age: 47.9 years old
--- Median age of males: 47.7 years old
--- Median age of females: 48.1 years old
- Total population: 8,736 people
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#17. Nicholas County
- Population aged 65 or older: 22.7%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 20.5%
- Median age: 45.3 years old
--- Median age of males: 44.7 years old
--- Median age of females: 45.7 years old
- Total population: 24,857 people
40 / 55
#16. Hampshire County
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#15. Braxton County
- Population aged 65 or older: 22.9%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 19.8%
- Median age: 46.4 years old
--- Median age of males: 45.1 years old
--- Median age of females: 46.6 years old
- Total population: 14,032 people
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#14. Greenbrier County
- Population aged 65 or older: 23.2%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 19.4%
- Median age: 45.9 years old
--- Median age of males: 44.5 years old
--- Median age of females: 47.3 years old
- Total population: 34,893 people
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#13. Hancock County
- Population aged 65 or older: 23.2%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 19.0%
- Median age: 47 years old
--- Median age of males: 45.7 years old
--- Median age of females: 48 years old
- Total population: 29,118 people
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#12. Ritchie County
- Population aged 65 or older: 23.3%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 20.2%
- Median age: 47.1 years old
--- Median age of males: 46.4 years old
--- Median age of females: 47.5 years old
- Total population: 9,747 people
45 / 55
#11. Webster County
46 / 55
#10. Morgan County
- Population aged 65 or older: 23.3%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 17.8%
- Median age: 48.5 years old
--- Median age of males: 47.8 years old
--- Median age of females: 48.8 years old
- Total population: 17,800 people
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#9. Brooke County
- Population aged 65 or older: 23.4%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 17.6%
- Median age: 46.2 years old
--- Median age of males: 44.7 years old
--- Median age of females: 47.7 years old
- Total population: 22,162 people
48 / 55
#8. Wetzel County
- Population aged 65 or older: 23.6%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 20.3%
- Median age: 46.6 years old
--- Median age of males: 45.9 years old
--- Median age of females: 47.1 years old
- Total population: 15,291 people
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#7. Grant County
- Population aged 65 or older: 24.4%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 18.5%
- Median age: 46.7 years old
--- Median age of males: 46.1 years old
--- Median age of females: 46.9 years old
- Total population: 11,565 people
50 / 55
#6. Calhoun County
51 / 55
#5. Monroe County
- Population aged 65 or older: 24.7%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 20.1%
- Median age: 46.7 years old
--- Median age of males: 44.7 years old
--- Median age of females: 49.5 years old
- Total population: 13,344 people
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#4. Pocahontas County
- Population aged 65 or older: 25.6%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 17.3%
- Median age: 49.5 years old
--- Median age of males: 49.5 years old
--- Median age of females: 49.3 years old
- Total population: 8,382 people
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#3. Summers County
- Population aged 65 or older: 25.6%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 16.4%
- Median age: 49.6 years old
--- Median age of males: 49.6 years old
--- Median age of females: 49.6 years old
- Total population: 12,710 people
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#2. Tucker County
- Population aged 65 or older: 26.1%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 15.6%
- Median age: 49.8 years old
--- Median age of males: 49.2 years old
--- Median age of females: 50.9 years old
- Total population: 6,943 people
55 / 55
#1. Pendleton County
- Population aged 65 or older: 28.1%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 17.1%
- Median age: 51.8 years old
--- Median age of males: 51.5 years old
--- Median age of females: 52.2 years old
- Total population: 6,968 people
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