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 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 Virginia.
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#50. Bristol
- Population aged 65 or older: 21.5%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 20.8%
- Median age: 42.4 years old
--- Median age of males: 39.5 years old
--- Median age of females: 43.9 years old
- Total population: 17,059 people
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#49. Shenandoah County
- Population aged 65 or older: 21.5%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 21.1%
- Median age: 44.5 years old
--- Median age of males: 42.5 years old
--- Median age of females: 45.8 years old
- Total population: 43,441 people
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#48. Giles County
- Population aged 65 or older: 21.5%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 20.5%
- Median age: 44.7 years old
--- Median age of males: 43.6 years old
--- Median age of females: 45.5 years old
- Total population: 16,760 people
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#47. Bedford County
- Population aged 65 or older: 21.5%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 20.0%
- Median age: 46.6 years old
--- Median age of males: 46 years old
--- Median age of females: 47.4 years old
- Total population: 78,965 people
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#46. Roanoke County
- Population aged 65 or older: 21.6%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 20.1%
- Median age: 43.5 years old
--- Median age of males: 40.9 years old
--- Median age of females: 45.8 years old
- Total population: 94,103 people
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#45. Norton
- Population aged 65 or older: 21.6%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 16.0%
- Median age: 43.7 years old
--- Median age of males: 37.1 years old
--- Median age of females: 53 years old
- Total population: 3,969 people
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#44. Richmond County
- Population aged 65 or older: 21.6%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 17.1%
- Median age: 44.4 years old
--- Median age of males: 41.3 years old
--- Median age of females: 48.5 years old
- Total population: 8,951 people
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#43. Lee County
- Population aged 65 or older: 21.7%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 18.3%
- Median age: 45.4 years old
--- Median age of males: 43.3 years old
--- Median age of females: 48 years old
- Total population: 23,723 people
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#42. Lunenburg County
- Population aged 65 or older: 21.9%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 19.8%
- Median age: 44.5 years old
--- Median age of males: 43.1 years old
--- Median age of females: 47.2 years old
- Total population: 12,294 people
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#41. Craig County
- Population aged 65 or older: 21.9%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 17.7%
- Median age: 47.9 years old
--- Median age of males: 50.5 years old
--- Median age of females: 46.8 years old
- Total population: 5,103 people
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#40. Smyth County
- Population aged 65 or older: 22.1%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 19.3%
- Median age: 45.4 years old
--- Median age of males: 43.4 years old
--- Median age of females: 46.8 years old
- Total population: 30,539 people
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#39. Charlotte County
- Population aged 65 or older: 22.1%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 22.1%
- Median age: 46.1 years old
--- Median age of males: 43.4 years old
--- Median age of females: 48.5 years old
- Total population: 11,953 people
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#38. Dickenson County
- Population aged 65 or older: 22.2%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 19.2%
- Median age: 45.2 years old
--- Median age of males: 43.5 years old
--- Median age of females: 46.4 years old
- Total population: 14,524 people
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#37. Tazewell County
- Population aged 65 or older: 22.2%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 19.4%
- Median age: 45.3 years old
--- Median age of males: 42.6 years old
--- Median age of females: 47.3 years old
- Total population: 41,201 people
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#36. Cumberland County
- Population aged 65 or older: 22.3%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 19.7%
- Median age: 44.9 years old
--- Median age of males: 45.1 years old
--- Median age of females: 44.8 years old
- Total population: 9,869 people
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#35. Buchanan County
- Population aged 65 or older: 22.3%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 17.1%
- Median age: 47.6 years old
--- Median age of males: 46.1 years old
--- Median age of females: 48.7 years old
- Total population: 21,374 people
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#34. Goochland County
- Population aged 65 or older: 22.3%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 17.7%
- Median age: 48.6 years old
--- Median age of males: 46.7 years old
--- Median age of females: 50 years old
- Total population: 23,472 people
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#33. Surry County
- Population aged 65 or older: 22.3%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 17.7%
- Median age: 50 years old
--- Median age of males: 49.8 years old
--- Median age of females: 50.1 years old
- Total population: 6,459 people
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#32. Botetourt County
- Population aged 65 or older: 22.5%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 19.3%
- Median age: 47.4 years old
--- Median age of males: 46.6 years old
--- Median age of females: 48.3 years old
- Total population: 33,440 people
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#31. Pittsylvania County
- Population aged 65 or older: 22.6%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 18.8%
- Median age: 47.6 years old
--- Median age of males: 46.2 years old
--- Median age of females: 48.7 years old
- Total population: 60,867 people
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#30. Pulaski County
- Population aged 65 or older: 22.7%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 17.8%
- Median age: 47.1 years old
--- Median age of males: 45.6 years old
--- Median age of females: 49 years old
- Total population: 34,113 people
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#29. Essex County
- Population aged 65 or older: 22.8%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 18.6%
- Median age: 46.7 years old
--- Median age of males: 47.3 years old
--- Median age of females: 45.7 years old
- Total population: 10,960 people
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#28. Washington County
- Population aged 65 or older: 22.9%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 18.1%
- Median age: 46.4 years old
--- Median age of males: 45 years old
--- Median age of females: 47.6 years old
- Total population: 54,005 people
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#27. Bland County
- Population aged 65 or older: 23%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 16.2%
- Median age: 46.1 years old
--- Median age of males: 41.9 years old
--- Median age of females: 51.3 years old
- Total population: 6,334 people
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#26. Madison County
- Population aged 65 or older: 23.2%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 20.8%
- Median age: 46.4 years old
--- Median age of males: 45.5 years old
--- Median age of females: 47.3 years old
- Total population: 13,208 people
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#25. Floyd County
- Population aged 65 or older: 23.2%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 19.1%
- Median age: 47.6 years old
--- Median age of males: 46.4 years old
--- Median age of females: 48.3 years old
- Total population: 15,766 people
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#24. Accomack County
- Population aged 65 or older: 23.5%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 20.8%
- Median age: 45.8 years old
--- Median age of males: 42.6 years old
--- Median age of females: 47.1 years old
- Total population: 32,560 people
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#23. Franklin County
- Population aged 65 or older: 23.5%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 19.0%
- Median age: 48 years old
--- Median age of males: 46.7 years old
--- Median age of females: 49.2 years old
- Total population: 56,231 people
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#22. King and Queen County
- Population aged 65 or older: 23.5%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 19.0%
- Median age: 48 years old
--- Median age of males: 45.9 years old
--- Median age of females: 49.4 years old
- Total population: 7,011 people
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#21. Henry County
- Population aged 65 or older: 24%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 19.5%
- Median age: 48.1 years old
--- Median age of males: 46.1 years old
--- Median age of females: 49.3 years old
- Total population: 51,032 people
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#20. Scott County
- Population aged 65 or older: 24.1%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 18.3%
- Median age: 47.6 years old
--- Median age of males: 45.8 years old
--- Median age of females: 49.3 years old
- Total population: 21,761 people
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#19. Halifax County
- Population aged 65 or older: 24.2%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 20.4%
- Median age: 46.3 years old
--- Median age of males: 44.4 years old
--- Median age of females: 48.1 years old
- Total population: 34,295 people
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#18. Alleghany County
- Population aged 65 or older: 24.2%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 19.0%
- Median age: 48 years old
--- Median age of males: 46.1 years old
--- Median age of females: 50 years old
- Total population: 15,030 people
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#17. Carroll County
- Population aged 65 or older: 24.5%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 18.2%
- Median age: 48.3 years old
--- Median age of males: 47 years old
--- Median age of females: 49.8 years old
- Total population: 29,911 people
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#16. Charles City County
- Population aged 65 or older: 24.9%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 15.1%
- Median age: 51.3 years old
--- Median age of males: 50.1 years old
--- Median age of females: 52.7 years old
- Total population: 6,965 people
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#15. Grayson County
- Population aged 65 or older: 25.1%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 16.7%
- Median age: 48.4 years old
--- Median age of males: 47 years old
--- Median age of females: 50.4 years old
- Total population: 15,651 people
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#14. Westmoreland County
- Population aged 65 or older: 25.3%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 18.8%
- Median age: 48.1 years old
--- Median age of males: 45.8 years old
--- Median age of females: 49.7 years old
- Total population: 17,873 people
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#13. James City County
- Population aged 65 or older: 25.4%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 19.8%
- Median age: 46.8 years old
--- Median age of males: 44.9 years old
--- Median age of females: 48.6 years old
- Total population: 76,032 people
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#12. Mecklenburg County
- Population aged 65 or older: 25.6%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 18.6%
- Median age: 48.5 years old
--- Median age of males: 45.8 years old
--- Median age of females: 51 years old
- Total population: 30,726 people
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#11. Rockbridge County
- Population aged 65 or older: 25.8%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 18.0%
- Median age: 49 years old
--- Median age of males: 47.7 years old
--- Median age of females: 50 years old
- Total population: 22,728 people
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#10. Rappahannock County
- Population aged 65 or older: 25.9%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 18.8%
- Median age: 49.2 years old
--- Median age of males: 47.1 years old
--- Median age of females: 50.6 years old
- Total population: 7,360 people
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#9. Patrick County
- Population aged 65 or older: 26.7%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 17.5%
- Median age: 50.4 years old
--- Median age of males: 49.3 years old
--- Median age of females: 52.2 years old
- Total population: 17,660 people
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#8. Bath County
- Population aged 65 or older: 26.8%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 14.8%
- Median age: 48.9 years old
--- Median age of males: 49.7 years old
--- Median age of females: 47.9 years old
- Total population: 4,248 people
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#7. Northampton County
- Population aged 65 or older: 26.8%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 19.6%
- Median age: 49.8 years old
--- Median age of males: 45.9 years old
--- Median age of females: 52.3 years old
- Total population: 11,826 people
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#6. Nelson County
- Population aged 65 or older: 27.1%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 17.6%
- Median age: 51.3 years old
--- Median age of males: 47.6 years old
--- Median age of females: 53.6 years old
- Total population: 14,812 people
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#5. Mathews County
- Population aged 65 or older: 30.1%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 15.1%
- Median age: 53.7 years old
--- Median age of males: 48.6 years old
--- Median age of females: 57.7 years old
- Total population: 8,760 people
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#4. Middlesex County
- Population aged 65 or older: 32.1%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 16.1%
- Median age: 54.7 years old
--- Median age of males: 52 years old
--- Median age of females: 56.2 years old
- Total population: 10,642 people
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#3. Lancaster County
- Population aged 65 or older: 36.1%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 15.7%
- Median age: 57.2 years old
--- Median age of males: 57.8 years old
--- Median age of females: 56.8 years old
- Total population: 10,686 people
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#2. Northumberland County
- Population aged 65 or older: 38.5%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 14.6%
- Median age: 59.3 years old
--- Median age of males: 59.9 years old
--- Median age of females: 59.2 years old
- Total population: 12,151 people
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#1. Highland County
- Population aged 65 or older: 38.8%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 14.0%
- Median age: 59.5 years old
--- Median age of males: 60.7 years old
--- Median age of females: 58.9 years old
- Total population: 2,202 people
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