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 Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin.
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#50. Dodge County
- Population aged 65 or older: 17.7%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 19.8%
- Median age: 43 years old
--- Median age of males: 42 years old
--- Median age of females: 44.6 years old
- Total population: 87,569 people
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#49. Chippewa County
- Population aged 65 or older: 17.8%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 22.1%
- Median age: 41.3 years old
--- Median age of males: 40.7 years old
--- Median age of females: 42 years old
- Total population: 64,175 people
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#48. Columbia County
- Population aged 65 or older: 17.8%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 21.3%
- Median age: 42.7 years old
--- Median age of males: 41.7 years old
--- Median age of females: 43.9 years old
- Total population: 57,331 people
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#47. Sheboygan County
- Population aged 65 or older: 17.9%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 22.1%
- Median age: 41.3 years old
--- Median age of males: 40.2 years old
--- Median age of females: 42.8 years old
- Total population: 115,152 people
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#46. Washington County
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#45. Trempealeau County
- Population aged 65 or older: 18.1%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 25.0%
- Median age: 40.7 years old
--- Median age of males: 40.4 years old
--- Median age of females: 41.1 years old
- Total population: 29,525 people
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#44. Sauk County
- Population aged 65 or older: 18.4%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 22.8%
- Median age: 41 years old
--- Median age of males: 40 years old
--- Median age of females: 42.2 years old
- Total population: 64,152 people
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#43. Fond du Lac County
- Population aged 65 or older: 18.4%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 21.4%
- Median age: 41.7 years old
--- Median age of males: 40.7 years old
--- Median age of females: 42.7 years old
- Total population: 102,654 people
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#42. Iowa County
- Population aged 65 or older: 18.5%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 22.7%
- Median age: 42.9 years old
--- Median age of males: 42 years old
--- Median age of females: 44 years old
- Total population: 23,632 people
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#41. Douglas County
- Population aged 65 or older: 18.6%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 19.7%
- Median age: 42.3 years old
--- Median age of males: 41.9 years old
--- Median age of females: 42.9 years old
- Total population: 43,497 people
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#40. Waukesha County
- Population aged 65 or older: 18.6%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 21.5%
- Median age: 43.1 years old
--- Median age of males: 41.8 years old
--- Median age of females: 44.6 years old
- Total population: 402,637 people
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#39. Green County
- Population aged 65 or older: 18.6%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 22.1%
- Median age: 43.4 years old
--- Median age of males: 43.1 years old
--- Median age of females: 43.8 years old
- Total population: 36,790 people
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#38. Lafayette County
- Population aged 65 or older: 18.9%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 24.2%
- Median age: 41.7 years old
--- Median age of males: 40.8 years old
--- Median age of females: 42.6 years old
- Total population: 16,682 people
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#37. Jackson County
- Population aged 65 or older: 18.9%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 21.8%
- Median age: 42 years old
--- Median age of males: 39.8 years old
--- Median age of females: 44.3 years old
- Total population: 20,556 people
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#36. Taylor County
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#35. Ashland County
- Population aged 65 or older: 19.5%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 22.0%
- Median age: 41.6 years old
--- Median age of males: 39.4 years old
--- Median age of females: 43.2 years old
- Total population: 15,524 people
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#34. Vernon County
- Population aged 65 or older: 19.5%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 26.0%
- Median age: 42 years old
--- Median age of males: 40.9 years old
--- Median age of females: 43 years old
- Total population: 30,759 people
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#33. Ozaukee County
- Population aged 65 or older: 19.8%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 21.3%
- Median age: 44 years old
--- Median age of males: 42.6 years old
--- Median age of females: 45.8 years old
- Total population: 89,179 people
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#32. Manitowoc County
- Population aged 65 or older: 20.4%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 20.6%
- Median age: 44.9 years old
--- Median age of males: 43.5 years old
--- Median age of females: 46.4 years old
- Total population: 78,977 people
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#31. Juneau County
- Population aged 65 or older: 20.4%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 20.1%
- Median age: 45.6 years old
--- Median age of males: 44.5 years old
--- Median age of females: 47.5 years old
- Total population: 26,603 people
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#30. Wood County
- Population aged 65 or older: 20.5%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 21.6%
- Median age: 43.9 years old
--- Median age of males: 42.6 years old
--- Median age of females: 45.3 years old
- Total population: 72,892 people
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#29. Kewaunee County
- Population aged 65 or older: 20.6%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 21.2%
- Median age: 44.2 years old
--- Median age of males: 43.4 years old
--- Median age of females: 45.2 years old
- Total population: 20,398 people
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#28. Waupaca County
- Population aged 65 or older: 20.6%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 20.4%
- Median age: 45.5 years old
--- Median age of males: 44.6 years old
--- Median age of females: 46.3 years old
- Total population: 50,997 people
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#27. Polk County
- Population aged 65 or older: 20.6%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 20.9%
- Median age: 45.9 years old
--- Median age of males: 45 years old
--- Median age of females: 46.6 years old
- Total population: 43,549 people
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#26. Oconto County
- Population aged 65 or older: 20.6%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 20.1%
- Median age: 47.2 years old
--- Median age of males: 46.8 years old
--- Median age of females: 47.5 years old
- Total population: 37,870 people
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#25. Shawano County
- Population aged 65 or older: 21.2%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 21.5%
- Median age: 45.5 years old
--- Median age of males: 44.9 years old
--- Median age of females: 46.1 years old
- Total population: 40,813 people
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#24. Lincoln County
- Population aged 65 or older: 21.6%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 18.4%
- Median age: 47.9 years old
--- Median age of males: 46.9 years old
--- Median age of females: 48.8 years old
- Total population: 27,687 people
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#23. Barron County
- Population aged 65 or older: 21.9%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 21.7%
- Median age: 44.4 years old
--- Median age of males: 42.7 years old
--- Median age of females: 46 years old
- Total population: 45,182 people
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#22. Green Lake County
- Population aged 65 or older: 22%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 22.2%
- Median age: 45.6 years old
--- Median age of males: 44.9 years old
--- Median age of females: 46.1 years old
- Total population: 18,807 people
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#21. Buffalo County
- Population aged 65 or older: 22.2%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 20.4%
- Median age: 46.6 years old
--- Median age of males: 46.8 years old
--- Median age of females: 46.5 years old
- Total population: 13,087 people
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#20. Pepin County
- Population aged 65 or older: 22.3%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 20.8%
- Median age: 46.8 years old
--- Median age of males: 46.3 years old
--- Median age of females: 47 years old
- Total population: 7,261 people
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#19. Richland County
- Population aged 65 or older: 23.1%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 21.6%
- Median age: 45.8 years old
--- Median age of males: 44.3 years old
--- Median age of females: 46.6 years old
- Total population: 17,408 people
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#18. Forest County
- Population aged 65 or older: 23.3%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 19.8%
- Median age: 47.2 years old
--- Median age of males: 46.5 years old
--- Median age of females: 48.2 years old
- Total population: 9,003 people
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#17. Crawford County
- Population aged 65 or older: 23.4%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 19.9%
- Median age: 47 years old
--- Median age of males: 44.7 years old
--- Median age of females: 48.8 years old
- Total population: 16,155 people
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#16. Marinette County
- Population aged 65 or older: 23.7%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 18.9%
- Median age: 48.9 years old
--- Median age of males: 48.4 years old
--- Median age of females: 49.5 years old
- Total population: 40,312 people
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#15. Langlade County
- Population aged 65 or older: 23.8%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 19.4%
- Median age: 48.8 years old
--- Median age of males: 47.3 years old
--- Median age of females: 50 years old
- Total population: 19,167 people
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#14. Rusk County
- Population aged 65 or older: 24.2%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 20.4%
- Median age: 48.9 years old
--- Median age of males: 48.2 years old
--- Median age of females: 49.7 years old
- Total population: 14,074 people
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#13. Waushara County
- Population aged 65 or older: 24.3%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 18.3%
- Median age: 49.6 years old
--- Median age of males: 48.6 years old
--- Median age of females: 50.7 years old
- Total population: 24,256 people
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#12. Marquette County
- Population aged 65 or older: 24.6%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 19.4%
- Median age: 50.2 years old
--- Median age of males: 49.5 years old
--- Median age of females: 51 years old
- Total population: 15,380 people
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#11. Oneida County
- Population aged 65 or older: 25.9%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 17.3%
- Median age: 51.4 years old
--- Median age of males: 50.5 years old
--- Median age of females: 52.3 years old
- Total population: 35,480 people
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#10. Price County
- Population aged 65 or older: 25.9%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 17.0%
- Median age: 51.9 years old
--- Median age of males: 51.1 years old
--- Median age of females: 52.8 years old
- Total population: 13,351 people
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#9. Sawyer County
- Population aged 65 or older: 26.1%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 18.8%
- Median age: 50.7 years old
--- Median age of males: 49.8 years old
--- Median age of females: 51.5 years old
- Total population: 16,477 people
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#8. Florence County
- Population aged 65 or older: 26.3%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 15.4%
- Median age: 54.3 years old
--- Median age of males: 53.1 years old
--- Median age of females: 55.2 years old
- Total population: 4,312 people
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#7. Washburn County
- Population aged 65 or older: 26.6%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 18.8%
- Median age: 51.7 years old
--- Median age of males: 51.8 years old
--- Median age of females: 51.6 years old
- Total population: 15,726 people
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#6. Bayfield County
- Population aged 65 or older: 28%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 17.3%
- Median age: 52.6 years old
--- Median age of males: 52.2 years old
--- Median age of females: 53.2 years old
- Total population: 15,088 people
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#5. Burnett County
- Population aged 65 or older: 28.7%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 17.6%
- Median age: 53.1 years old
--- Median age of males: 52.7 years old
--- Median age of females: 53.7 years old
- Total population: 15,363 people
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#4. Adams County
- Population aged 65 or older: 29.4%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 14.7%
- Median age: 54.2 years old
--- Median age of males: 52.5 years old
--- Median age of females: 56 years old
- Total population: 20,208 people
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#3. Door County
- Population aged 65 or older: 29.8%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 16.3%
- Median age: 53.3 years old
--- Median age of males: 51.9 years old
--- Median age of females: 54.7 years old
- Total population: 27,621 people
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#2. Iron County
- Population aged 65 or older: 30.8%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 14.7%
- Median age: 55.6 years old
--- Median age of males: 55.5 years old
--- Median age of females: 55.7 years old
- Total population: 5,679 people
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#1. Vilas County
- Population aged 65 or older: 31.1%
- Population aged 18 and younger: 16.5%
- Median age: 55.1 years old
--- Median age of males: 54.3 years old
--- Median age of females: 55.9 years old
- Total population: 21,923 people
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