Older population by state
Maine has the highest share of residents 65 and older, 24.6% on July 1, 2025, followed by Vermont (24.1%) and New Hampshire (23.0%); Utah has the lowest (13.0%). By number, California (6,901,168) and Florida (5,346,788) have the most older residents. Nationally the share is 18.9%1.
Data as of October 29, 2026 (newest release used on this page).
Source: Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2025; Census Bureau, 2024 Cartographic Boundary Files. Darker states are higher; DC is the dot. Period: July 1, 2025.
Highest and lowest shares of residents 65 and older
Northern New England has the oldest population mix in the country. On July 1, 2025, 24.6% of Maine residents were 65 or older, the highest in the nation and 5.7 percentage points above the US figure (18.9%). Vermont (24.1%) and New Hampshire (23.0%) follow. Delaware and Florida share fourth place at 22.8%, just ahead of Hawaii (22.6%) and West Virginia (22.5%1).
At the other end, Utah has the smallest share, 13.0%, lower than every bordering state (Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada and Wyoming). The District of Columbia (13.6%), Texas (14.9%), Alaska (15.8%) and Georgia (16.7%) complete the bottom five. The gap between first and last runs from 13.0% in Utah to 24.6% in Maine1.
| 1 | Maine | 24.6% | Higher | +2.7% | 347,617 | 2.6% | 42.2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Vermont | 24.1% | Higher | +3.4% | 155,289 | 2.4% | 40.9 |
| 3 | New Hampshire | 23.0% | Higher | +3.6% | 325,383 | 2.3% | 38.5 |
| 4 | Florida | 22.8% | Higher | +1.6% | 5,346,788 | 2.7% | 39.1 |
| 5 | Delaware | 22.8% | Higher | +3.0% | 241,321 | 2.1% | 39.6 |
| 6 | Hawaii | 22.6% | Higher | +3.1% | 324,150 | 3.0% | 39.2 |
| 7 | West Virginia | 22.5% | Higher | +2.0% | 398,189 | 2.2% | 38.9 |
| 8 | Montana | 22.2% | Higher | +2.2% | 253,772 | 2.2% | 38.5 |
| 9 | Pennsylvania | 21.4% | Higher | +2.3% | 2,799,790 | 2.5% | 36.4 |
| 10 | New Mexico | 21.1% | Higher | +2.5% | 448,253 | 2.1% | 36.2 |
| 11 | South Carolina | 21.1% | Higher | +2.0% | 1,173,259 | 2.0% | 36.1 |
| 12 | Oregon | 21.0% | Higher | +2.2% | 898,568 | 2.2% | 35.1 |
| 13 | Rhode Island | 20.9% | Higher | +2.6% | 233,061 | 2.4% | 34.1 |
| 14 | Wisconsin | 20.8% | Higher | +2.7% | 1,241,547 | 2.2% | 35.4 |
| 15 | Wyoming | 20.7% | Higher | +2.9% | 121,648 | 1.9% | 35.8 |
| 16 | Arizona | 20.6% | Higher | +1.9% | 1,571,773 | 2.2% | 35.3 |
| 17 | Michigan | 20.5% | Higher | +2.5% | 2,076,467 | 2.1% | 34.7 |
| 18 | Connecticut | 20.4% | Higher | +2.4% | 751,845 | 2.5% | 33.9 |
| 19 | Ohio | 20.2% | Higher | +2.1% | 2,398,129 | 2.2% | 34.4 |
| 20 | Iowa | 20.1% | Higher | +2.0% | 649,656 | 2.5% | 34.8 |
| 21 | Massachusetts | 19.9% | Higher | +2.3% | 1,421,793 | 2.3% | 32.3 |
| 22 | Missouri | 19.6% | Higher | +2.0% | 1,230,134 | 2.1% | 33.4 |
| 23 | Alabama | 19.4% | Higher | +1.8% | 1,009,814 | 2.0% | 32.9 |
| 24 | South Dakota | 19.4% | Higher | +1.6% | 181,082 | 2.3% | 33.9 |
| 25 | Mississippi | 19.3% | Higher | +2.1% | 571,344 | 1.9% | 33.1 |
| 26 | New York | 19.3% | Higher | +2.5% | 3,860,551 | 2.4% | 31.5 |
| 27 | Minnesota | 19.1% | Higher | +2.4% | 1,113,573 | 2.2% | 32.4 |
| 28 | Arkansas | 19.0% | Higher | +1.4% | 591,966 | 2.0% | 32.5 |
| 29 | North Carolina | 18.9% | Higher | +1.7% | 2,119,438 | 1.9% | 31.5 |
| 30 | Kansas | 18.9% | Lower | +2.1% | 561,319 | 2.1% | 32.4 |
| 31 | Kentucky | 18.8% | Lower | +1.7% | 868,019 | 1.8% | 31.9 |
| 32 | Louisiana | 18.8% | Lower | +2.4% | 868,225 | 1.9% | 32.2 |
| 33 | Illinois | 18.7% | Lower | +2.3% | 2,379,145 | 2.2% | 30.8 |
| 34 | Idaho | 18.7% | Lower | +1.7% | 379,157 | 1.8% | 32.2 |
| 35 | Tennessee | 18.6% | Lower | +1.5% | 1,360,588 | 1.8% | 31.1 |
| 36 | New Jersey | 18.5% | Lower | +2.0% | 1,767,250 | 2.2% | 30.5 |
| 37 | Indiana | 18.4% | Lower | +1.9% | 1,284,435 | 1.9% | 31.2 |
| 38 | Virginia | 18.4% | Lower | +2.2% | 1,633,891 | 1.9% | 30.3 |
| 39 | Maryland | 18.4% | Lower | +2.4% | 1,149,859 | 2.0% | 30.4 |
| 40 | Nevada | 18.3% | Lower | +1.8% | 599,211 | 1.6% | 29.9 |
| 41 | Washington | 18.3% | Lower | +1.9% | 1,460,563 | 1.9% | 29.8 |
| 42 | Nebraska | 18.3% | Lower | +1.8% | 368,331 | 2.0% | 31.5 |
| 43 | Oklahoma | 18.0% | Lower | +1.5% | 741,085 | 1.9% | 30.6 |
| 44 | North Dakota | 17.9% | Lower | +2.0% | 143,139 | 2.2% | 30.2 |
| 45 | California | 17.5% | Lower | +2.3% | 6,901,168 | 2.1% | 28.4 |
| 46 | Colorado | 17.1% | Lower | +2.0% | 1,029,188 | 1.7% | 27.3 |
| 47 | Georgia | 16.7% | Lower | +1.9% | 1,884,140 | 1.6% | 27.3 |
| 48 | Alaska | 15.8% | Lower | +2.7% | 116,192 | 1.1% | 25.9 |
| 49 | Texas | 14.9% | Lower | +1.4% | 4,711,381 | 1.5% | 24.3 |
| 50 | District of Columbia | 13.6% | Lower | +0.9% | 94,423 | 1.7% | 19.9 |
| 51 | Utah | 13.0% | Lower | +1.3% | 460,179 | 1.3% | 21.3 |
| United States | 18.9% | 64,617,088 | 2.1% | 31.5 |
Source: Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2025. Period: July 1, 2025. "=" marks a tie at the displayed precision.
The middle of the table is crowded. The median state is at 19.3%, a little above the national 18.9%: several of the most populous states, including California, Texas and Georgia, have smaller shares than most. 29 states sit above the national share and 221, counting DC, below it; Kansas and North Carolina round to the national figure.
Where the most older residents live
Counting people instead of shares gives a different list. California had 6,901,168 residents 65 and older, most of any state, even though its share (17.5%) is 7th lowest. Florida (5,346,788) and Texas (4,711,381) are next, then New York and Pennsylvania1.
Source: Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2025. Period: July 1, 2025.
Show the numbers
| State | Residents 65 and older, 2025 |
|---|---|
| California | 6,901,168 |
| Florida | 5,346,788 |
| Texas | 4,711,381 |
| New York | 3,860,551 |
| Pennsylvania | 2,799,790 |
| Ohio | 2,398,129 |
| Illinois | 2,379,145 |
| North Carolina | 2,119,438 |
| Michigan | 2,076,467 |
| Georgia | 1,884,140 |
Florida ranks high on both lists: second by number and tied for 4th highest by share, higher than every bordering state (Alabama and Georgia). Texas is the opposite case: 3rd most by number, with 4.7 million older residents, but 3rd lowest by share. Maine, first by share, has only 348,000 residents 65 and older, 12th fewest1 among the states.
The smallest older populations are in the District of Columbia (94,423), Alaska (116,192) and Wyoming (121,648). In all, the country had 64.6 million1 people 65 and older.
States with more older residents than children
Nationally, residents under 18 still outnumber those 65 and older: 72,021,348 children against 64,617,0881 older residents on July 1, 2025. In the states below, the order is reversed. The list runs from New England and the Mid-Atlantic through the Great Lakes to the Mountain West, the Pacific and the South Atlantic coast.
| Maine | 347,617 | 244,245 | 24.6% | 17.3% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vermont | 155,289 | 109,614 | 24.1% | 17.0% |
| New Hampshire | 325,383 | 245,065 | 23.0% | 17.3% |
| Florida | 5,346,788 | 4,442,722 | 22.8% | 18.9% |
| Delaware | 241,321 | 209,989 | 22.8% | 19.8% |
| Hawaii | 324,150 | 281,717 | 22.6% | 19.7% |
| West Virginia | 398,189 | 344,349 | 22.5% | 19.5% |
| Montana | 253,772 | 231,653 | 22.2% | 20.2% |
| Pennsylvania | 2,799,790 | 2,570,631 | 21.4% | 19.7% |
| New Mexico | 448,253 | 439,452 | 21.1% | 20.7% |
| South Carolina | 1,173,259 | 1,148,440 | 21.1% | 20.6% |
| Oregon | 898,568 | 811,814 | 21.0% | 19.0% |
| Rhode Island | 233,061 | 197,654 | 20.9% | 17.7% |
| Wisconsin | 1,241,547 | 1,222,107 | 20.8% | 20.5% |
| Michigan | 2,076,467 | 2,062,770 | 20.5% | 20.4% |
| Connecticut | 751,845 | 718,295 | 20.4% | 19.5% |
| Massachusetts | 1,421,793 | 1,327,574 | 19.9% | 18.6% |
| United States | 64,617,088 | 72,021,348 | 18.9% | 21.1% |
Source: Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2025.
In proportion, the margin is widest in Maine and Vermont: Maine had 347,617 residents 65 and older and 244,245 children, and Vermont 155,289 against 109,614. In South Carolina, Wisconsin, Michigan and New Mexico the two groups are close to even. Arizona (1,571,773 older residents, 1,597,315 children) and New York (3,860,551 and 3,905,3911) are just short of crossing over.
A regional map
- Northeast: its top state, Maine (24.6%), leads the country, and even its lowest, New Jersey (18.5%), is close to the national share.
- South: from Delaware (22.8%) to the District of Columbia (13.6%). Florida, West Virginia and South Carolina (21.1%) are above the national figure; Texas and Georgia are among the five lowest.
- West: the widest range, from Hawaii (22.6%) to Utah (13.0%). Montana (22.2%), New Mexico (21.1%) and Oregon (21.0%) are in the top twelve; Alaska, Colorado and California are in the bottom seven.
- Midwest: the narrowest range, from Wisconsin (20.8%) to North Dakota (17.9%1).
Growth since 2020: every state, at very different speeds
The number of Americans 65 and older went up from 55,948,007 in 2020 to 64,617,088, an increase of 8,669,081 (15.5%) in five years. Their share of the population went up from 16.9% in 2020 to 18.9%1. The share was higher in 2025 than in 2020 in every state and in DC.
The pace differed widely. Delaware's older population grew by 45,740 (23.4%), the largest percentage increase of any state, followed by New Hampshire (57,538 (21.5%)), Alaska (20,130 (21.0%)) and Idaho (65,714 (21.0%)). South Carolina, Texas and Utah all added about a fifth: South Carolina 195,360 (20.0%), Texas 771,912 (19.6%), Utah 75,083 (19.5%)1.
The slowest growth was in West Virginia, 30,100 (8.2%), although it has the 7th highest share of older residents. The District of Columbia (9,023 (10.6%)) and Arkansas (61,269 (11.5%)1) also grew far more slowly than the nation.
In absolute numbers the big states dominate. California added 877,885 (14.6%) residents 65 and older, Texas 771,912 (19.6%) and Florida 766,195 (16.7%). Utah's share went up from 11.7% in 2020 to 13.0%1, still the lowest in the nation.
The oldest old: residents 85 and older
The ranking changes again at 85 and older. Hawaii has the highest share, 3.0%, the highest in the nation, although it ranks 6th highest for 65 and older. Florida (2.7%) and Maine (2.6%) follow, and Connecticut, Iowa and Pennsylvania tie at 2.5%1.
Source: Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2025. Period: July 1, 2025.
Show the numbers
| State | 85 and older |
|---|---|
| Hawaii | 3.0% |
| Florida | 2.7% |
| Maine | 2.6% |
| Pennsylvania | 2.5% |
| Iowa | 2.5% |
| Connecticut | 2.5% |
| Vermont | 2.4% |
| Rhode Island | 2.4% |
| New York | 2.4% |
| Massachusetts | 2.3% |
| New Hampshire | 2.3% |
| South Dakota | 2.3% |
| West Virginia | 2.2% |
| Wisconsin | 2.2% |
| Minnesota | 2.2% |
| United States | 2.1% |
Iowa and Connecticut rank higher here than on the 65-and-older list: Iowa is 20th highest for 65 and older but tied for 4th highest for 85 and older. New Hampshire moves the other way, from 3rd highest to tied for 10th highest, and Delaware from tied for 4th highest to tied for 23rd highest1.
Alaska has the lowest share (1.1%), then Utah (1.3%) and Texas (1.5%). Nationally the share went up from 1.9% in 2020. It changed much less than the 65-and-older share, and it did not rise everywhere: Nebraska's went down from 2.1% in 2020, and Rhode Island's was unchanged from 2.4% in 20201.
Older residents per 100 working-age adults
The old-age dependency ratio divides residents 65 and older by residents aged 18 to 64. Nationally there were 31.5 older residents per 100 working-age adults in 2025, up from 27.7 in 20201.
Maine again leads, at 42.2, followed by Vermont (40.9) and Delaware (39.6). Hawaii (39.2), Florida (39.1) and West Virginia (38.9) are close behind. Among the 50 states, Utah has the lowest ratio, 21.3. The District of Columbia is lower still, at 19.9: it has few older residents, and 68.5% of its residents are of working age (18 to 64), the highest1 share in the nation.
The ratio is a demographic measure only. It does not count who works or who is retired, so it says nothing directly about a state's labor force or pension costs.
Older states and natural decrease
The states with large older populations overlap heavily with the states where deaths outnumber births. In the year to June 2025, 17 states recorded more deaths than births: Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Kentucky, Maine, Michigan, Mississippi, Montana, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and West Virginia3. Most of them also appear in the list of states with more older residents than children.
The lowest rates of natural increase were in West Virginia (−4.5 per 1,000 residents), Maine (−3.6 per 1,000 residents) and Vermont (−2.7 per 1,000 residents), all among the seven highest shares of residents 65 and older. Utah, with the smallest share, had a rate of 7.1 per 1,000 residents3. The more deaths than births analysis covers these states in detail.
Medicaid coverage among older residents
The American Community Survey also reports what share of residents 65 and older are covered by Medicaid. Nationally the share was 6.7% (±0.1 percentage points4) in 2025, and the gap between states is wide.
The highest shares were in the District of Columbia, 14.6% (±2.6 percentage points), New York, 13.2% (±0.3 percentage points), and California, 10.4% (±0.3 percentage points), all above the national figure. Kansas (3.1%, ±0.4 percentage points) and Minnesota (3.5%, ±0.3 percentage points) were among the lowest. The states with the oldest populations are not the ones with the highest rates: Maine's 7.1% is not statistically different from the US figure (6.7%), and New Hampshire's 3.5% is 3.2 percentage points below the US figure (6.7%)4.
How to read these figures
- Age, not retirement. The counts are residents 65 and older. The Census Bureau's population estimates do not record whether a person is retired, so "states with the most retirees" can only be answered by age. This page does not rank states as places to retire; the cost of living ranking and life expectancy ranking cover other measures people often weigh.
- Source and date. The shares, counts, 85-and-older figures and dependency ratio come from the Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2025, for July 1, 2025. They are official estimates with no margin of error; the rank ranges in the table only mark ties. Each new vintage revises earlier years, so the 2020 comparisons can differ from figures published a year ago. Vintage 2026 estimates by age are expected in June 2027.
- Survey figures differ. The Medicaid shares come from the American Community Survey, a sample survey with 90% margins of error. The survey also publishes its own share of residents 65 and older, which can differ slightly from the estimates used here.
- The District of Columbia is a single city and is ranked with the states, as in Census Bureau tables.
- Related measures. The median age ranking summarizes the whole age distribution in one number, and the child population ranking covers the other end of it.
Questions about older residents by state
Which state has the highest percentage of people over 65?
Maine: 24.6% of its residents were 65 or older on July 1, 2025, 5.7 percentage points above the US figure (18.9%). Vermont (24.1%) and New Hampshire (23.0%1) come next.
Which state has the most retirees?
Official estimates count people by age, not by retirement status. By number of residents 65 and older, California leads with 6,901,168, ahead of Florida (5,346,788) and Texas (4,711,381). By share, Maine1 leads.
What percent of Florida is over 65?
22.8% on July 1, 2025, 3.9 percentage points above the US figure (18.9%). That is tied for 4th highest among the states, level with Delaware. Florida had 5.3 million residents 65 and older, up from 4,580,593 in 20201.
How many Americans are 65 and older?
64,617,088 on July 1, 2025, or 18.9% of the population. The number grew by 8,669,081 (15.5%)1 from 2020.
Related rankings
Sources
- Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2025; Vintage 2025 (July 1 2020-2025); released June 25, 2026. www2.census.gov
- Census Bureau, 2024 Cartographic Boundary Files; table cb_2024_us_state_20m; 2024; released April 10, 2025. www2.census.gov
- Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2025; released January 27, 2026. www2.census.gov
- Census Bureau, American Community Survey 1-year estimates, 2025, table S2704; 2025; released October 29, 2026. data.census.gov
Margins of error (±) are at the 90% confidence level. A difference is called significant only when it passes the Census Bureau's test at that level. How every figure is built: methodology. Found an error? Write to [email protected]; corrections are listed on the updates page.