Our Communities are Changing: What You Need to Know

We’re getting a look at new data released by the U.S. Census Bureau that shows by 2035 older adults will outnumber children for the first time in U.S. history.

We’re getting a look at new data released by the U.S. Census Bureau that shows by 2035 older adults will outnumber children for the first time in U.S. history.

Demographic Turning Points for the United States: Population Projections for 2020 to 2060 further highlights the aging demographic shift we know is on the horizon.

What the data tells us:

In 2030:

  • 73.1 million Americans will be 65 and older, that’s compared to 49.2 million in 2016. This means that one in every five Americans will be of retirement age.

  • Immigration is projected to be the driver of population growth. This is because the natural population driver which is births exceeding deaths, won’t happen due to our large aging population.

In 2060:

  • There will be 95 million older adults but only 80 million children in the U.S.

  • 94.7 million Americans will be 65 and older, that’s 23 percent of the projected population.

  • The population is only expected to grow by 1.5 million each year between 2040 and 2060, compared to about 2.3 million each year now.

  • The population of those 85 and older will grow by 200 percent.

The report also highlights the shift in our workforce, with more aging Americans there will be a growth in dependency on the working age population. The report notes, “in 2020, there are projected to be about three-and-a-half working-age adults for every older person eligible for Social Security,” by 2060 that number will shrink to two-and-a-half.

“The rapid aging of the population between 2020 and 2040 will have a substantial demographic impact on the country,” the report states.

CMF recently highlighted how Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation (AAACF) is taking proactive steps to find solutions for our aging population. In November, AAACF launched an $18 million fund to support seniors living in Washtenaw County, especially those who are considered at-risk and have low incomes.

Since then, the community foundation has also launched the largest senior-focused prize competition in North America which will award prizes for innovative projects that provide actionable solutions to challenges faced by seniors, their families and caregivers.

Want more?

Connect with the Michigan Grantmakers in Aging Affinity Group. 

Take a deeper dive into the data from Demographic Turning Points for the United States: Population Projections for 2020 to 2060.

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