Population age 65 and older by state (2024)

Population age 65 and older by state

Maine has the highest estimate (23.5%); Utah has the lowest (12.4%). Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 1-year, 2024.

Data year: 2024Source released Sept. 11, 2025Last updated Oct. 23, 2026GCT0103

50 ranked states; DC and Puerto Rico appear as reference rows where the source supplies them. Highest does not mean best. Ranks reflect point estimates; close values may not differ statistically.

State distribution and comparisons

The middle of the 50-state distribution is 18.35%: the average of the 25th and 26th ordered state estimates. This treats each state equally, so it answers a different question from a population-weighted national estimate.

No other state is statistically tied with Maine at 90% confidence. Every other state differs from the highest point estimate under this pairwise test. This is not a confidence interval for rank, and testing multiple pairs increases false-positive risk.

See the top ten estimates with their 90% margins of error

Shared axis spans the complete 50-state estimate ± MOE range. Intervals describe individual estimates; overlapping intervals alone are not our significance test.

How does this compare with households with retirement income?

These states’ ranks change the most between population age 65 and older and households with retirement income. These comparisons identify different questions worth investigating; a rank gap does not measure a causal effect or a statistical difference between unlike units.

State	Population age 65 and older	Households with retirement income
Virginia	17.6% · #36	27.2% · #9
South Dakota	19.0% · #20	22.3% · #43
Maryland	17.6% · #36	26.4% · #15

Population age 65 and older · 2024 · Percent
Rank	State / jurisdiction	Value	90% margin of error	Difference from previous rank
1	Maine	23.5%	± 0.1%	Highest estimate
2	Vermont	22.9%	± 0.2%	Different at 90%
3	West Virginia	21.9%	± 0.1%	Different at 90%
4	Florida	21.8%	± 0.1%	Not distinguishable at 90%
5	Delaware	21.7%	± 0.1%	Not distinguishable at 90%
6	Hawaii	21.5%	± 0.1%	Different at 90%
6	New Hampshire	21.5%	± 0.1%	Not distinguishable at 90%
8	Montana	21.2%	± 0.1%	Different at 90%
9	Pennsylvania	20.4%	± 0.1%	Different at 90%
10	New Mexico	20.1%	± 0.1%	Different at 90%
11	Wyoming	20.0%	± 0.2%	Not distinguishable at 90%
12	Oregon	19.9%	± 0.1%	Not distinguishable at 90%
13	Rhode Island	19.8%	± 0.1%	Not distinguishable at 90%
13	South Carolina	19.8%	± 0.1%	Not distinguishable at 90%
15	Arizona	19.7%	± 0.1%	Not distinguishable at 90%
16	Michigan	19.6%	± 0.1%	Not distinguishable at 90%
16	Wisconsin	19.6%	± 0.1%	Not distinguishable at 90%
18	Connecticut	19.4%	± 0.1%	Different at 90%
19	Ohio	19.1%	± 0.1%	Different at 90%
20	South Dakota	19.0%	± 0.1%	Not distinguishable at 90%
21	Iowa	18.9%	± 0.1%	Not distinguishable at 90%
21	New York	18.9%	± 0.1%	Not distinguishable at 90%
23	Massachusetts	18.7%	± 0.1%	Different at 90%
23	Missouri	18.7%	± 0.1%	Not distinguishable at 90%
25	Alabama	18.5%	± 0.1%	Different at 90%
26	Arkansas	18.2%	± 0.1%	Different at 90%
26	Minnesota	18.2%	± 0.1%	Not distinguishable at 90%
28	Mississippi	18.1%	± 0.1%	Not distinguishable at 90%
29	Kansas	18.0%	± 0.1%	Not distinguishable at 90%
29	Kentucky	18.0%	± 0.1%	Not distinguishable at 90%
29	New Jersey	18.0%	± 0.1%	Not distinguishable at 90%
32	Illinois	17.9%	± 0.1%	Not distinguishable at 90%
32	North Carolina	17.9%	± 0.1%	Not distinguishable at 90%
34	Idaho	17.8%	± 0.1%	Not distinguishable at 90%
34	Louisiana	17.8%	± 0.1%	Not distinguishable at 90%
36	Indiana	17.6%	± 0.1%	Different at 90%
36	Maryland	17.6%	± 0.1%	Not distinguishable at 90%
36	Nevada	17.6%	± 0.1%	Not distinguishable at 90%
36	North Dakota	17.6%	± 0.2%	Not distinguishable at 90%
36	Tennessee	17.6%	± 0.1%	Not distinguishable at 90%
36	Virginia	17.6%	± 0.1%	Not distinguishable at 90%
42	Nebraska	17.4%	± 0.1%	Different at 90%
43	Washington	17.3%	± 0.1%	Not distinguishable at 90%
44	Oklahoma	16.9%	± 0.1%	Different at 90%
45	California	16.5%	± 0.1%	Different at 90%
45	Colorado	16.5%	± 0.1%	Not distinguishable at 90%
47	Georgia	15.8%	± 0.1%	Different at 90%
48	Alaska	14.8%	± 0.2%	Different at 90%
49	Texas	14.0%	± 0.1%	Different at 90%
50	Utah	12.4%	± 0.1%	Different at 90%
Ref.	District of ColumbiaNot ranked among states	12.9%	± 0.1%	Reference jurisdiction
Ref.	Puerto RicoNot ranked among states	24.6%	± 0.1%	Reference jurisdiction

Population age 65 and older · 2024 · Percent

Rank

State / jurisdiction

Value

90% margin of error

Difference from previous rank

Maine

23.5%

± 0.1%

Highest estimate

Vermont

22.9%

± 0.2%

Different at 90%

West Virginia

21.9%

± 0.1%

Different at 90%

Florida

21.8%

± 0.1%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Delaware

21.7%

± 0.1%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Hawaii

21.5%

± 0.1%

Different at 90%

New Hampshire

21.5%

± 0.1%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Montana

21.2%

± 0.1%

Different at 90%

Pennsylvania

20.4%

± 0.1%

Different at 90%

New Mexico

20.1%

± 0.1%

Different at 90%

Wyoming

20.0%

± 0.2%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Oregon

19.9%

± 0.1%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Rhode Island

19.8%

± 0.1%

Not distinguishable at 90%

South Carolina

19.8%

± 0.1%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Arizona

19.7%

± 0.1%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Michigan

19.6%

± 0.1%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Wisconsin

19.6%

± 0.1%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Connecticut

19.4%

± 0.1%

Different at 90%

Ohio

19.1%

± 0.1%

Different at 90%

South Dakota

19.0%

± 0.1%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Iowa

18.9%

± 0.1%

Not distinguishable at 90%

New York

18.9%

± 0.1%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Massachusetts

18.7%

± 0.1%

Different at 90%

Missouri

18.7%

± 0.1%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Alabama

18.5%

± 0.1%

Different at 90%

Arkansas

18.2%

± 0.1%

Different at 90%

Minnesota

18.2%

± 0.1%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Mississippi

18.1%

± 0.1%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Kansas

18.0%

± 0.1%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Kentucky

18.0%

± 0.1%

Not distinguishable at 90%

New Jersey

18.0%

± 0.1%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Illinois

17.9%

± 0.1%

Not distinguishable at 90%

North Carolina

17.9%

± 0.1%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Idaho

17.8%

± 0.1%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Louisiana

17.8%

± 0.1%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Indiana

17.6%

± 0.1%

Different at 90%

Maryland

17.6%

± 0.1%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Nevada

17.6%

± 0.1%

Not distinguishable at 90%

North Dakota

17.6%

± 0.2%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Tennessee

17.6%

± 0.1%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Virginia

17.6%

± 0.1%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Nebraska

17.4%

± 0.1%

Different at 90%

Washington

17.3%

± 0.1%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Oklahoma

16.9%

± 0.1%

Different at 90%

California

16.5%

± 0.1%

Different at 90%

Colorado

16.5%

± 0.1%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Georgia

15.8%

± 0.1%

Different at 90%

Alaska

14.8%

± 0.2%

Different at 90%

Texas

14.0%

± 0.1%

Different at 90%

Utah

12.4%

± 0.1%

Different at 90%

Ref.

District of ColumbiaNot ranked among states

12.9%

± 0.1%

Reference jurisdiction

Ref.

Puerto RicoNot ranked among states

24.6%

± 0.1%

Reference jurisdiction

What this ranking measures

Residents age 65 and older as a share of the total population.

This is an age distribution, not a rating of retirement suitability.

The size of the gap

The difference between the highest and lowest state estimates is 11.1 percentage points. The U.S. benchmark is 18.0%. It is not a simple average of the states.

28 states have point estimates above the U.S. benchmark and 19 below it, with 3 equal to it. These counts do not establish statistical significance.

How much should you read into a rank?

Each estimate has a 90% margin of error published by the Census Bureau. For two different states, we flag a difference only when its absolute size exceeds the square root of the sum of their squared margins of error. The comparison tool applies this check to every selected pair.

Non-significance is not proof of equality. These pairwise tests are not adjusted for multiple comparisons and do not form ranking confidence intervals. Statistical method and limitations.

Ranks use the full precision of the source file, so only truly equal values share a rank (1, 2, 2, 4).

Keep exploring

Read the ranking methodology.

Explore the same states in a side-by-side comparison, or combine this measure with others in the custom ranking tool.

Source and method

Producer: U.S. Census Bureau
Product / file: ACS 1-year · GCT0103
Period: 2024
Unit: Percent
Calculation: Published estimate; no transformation of the value. Rank = 1 + number of eligible jurisdictions with a higher value.
Coverage: The 50 states are ranked. Washington, D.C., can be added with the toggle above the table; Puerto Rico is shown for reference only, where the source covers it.
Cadence: Annual. 2025 ACS 1-year estimates scheduled for October 29, 2026 (Census ACS updates page); adoption follows editorial review.
Independence: Rank the States is independent. The agencies that produce the source data do not endorse these rankings.

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Rank the States. Population age 65 and older, 2024. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 1-year, GCT0103; released 2025-09-11. Edition 2026-10-23. https://rankthestates.com/data/editions/2026-10-23/population-65-and-older.csv

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Updates and corrections

Last updated Oct. 23, 2026. Earlier editions stay available on the data page, and every change is listed in the update log. If a number or definition looks wrong, report an error with the state, value, and source you checked.

Population age 65 and older by state

State distribution and comparisons

How does this compare with households with retirement income?

The state-by-state view

What this ranking measures

The size of the gap

How much should you read into a rank?

Keep exploring

Source and method

Download, cite, or embed

Updates and corrections

Related rankings

Households with retirement income

Poverty among adults 65 and older

Mortgage-free owners: mean income after housing costs

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