Population age 85 and older by state (2024)

Population age 85 and older by state

Hawaii has the highest estimate (2.7%); Alaska has the lowest (1.1%). Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 1-year, 2024.

Data year: 2024Source released Sept. 11, 2025Last updated Oct. 23, 2026GCT0104

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 1.9%: 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 Hawaii 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 median age?

These states’ ranks change the most between population age 85 and older and median age. 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 85 and older	Median age
North Dakota	2.2% · #8	36.7 years · #47
Iowa	2.3% · #3	39.0 years · #35
Kansas	2.0% · #14	38.0 years · #41

Population age 85 and older · 2024 · Percent
Rank	State / jurisdiction	Value	90% margin of error	Difference from previous rank
1	Hawaii	2.7%	± 0.2%	Highest estimate
2	Florida	2.4%	± 0.1%	Different at 90%
3	Connecticut	2.3%	± 0.1%	Not distinguishable at 90%
3	Iowa	2.3%	± 0.1%	Not distinguishable at 90%
3	Maine	2.3%	± 0.2%	Not distinguishable at 90%
3	Pennsylvania	2.3%	± 0.1%	Not distinguishable at 90%
3	Vermont	2.3%	± 0.2%	Not distinguishable at 90%
8	New York	2.2%	± 0.1%	Not distinguishable at 90%
8	North Dakota	2.2%	± 0.2%	Not distinguishable at 90%
8	Rhode Island	2.2%	± 0.2%	Not distinguishable at 90%
11	Delaware	2.1%	± 0.2%	Not distinguishable at 90%
11	South Dakota	2.1%	± 0.2%	Not distinguishable at 90%
11	West Virginia	2.1%	± 0.2%	Not distinguishable at 90%
14	Illinois	2.0%	± 0.1%	Not distinguishable at 90%
14	Kansas	2.0%	± 0.1%	Not distinguishable at 90%
14	Massachusetts	2.0%	± 0.1%	Not distinguishable at 90%
14	Michigan	2.0%	± 0.1%	Not distinguishable at 90%
14	Minnesota	2.0%	± 0.1%	Not distinguishable at 90%
14	New Hampshire	2.0%	± 0.2%	Not distinguishable at 90%
14	New Jersey	2.0%	± 0.1%	Not distinguishable at 90%
14	Ohio	2.0%	± 0.1%	Not distinguishable at 90%
14	Oregon	2.0%	± 0.1%	Not distinguishable at 90%
14	Wisconsin	2.0%	± 0.1%	Not distinguishable at 90%
24	Missouri	1.9%	± 0.1%	Not distinguishable at 90%
24	Montana	1.9%	± 0.2%	Not distinguishable at 90%
24	Nebraska	1.9%	± 0.1%	Not distinguishable at 90%
24	New Mexico	1.9%	± 0.1%	Not distinguishable at 90%
28	Alabama	1.8%	± 0.1%	Not distinguishable at 90%
28	Arizona	1.8%	± 0.1%	Not distinguishable at 90%
28	Arkansas	1.8%	± 0.1%	Not distinguishable at 90%
28	California	1.8%	± 0.1%	Not distinguishable at 90%
28	Indiana	1.8%	± 0.1%	Not distinguishable at 90%
28	Maryland	1.8%	± 0.1%	Not distinguishable at 90%
28	South Carolina	1.8%	± 0.1%	Not distinguishable at 90%
28	Virginia	1.8%	± 0.1%	Not distinguishable at 90%
36	Kentucky	1.7%	± 0.1%	Not distinguishable at 90%
36	Oklahoma	1.7%	± 0.1%	Not distinguishable at 90%
36	Tennessee	1.7%	± 0.1%	Not distinguishable at 90%
36	Washington	1.7%	± 0.1%	Not distinguishable at 90%
36	Wyoming	1.7%	± 0.3%	Not distinguishable at 90%
41	Colorado	1.6%	± 0.1%	Not distinguishable at 90%
41	Idaho	1.6%	± 0.1%	Not distinguishable at 90%
41	Louisiana	1.6%	± 0.1%	Not distinguishable at 90%
41	Mississippi	1.6%	± 0.1%	Not distinguishable at 90%
41	North Carolina	1.6%	± 0.1%	Not distinguishable at 90%
46	Nevada	1.5%	± 0.1%	Not distinguishable at 90%
47	Georgia	1.4%	± 0.1%	Not distinguishable at 90%
48	Texas	1.3%	± 0.1%	Not distinguishable at 90%
49	Utah	1.2%	± 0.1%	Not distinguishable at 90%
50	Alaska	1.1%	± 0.2%	Not distinguishable at 90%
Ref.	District of ColumbiaNot ranked among states	1.3%	± 0.2%	Reference jurisdiction
Ref.	Puerto RicoNot ranked among states	3.4%	± 0.1%	Reference jurisdiction

Population age 85 and older · 2024 · Percent

Rank

State / jurisdiction

Value

90% margin of error

Difference from previous rank

Hawaii

2.7%

± 0.2%

Highest estimate

Florida

2.4%

± 0.1%

Different at 90%

Connecticut

2.3%

± 0.1%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Iowa

2.3%

± 0.1%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Maine

2.3%

± 0.2%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Pennsylvania

2.3%

± 0.1%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Vermont

2.3%

± 0.2%

Not distinguishable at 90%

New York

2.2%

± 0.1%

Not distinguishable at 90%

North Dakota

2.2%

± 0.2%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Rhode Island

2.2%

± 0.2%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Delaware

2.1%

± 0.2%

Not distinguishable at 90%

South Dakota

2.1%

± 0.2%

Not distinguishable at 90%

West Virginia

2.1%

± 0.2%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Illinois

2.0%

± 0.1%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Kansas

2.0%

± 0.1%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Massachusetts

2.0%

± 0.1%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Michigan

2.0%

± 0.1%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Minnesota

2.0%

± 0.1%

Not distinguishable at 90%

New Hampshire

2.0%

± 0.2%

Not distinguishable at 90%

New Jersey

2.0%

± 0.1%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Ohio

2.0%

± 0.1%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Oregon

2.0%

± 0.1%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Wisconsin

2.0%

± 0.1%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Missouri

1.9%

± 0.1%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Montana

1.9%

± 0.2%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Nebraska

1.9%

± 0.1%

Not distinguishable at 90%

New Mexico

1.9%

± 0.1%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Alabama

1.8%

± 0.1%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Arizona

1.8%

± 0.1%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Arkansas

1.8%

± 0.1%

Not distinguishable at 90%

California

1.8%

± 0.1%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Indiana

1.8%

± 0.1%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Maryland

1.8%

± 0.1%

Not distinguishable at 90%

South Carolina

1.8%

± 0.1%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Virginia

1.8%

± 0.1%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Kentucky

1.7%

± 0.1%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Oklahoma

1.7%

± 0.1%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Tennessee

1.7%

± 0.1%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Washington

1.7%

± 0.1%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Wyoming

1.7%

± 0.3%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Colorado

1.6%

± 0.1%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Idaho

1.6%

± 0.1%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Louisiana

1.6%

± 0.1%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Mississippi

1.6%

± 0.1%

Not distinguishable at 90%

North Carolina

1.6%

± 0.1%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Nevada

1.5%

± 0.1%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Georgia

1.4%

± 0.1%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Texas

1.3%

± 0.1%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Utah

1.2%

± 0.1%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Alaska

1.1%

± 0.2%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Ref.

District of ColumbiaNot ranked among states

1.3%

± 0.2%

Reference jurisdiction

Ref.

Puerto RicoNot ranked among states

3.4%

± 0.1%

Reference jurisdiction

What this ranking measures

Residents age 85 and older as a share of the total population.

Small differences can be within survey uncertainty. This does not measure longevity of a birth cohort.

The size of the gap

The difference between the highest and lowest state estimates is 1.6 percentage points. The U.S. benchmark is 1.9%. It is not a simple average of the states.

23 states have point estimates above the U.S. benchmark and 23 below it, with 4 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 · GCT0104
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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Suggested citation

Rank the States. Population age 85 and older, 2024. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 1-year, GCT0104; released 2025-09-11. Edition 2026-10-23. https://rankthestates.com/data/editions/2026-10-23/population-85-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 85 and older by state

State distribution and comparisons

How does this compare with median age?

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

Median age

Population age 65 and older

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