DataPoint: Adult Population Characteristics

Based on a new U.S. Census Bureau report of the older adult population in 2016, 34.7 percent of those 65 and older have at least one disability, which includes functional difficulty of hearing, vision, cognition, and/or ambulation. Close to 69 percent of the 85 and over population had at least one type of disability compared to 9 percent of the population under the age of 65. In New York State, 38.9 percent of those aged 75 to 84 and 66.6 percent of those aged 85 and over dealt with a disability. Nearly 80 percent of the elderly population lived in a household with a computer, and over three-fourths had access to the internet. Internet access for those aged 65 to 74 was 83 percent nationally and 75.6 percent statewide. The report also found that the state median of older adults remaining in the labor force was 17.7 percent and 18.2 percent in New York State.

To view an interactive map representing the older adult population and its characteristics, click here.

Contact: Ken Allison, kallison@leadingageny.org, 518-867-8820