By 2030, over 20 percent of America’s population will be age 65 or older, but the density of aging Americans is unevenly distributed among the states.
America’s Health Rankings has put together this custom report builder with data from the United Health Foundation and the American Public Health Association’s (APHA) annual Senior Report.
Healthiest states, according to the report, are Vermont, New Hampshire, Minnesota, Hawaii, and Utah. However, states projected to see the most growth in aging populations are Arizona, Nevada, Florida, Alaska, and Texas.
APHA warns that “This seniors surge threatens to swamp the health care system at state and national levels. . . . The projected growth of the senior population in the United States will pose challenges to policymakers, Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security not to mention the effect it will have on families, businesses and health care providers.”
These challenges stand to affect states differently, depending on the sizes of their 65+ populations.
Source: America’s Health Rankings. United Health Foundation and APHA Senior Report.