1. Aging in North Carolina, 2015
North Carolina Division of Aging and Adult Services

2. Demographic characteristics

3. Nationally, NC ranks in the top 10!
9th in total population 9th in population age 60 and over 10th in population age 85 and over
For the first time, the state’s total population has exceeded 10 million!
Source: American Community Survey 2015, one year estimate

4. The older adult population will increase (2015-2035)
2015
2035
% Change
Ages # %
Total
10,056,683
12,167,836
21%
60+
2,101,237
3,214,038
26%
53%
65+
1,508,441
15%
2,522,834
67%
85+
173,970 2%
352,086 3%
102%
Source: NC Office of State Budget and Management/demographics
Retrieved on 11/1/2016

5. Growth of population 65+ by age group between 2015-2035
Of the population 65 and over, age group will grow more rapidly in the next 2 decades.
Beyond 2030 the growth will shift to the ages 85 and over, as the baby boomers move into this age group.
Source: NC Office of State Budget and Management/demographics

6. By 2019, there will be more people 60 and over than ages 0-17 in the state
Source: NC Office of State Budget and Management/demographics
Retrieved 11/1/2016

7. Number of counties with people 60 and over than ages 0-17 will increase
Source: NC Office of State Budget and Management/demographics

8. Counties with more people age 60 and over than 0-17
2015
(66 counties)
2025
(87 counties)
Counties with more people ages 60+ than 0-17
Counties with more people ages 0-17 than 60+
By 2035, 94 counties will have more people 60 and over than under age 18. The 6 counties with more people 0-17 than 60 and over are Craven, Cumberland, Durham, Harnett, Hoke and Onslow.

9. As the baby boomer population ages, number of counties with proportion of people 65 and over will increase
Number of counties
% 65 and over
2015
2035
10% or less 4
11%-20% 71 19
21%-30% 25 74
31%-34% 7
By 2035-
In 7 counties, 1 in 3 people will be 65 and over (Cherokee, Clay, Pamlico, Chatham, Brunswick, Polk and Transylvania)
Source: NC Office of State Budget and Management/demographics

10. Proportion of population 65 and over will increase
2015
2035
31% or more
21% to 30%
11% to 20%
10% or less
Source: NC Office of State Budget and Management/demographics

11. Projected Change in Population 65 and over (2015 to 2035)
Beaufort
Bertie
Carteret
Chowan
Craven
Dare
Duplin
Edgecombe
Gates
Greene
Halifax
Hertford
Hyde
Jones
Lenoir
Martin
Hanover
Northampton
Onslow
Pamlico
Pasquotank
Pender
Perquimans
Pitt
Tyrrell
Brunswick
Washington
Wayne
Wilson
Camden
Currituck
New
Alexander
Alleghany
Ashe
Avery
Buncombe
Burke
Cabarrus
Caldwell
Catawba
Cherokee
Cleveland
Davie
Gaston
Graham
Haywood
Henderson
Iredell
Jackson
McDowell
Macon
Madison
Mecklenburg
Mitchell
Polk
Rowan
Rutherford
Surry
Swain
Union
Watauga
Wilkes
Yadkin
Yancey
Clay
Transylvania
Lincoln
Granville
Nash
Alamance
Anson
Bladen
Caswell
Chatham
Columbus
Cumberland
Davidson
Durham
Forsyth
Franklin
Guilford
Harnett
Hoke
Johnston
Lee
Montgomery
Moore
Orange
Person
Randolph
Richmond
Robeson
Rockingham
Sampson
Scotland
Stanly
Stokes
Vance
Wake
Warren
Percent (number of counties)
150% and above (1)
100% to 149% (7)
50% to 99% (27)
Range: -5% to 151%
1% to 49% (64)
Projected growth for the State - 69%
-5% (1)
Source: NC Office of State Budget and Management, 11/1/2016

12. Top 5 counties with the most people 60 and over
Source: NC Office of State Budget and Management, 11/1/2016

13. There is more migration of people 60 and over to metropolitan areas
60 and over
(Moved from other states and abroad)
North Carolina
33,692
Wake
4,006
Mecklenburg
3270
Buncombe
1,810
Brunswick
1,732
Guilford
1,133
Henderson
1,100
Source: American Community Survey , Table B07001

14. Race/Ethnicity, age 65 and over
Source: American Community Survey , five year estimates. Table S0103

15. Of the people 65 and over………
2% speak English less than “very well”
21% are veterans
27% live alone
3% live in group quarters
81% are home owners
Have a median household income of $35,696
Source: American Community Survey , five year estimates. Table S0103

16. Grandparents Responsible for Raising Grandchildren under 18 Years
Age 30 and over
98,656
Age 30-59
62,855
64%
Age 60 and over
35,801
36%
60% are women
60% are White
34% are Black or African American
36% have disabilities
35% are in labor force
21% live in poverty
Source: American Community Survey five year estimates. Tables S1002, S1001

17. Characteristics of grandchildren living with grandparents responsible
105,836 grandchildren live in households with grandparents responsible for them
Age:
42% under 6 years
32% are 6 to 11 years
26% are 12 to 17 years
Race:
46% White
41% Black or African American
9% Hispanic or Latino
12% of them have a disability
32% of them live below poverty level
42% of them live in households with SSI, cash public assistance income, or SNAP benefits
Source: American Community Survey , five year estimates. Table S1001

18. Socio-economic characteristics

19. Poverty status by age groups
Source: American Community Survey , five year estimates, Table S1701

20. Poverty level, 65 and over % Below 100% of poverty level 9.8%%
Below 100% of poverty level
9.8%
In 100%-199% of poverty level
23.7%
US Census Poverty Thresholds, 2015
One person 65 and over $11,367
Two people 65 and over $14,342
Source: American Community Survey , five year estimates. Table S0103, B17024

21. Poverty rate increases towards older age
Source: American Community Survey , five year estimates, Table B17024

22. Percentage of people 65 and over living in poverty
Beaufort
Bertie
Carteret
Chowan
Craven
Dare
Duplin
Edgecombe
Gates
Greene
Halifax
Hertford
Hyde
Jones
Lenoir
Martin
Hanover
Northampton
Onslow
Pamlico
Pasquotank
Pender
Perquimans
Pitt
Tyrrell
Brunswick
Washington
Wayne
Wilson
Camden
Currituck
New
Alexander
Alleghany
Ashe
Avery
Buncombe
Burke
Cabarrus
Caldwell
Catawba
Cherokee
Cleveland
Davie
Gaston
Graham
Haywood
Henderson
Iredell
Jackson
McDowell
Macon
Madison
Mecklenburg
Mitchell
Polk
Rowan
Rutherford
Surry
Swain
Union
Watauga
Wilkes
Yadkin
Yancey
Clay
Transylvania
Lincoln
Granville
Nash
Alamance
Anson
Bladen
Caswell
Chatham
Columbus
Cumberland
Davidson
Durham
Forsyth
Franklin
Guilford
Harnett
Hoke
Johnston
Lee
Montgomery
Moore
Orange
Person
Randolph
Richmond
Robeson
Rockingham
Sampson
Scotland
Stanly
Stokes
Vance
Wake
Warren
More than 20%
16% - 20%
*North Carolina - 10%
Range is 4% - 30%
10% - 15%
Less than 10%
Source: American Community Survey , five year estimates. Table B17024

23. Sources of income for persons age 65 and over
Social Security
93%
Retirement
48%
Earnings
34%
Food Stamp/SNAP benefits
10%
Supplemental Security 6%
Cash Public Assistance 1%
Source: American Community Survey five year estimates. Table S0103

24. Education, 65 and over
Source: American Community Survey five year estimates. Table S0103

25. Labor force participation, 65 and over%
In labor force
15.8%
Employed
15.0%
Unemployed
0.8%
As a percent of total civilian labor force
5.4%
Not in labor force
84.2%
* As % of age group
Source: American Community Survey five year estimates. Table S0103

26. More adults are working into older age delaying retirement
* As % of age group
Source: American Community Survey five year estimates. Table B23001

27. Housing, 65 and over In Group Quarters In Households 3.2% 96.8%
(44,822)
In Households
96.8%
Family Households 55%
Non-family Households 45%
Group quarters population: people not living in households and includes institutionalized and non-institutionalized population
* As % of age group
Source: American Community Survey five year estimates. Table B09020

28. Characteristics of group quarters population, 65 and over
Total
Institutionalized
Noninstitutionalized
44,822
41,265
3,557
Male
30.8%
30.1%
39.9%
Female
69.2%
69.9%
60.1%
Institutionalized: correctional institutions, nursing homes, psychiatric hospitals, in-patient hospice facilities, etc.
Noninstitutionalized: military quarters, group homes, emergency and transitional shelters for homeless people, etc.
* As % of age group
Source: American Community Survey five year estimates. Table S2601A

29. Marital Status, age 65 and over
More women are widowed and live alone in older age
Source: American Community Survey five year estimates. Table S1201

30. Health and well-being Of the people 65 and over:
37% have at least one disability
83% have at least one chronic disease. 52% of them had 2 or more
chronic diseases
70% reported having an adult flu shot/spray
68% reported exercising in the past month
10% reported that their health is poor
American Community Survey five year estimates, Table B18101
BRFSS 2015 survey results, NC State Center for Health Statistics

31. Disability Status, age 65 and over
* Civilian non-institutionalized population only
Source: American Community Survey five year estimates, Table B18101

32. Functional limitations One in four people 65 and over report having trouble walking
Types of disability (age 65 and over)
% with a disability
With an ambulatory difficulty
25%
With an independent living difficulty
16%
With a hearing difficulty
15%
With a cognitive difficulty
10%
With a self-care difficulty 9%
With a vision difficulty 7%
Ambulatory – Serious difficulty walking or climbing stairs
Independent living – Difficulty doing errands alone
Hearing – Deaf or having serious difficulty hearing
Cognitive – Difficulty remembering, concentrating or making decisions
Self-care – Difficulty bathing or dressing
Vision – Blind or serious difficulty seeing even with glasses
Source: American Community Survey five year estimates. Table S1810

33. Leading causes of death, age 65 and over
Rank
Cause of death
Number of deaths % 1
Diseases of the heart
14,288
22.1 2
Cancer
13,455
20.9 3
Chronic lower respiratory diseases
4,316
6.7 4
Cerebrovascular diseases
4,273
6.6 5
Alzheimer's disease
3,764
5.8 6
Diabetes mellitus
1,885
2.9
*Number of people 65+ with at least one chronic disease is 82%:
One chronic disease only – 27%
2 or more chronic diseases – 55%

34. Health Status, age 65 and over What would you say in general your health is?
Source: NC State Center for Health Statistics, BRFSS 2015

35. Life Expectancy, 2015 Age Groups Years 60-64 23.0 65-69 19.2 70-74
15.6
75-79
12.3
80-84
9.4
85+
7.1
Life expectancy is the average number of additional years that someone at a given age would be expected to live if current mortality conditions remained constant throughout their lifetime

36. References: Glossary:
Population estimates and projections: North Carolina State Data Center. County/state population estimates and projections; July 1, 2015, 2035; Retrieved in 10/2016 from
US Census Bureau. American Community Survey , 5 year estimates.
Table S0102. Population 60 and over
Table S0103. Population 65 and over
Table S1810. Disability characteristics
Table B Sex of grandparents living with own grandchildren under 18 years
Table B Age by ratio of income to poverty level in the past 12 months
Table B Sex by age by employment status for population 16 years and over
NC State Center for Health Statistics.
Leading causes of death. Retrieved from
Life expectancy reports. Retrieved from
Health status. BRFSS Retrieved from
Glossary:
Definitions of terminology used are available at