Quick Facts About Aging in NC

Demographic and census data from a variety of sources.

General Population Data

The number of persons aged 65+ in NC increased 25.7% between 2000 and 2010, to 12.9% of the state's total population. [1, 23]

Between 2010 and 2030, North Carolina's 65+ population is projected to increase by over 400,000 persons per decade, reaching 2.14 million, or about 18% of the state total, by 2030. [1, 3]

In 2008, North Carolina ranked 10th among US states in the size of the population aged 65+. [19]

North Carolina is projected to rank 19th among states in the growth of the 65+ population from 2000-2030. [12]

The median age in NC is projected to increase from 36.9 years in 2009 to 37.8 years in 2030. [2, 4]

The North Carolina metropolitan areas of Raleigh-Cary and Charlotte-Gastonia-Concord were #1 and #10, respectively, in national rankings for fastest growth in the 65+ population between 2000 and 2010. [25]

Between 2000 and 2010, North Carolina's very old (85+) population increased by nearly 40%. [26]

From 2010 to 2030, the proportion of the very old (85+) will remain between 11% and 13% of the elderly North Carolina population. Age cohorts from 0-44 years are expected to decline in their proportions of the state total. [1, 3]

Socioeconomics

An estimated 10.4% of NC adults 65 and over were living in poverty in 2008. [5]

The number of seniors needing services under the HCCBG (Home and Community Care Block Grant) Programs administered by NC DAAS (such as adult day care, home-delivered meals, and the use of senior centers) increased 22% from 2010 to 2011. [24]

In 2008, an estimated 28.3% of North Carolina adults aged 65+ did not have a high school diploma. [19]

In 2008, nearly 82% of North Carolinians 65 and over owned their own home. [19]

In 2006, 57% of North Carolina's older adults lived in rural counties. [7]

Race & Gender

The median age of all minorities in North Carolina is projected to increase at a greater rate than for the general population, from 30.5 years in 2000 to 35 years in 2030. [2]

According to 2007 data, about 19% of older adults in NC are minorities. [14]

Compared to the nation as a whole, North Carolina’s population age 65+ includes a larger proportion who are African American (15.6 percent in NC compared to 8.3 percent nationally) and a smaller proportion of Latinos (1.3 percent in NC compared to 6.6 percent nationally). American Indians, Asian Americans, and other ethnic groups account for 2.0 percent of the age group 65 and older. [14]

Older women significantly outnumber older men in North Carolina; they represent 58.7% of the 65+ population and 70.9% of the 85+ population. [14]

In 2007, North Carolina women aged 75+ were twice as likely to be poor as men the same age, among both whites and African Americans. [14]

In 2008, among community-dwelling North Carolinians 65 and over, married men outnumbered married women 75% to 42%. There were nearly 4 times as many widows as widowers (44% versus 12%). [19]

Health & Health Care

By 2005, life expectancy at birth in North Carolina had increased to 75.8 years. In general, women live longer than men within racial and ethnic groups, and white North Carolinians live longer on average than persons of minority races. [2, 22]

As of 2007, 92% of NC Medicare beneficiaries had prescription drug coverage. [15]

In 2008, North Carolina spent $2 billion on Medicaid for the elderly. This population represented 13.1% of the total Medicaid recipients, but accounted for 21.3% of total Medicaid expenditures. [18]

In NC, the number of Medicare/Medicaid dually eligible recipients 65+ for SFY 2008-2009 was 176,608. [16]

43.4% of NC adults aged 65 and over have a disability. [14]

The five leading causes of death among North Carolinians age 65 and older during 2007 were, in order, heart disease, cancer, stroke, chronic respiratory disease and Alzheimer's Disease. Heart disease and cancer killed over 2.5 times as many elderly as the latter three conditions. [21]

The number of elderly North Carolinians with Alzheimer's Disease is projected to increase from 170,000 in 2010 to 210,000 in 2025. [10]

There were 188 certified geriatricians in North Carolina in 2007. The state has 3.7 geriatricians per 10,000 population age 75+ (below the national mean of 3.9 per 10,000). [13]

Caregiving & Long Term Care

In 2009, 29% of North Carolina caregivers caring for a person with Alzheimer's or another dementia identified it as the main health issue of the person they cared for. [10]

In 2009, over 350,000 North Carolinians provided unpaid care valued at over $4 billion to persons with Alzheimer's Disease or dementia. [10]

In 2008, 42% of North Carolina nursing home residents had moderate to severe dementia. [10]

Fall prevalence in nursing homes in NC was 16.9% in 2007. [17]

Family and Legal Issues

In 2007, over 87,000 North Carolina grandparents reported that they are responsible for one or more grandchildren under 18 years old living with them. These grandparents are 47 percent African American, 47 percent white, 2 percent Hispanic/Latino, and 2 percent American Indian or Alaskan Native. Of all NC grandparents whose grandchildren live with them, nearly half are responsible for the care of these children. [14]

Of confirmed reports of asset exploitation logged by NC Adult Protective Services for SFY 2007-08, 78% were from victims 60 and older. [9]

In 2007, 27% of complaints to the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) from North Carolina came from adults 50 and over. [8]

National data on elder abuse in domestic settings suggest that only 1 in 14 incidents comes to the attention of authorities. [14]

Workforce

In 2008, 15.5% of North Carolinians aged 65+ were employed.[19]

During the 10-year period from 2008 to 2018, North Carolina will lose 61,000 workers per year to retirement, contributing to a "talent deficit" in the labor supply of over 12,000 workers per year. [6]

Civic Engagement

Older adults in North Carolina aged 65 and older volunteer more than most other generations, but they trail their age group nationally. While 22.7 percent of older adults in the state volunteered in 2008, North Carolina still ranks only 34th in the nation. [20]

At the time of the 2008 general election, there were over 1.1 million registered voters 65 years old and over in North Carolina, and 76% of them turned out to vote. [11]

---

Sources:

1. NC Office of State Budget and Management. (2010). Projected County Totals: Standard Age Groups.

2. NC Office of State Planning, State Demographics Unit. (2008). Past and Expected Trends.

3. The North Carolina Atlas Revisited. (2008)

4. U.S. Census Bureau. (2009). Median Age of the Resident Population by Race and Hispanic Origin for the United States and States: July 1, 2009 (SC-EST2009-06).

5. U.S Census Bureau. (2008). Poverty Status by State.

6. Streets, Dennis. (2008). Aging Workforce- A Driving Force for the Future: Racing Toward an Aging Workforce. Shackleford, Roger. (2008). Future Workforce Needs in North Carolina.

7. Quinterno, John. (2010). The demographics of aging in North Carolina. North Carolina Insight 23(2-3): 2-47.

8. Gray, Alison. (2010). Money for nothing and "checks" for free: Fraud against the elderly living in North Carolina. North Carolina Insight 23(2-3): 48-60.

9. Warren, Nancy. (2010). Adult Protective Services. North Carolina Insight 23(2-3): 78-81.

10. Alzheimer's Association. 2010 Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures.

11. Akers, Lauren; Coble, Ran. (2010). Civic contributions of the elderly in North Carolina. North Carolina Insight 23(2-3): 124-157.

12. U.S. Census Bureau. (2005). Change in Total population and population 65 and older by state: 2000 to 2030.

13. Association of Directors of Geriatric Academic Programs Status of Geriatric Workforce Study. Distribution of Certified Geriatricians in the United States for Populations aged 75 and over, 2007.

14. North Carolina Study Commission on Aging (2009). Report to the Governor and the 2009 Regular Session of the 2009 General Assembly.

15. N.C. Division of Aging and Adult Services. (2007). North Carolina Aging Services Plan 2007-2011: Putting the Pieces Together.

16. N.C. Division of Aging and Adult Services. (updated annually). County Profiles.

17. Data extracted from LTCfocUS.org

18. NC Division of Medical Assistance. (2008). 2008 Medicaid Tables, Table 9: North Carolina Medicaid Claim and Premium Expenditures by Eligibility Category SFY 2008.

19. North Carolina Division of Aging and Adult Services. (2008). North Carolina Aging Statistics.

20. N.C. Center for Public Policy Research. March 25, 2010 News Release

21. State Center for Health Statistics. (2007). NC Vital Statistics Volume 2, Leading Causes of Death - 2007. TABLE A: Leading Causes of Death* by Age Group- North Carolina Residents, 2007.

22. State Center for Health Statistics. (2005). Health Profile of North Carolinians: 2005 Update

23. U.S. Census Bureau. (2011). Age and Sex Composition: 2010

24. NC Department of Health and Human Services. (2011). Impact of the Economic Crisis on Home and Community Care Block Grant Services for Older Adults.

25. Brookings Institution. (2011). The Uneven aging and "younging" of America: State and metropolitan trends in the 2010 census.

26. U.S. Administration on Aging. (2011). 2010 Census Data on Aging.

updated June 2011