Ohio Department of Aging

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The Department of Aging responds to many questions from the aging network, researchers, legislative staff, students and the general public about demographic trends among older persons. Below is a quick overview of older Ohioans. Use the links to the right to get more in-depth information about senior citizens in Ohio and across the nation.

Population Composition

• 1,963,489 Ohioans were 60 or older in 2000.
• Ohioans age 60 and older make up 17.4 percent of the state's total population.
• 60 to 64 year-olds make up 4 percent of Ohio's population.
• 65 to 74 year-olds make up 7 percent of Ohio's population.
• 75 to 84 year-olds make up 4.8 percent of Ohio's Population.
• Ohioans age 85 and up make up 1.6 percent of the state's population

Population Change

• The number of Ohioans age 60 to 64 decreased by 8.3 percent from 1990 to 2000.
• The number of Ohioans age 65 to 74 decreased by 4.6 percent from 1990 to 2000.
• The number of Ohioans age 75 to 84 increased by 22.6 percent from 1990 to 2000.
• The number of Ohioans age 85 and older increased by 28.1 percent from 1990 to 2000.

Centenarians

• In 2000, 1,910 people were more than 100 years old.
• 41 Ohioans were older than 110 in 2000.
• Each of Ohio's 88 counties was home to at least one centenarian in 2000.

Gender

• Women account for 58 percent of Ohio's over-60 population.
• There were just as many men as women over age 100 in 2000.

Minorities

• 10.3 percent of Ohioans over age 60 are members of a minority.
• The number of minority seniors in Ohio increased 21% from 1990 to 2000.
• Caucasians made up 90 percent of Ohio's 60+ population in 2000.
• Eight percent of Ohioans age 60 and older are black.
• American Indians, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, Pacific Islanders and Asians accounted for less than 1 percent each of the State's 60+ population.

Residence

• In 2000, 80 percent of Ohioans age 65 and older lived in urban and metropolitan areas.
• 41 percent of Ohioans over age 60 lived alone in 2000.
• Nearly 80 percent of Ohioans age 60 and older own their own homes in 2000.
• Nursing homes were 83 percent occupied in 2000.
• Nursing home occupancy dropped nine percent from 1992 to 2002.
• In December 2001, 68,509 Ohioans (4.5 percent) age 65 or older lived in a nursing home.

Economic Status

• 63 percent of men and 47 percent of women over age 60 are still working.
• Two-thirds of Ohioans age 65 and older have high school diplomas.
• 6.9 percent of Ohioans age 65 to 74 are below the poverty level.
• 8.5 percent of Ohioans age 75 and older are in poverty.

Disability

• 39 percent of men age 65 and older and 48 percent of women reported having at least one disability in 2000.

Grandparenting

• 86,009 grandparents are responsible for the care of a child younger than 18.

Source: Ohio Department of Aging State Plan 2004 - 2007