Demographic Variation Among U.S. Adults Aged 50+, 2024

Introduction

The U.S. is an aging population, reflecting gains in longevity and shrinking birth rates. Projections indicate that the number of U.S. adults aged 65 and older is growing rapidly, rising from about 57.8 million in 2022 to an estimated 106.3 million in 2100 (Federal Interagency Forum on Aging Related Statistics, 2024). This Aging Family Portrait draws on data from the 2024 American Community Survey to describe the sociodemographic characteristics of the older population, distinguishing between adults aged 50-64 and 65+

Age

Over 123 million Americans were aged 50 or older in 2024.

Since 2006, the shares of the population aged 50–64 and 65+ have converged. By 2024, each group represented 18% of the population.

Population Share by Age Group, Adults 50+, 2006–2024

Source: CAF analysis of U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 1-year files, 2024 (IPUMS USA, University of Minnesota, www.ipums.org)

Share of the population aged 50+ by state quartile, 2024

Source: CAF analysis of U.S. Census Bureau, ACS, 1-year Subject Table S0103, 2024

Geographic Variation

States differed modestly in the sahre of residents aged 50+.

In 2024, Alaska had the lowest share of residents aged 50+ (31.0%), whereas Maine had the highest share (44.3%).

Metro Status

Nearly 4 in 5 adults aged 50+ lived in metropolitan areas.

In 2024, adults aged 65+ had slightly larger shares living in nonmetro areas than those aged 50-64 (22.6% compared with 20.2%).

Metro vs. nonmetro residence by age group, adults 50+, 2024

Source: CAF analysis of U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 1-year files, 2024 (IPUMS USA, University of Minnesota, www.ipums.org)

Educational attainment by age group, adults 50+, 2024

Source: CAF analysis of U.S. Census Bureau, ACS, 1-year files, 2024 (IPUMS USA, University of Minnesota, www.ipums.org)

Educational Attainment

Adults aged 50–64 had higher levels of educational attainment than those aged 65+.

In 2024, 34.6% of adults aged 50–64 had a bachelor’s degree or higher compared with 31.7% of those aged 65+.

Race & Ethnicity

Adults aged 65+ had a higher share of non-Hispanic White individuals and lower shares of racial and ethnic minority groups than those aged 50-64.

Race & ethnicity by age group, adults 50+, 2024

Source: CAF analysis of U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 1-year files, 2024 (IPUMS USA, University of Minnesota, www.ipums.org)

Number of functional limitations by age group, adults 50+, 2024

Source: CAF analysis of U.S. Census Bureau, ACS, 1-year files, 2024 (IPUMS USA, University of Minnesota, www.ipums.org)

Notes: The ACS asks about experiences of difficulty in six areas; cognitive difficulty, ambulatory difficulty, independent living difficulty, self-care difficulty, vision difficulty, hearing difficulty

Functional Limitations

Nearly 31 million Americans aged 50+ reported at least one functional limitation.

In 2024, adults aged 50-64 had larger shares reporting no limitations (83.6% vs. 66.1%).

Data Source:

Ruggles, S., Flood, S., Sobek, M., Backman, D., Cooper, G., Rivera Drew, J. A., Richards, S., Rodgers, R., Schroeder, J., & Williams, K. C. W. (2025). IPUMS USA: Version 16.0 [Dataset]. Minneapolis, MN: IPUMS. https://doi.org/10.18128/D010.V16.0

References:

Administration for Community Living. (2024). 2024 profile of older Americans. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. https://agingstats.gov/docs/LatestReport/Older-Americans-2024-508-May-update.pdf

Suggested Citation:
Westrick-Payne, K. K., & Brown, S. L. (2026). Demographic variation among adults aged 50+, 2024. An Aging Family Portrait, AFP-26-01. Bowling Green, OH: Center for Aging Families. [DOI]

The Center for Aging Families is funded by the National Institute on Aging through a P30 Centers on the Demography and Economics of Aging infrastructure award (P30AG096979).