Cities Where the Most Seniors Are Still Working

retirement

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Published: May 20, 2024 9:50 am

Last Updated: May 24, 2024 1:18 pm

These days, you can become eligible for partial Social Security retirement benefits at age 62 and reach full retirement age for 100% benefits at 66 to 67 years old, depending on the year you were born. Full retirement age used to be 65 for the longest time, traced back to a German program that set that age in 1916, and later used as the retirement age in the U.S. when President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act in 1935. With people living longer, however, Congress passed a law to gradually raise the age in 1983. Of course, not everybody retires at 65, or at 67.

For some retiree-aged people, they need to work to supplement their income. For others, they simply prefer to remain in the workforce. In fact, 18.3% of 65+ Americans were in the labor force in 2023, nearly double the share 35 years ago. What’s more, 62% of older workers are working full time, compared with 47% in 1987, according to Pew Research.

So where in the country are the most older Americans still working? To find that, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed five-year data on age and employment status from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2022 American Community Survey. Cities, towns and census-designated places were ranked based on the percentage of the population 65 years and over that is in the labor force, either as employed workers or unemployed workers seeking jobs. Supplemental data on median household income for householders 65 years and over and the percentage of the population that is 65 years and over.

In the 50 cities on the list, at least one in four of the 65 and older population are in the labor force. These cities are mostly wealthy — 41 have median household incomes above the comparable national median of $75,149. Similarly, in 45 of the cities, the median income among the 65+ population is higher than the comparable national median of $54,699. Many of these cities tend to have a large share of white collar jobs that are not physically demanding. Also see: This Is The Best Place To Retire: Every County in Your State, Ranked.

While these cities are located in every region, the most are in the South. For example, eight are in Texas, seven in Maryland, and five in Virginia. In the West, California leads with six cities on the list, while Massachusetts in the Northeast has four. In most of the cities, the share of the 65+ population is smaller than the national average of 16.5%. (If you do plan to work after retirement, make sure to understand any possible financial repercussions.)

Why This Matters

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With people living longer, healthier lives, many older Americans may either have to continue working or choose to do so. 24/7 Wall St. wanted to find whether there are any commonalities in areas where the most 65 and older Americans work. Indeed, we found several such commonalities that could suggest that in the cities where most retiree-aged people work, it may be more a matter of choice than necessity. It is worth pointing out, though, that working in retirement could affect Social Security retirement benefits. For example, in 2024, before full retirement age, you can earn up to $22,320 without seeing any reduction in your Social Security benefit, and you can similarly earn up to $59,520 after you reach full retirement age, according to the SSA.