While the country is aging on the whole, at a local level, some areas have significantly older populations than others. 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the median age in all U.S. counties to identify the county in every state with the oldest residents. Sumter County, Florida has the highest median age of any U.S. county. The typical Sumter resident is 65.3 years old.
Click here to see the oldest county in every state.
Generally, counties located in northeastern states tend to have older populations than those in southern or western states. Also, states with older populations tend to have less variation in age between counties. In Maine, for example, the median age is 43.8 years old, the highest of any state. The difference between Maine’s oldest county and its youngest county is only 10.2 years. In Virginia, a state where the typical resident is 6.2 years younger than the typical Maine resident, the county with the oldest population has a median age nearly 37.6 years higher than the state’s youngest county. This is the largest age gap of any state.
The aging baby boomer generation, which began turning 65 in 2011, is a large driver behind the increasing median age, and is a major factor in the oldest counties in each state. In 2015, 14.1% of Americans were 65 years or older. In Sumter County, Florida, more than half of the residents are 65 and older.
To determine the oldest county in every state, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the median age for all U.S. counties from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2015 American Community Survey. The share of residents 65 and older and the average retirement income were also from the ACS. The average retirement income was calculated from the aggregate retirement income received in the last 12 months and the number of households receiving retirement income in a given county.
This is the oldest county in every state.
1. Cherokee County, Alabama
> Median age: 45.4
> State median age: 38.4
> Population 65+: 19.8%
> Avg. retirement income: $17,689
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2. Wrangell City and Borough, Alaska
> Median age: 50.4
> State median age: 33.4
> Population 65+: 21.6%
> Avg. retirement income: $21,472
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3. La Paz County, Arizona
> Median age: 54.8
> State median age: 36.8
> Population 65+: 35.2%
> Avg. retirement income: $21,292
4. Baxter County, Arkansas
> Median age: 51.5
> State median age: 37.7
> Population 65+: 29.6%
> Avg. retirement income: $21,510
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5. Sierra County, California
> Median age: 54.5
> State median age: 35.8
> Population 65+: 24.4%
> Avg. retirement income: $31,008
6. Mineral County, Colorado
> Median age: 60.9
> State median age: 36.3
> Population 65+: 36.6%
> Avg. retirement income: $34,118
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7. Litchfield County, Connecticut
> Median age: 46.0
> State median age: 40.4
> Population 65+: 17.7%
> Avg. retirement income: $25,879
8. Sussex County, Delaware
> Median age: 47.0
> State median age: 39.3
> Population 65+: 23.3%
> Avg. retirement income: $27,799
9. Sumter County, Florida
> Median age: 65.3
> State median age: 41.4
> Population 65+: 50.9%
> Avg. retirement income: $31,364
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10. Union County, Georgia
> Median age: 53.3
> State median age: 35.9
> Population 65+: 30.4%
> Avg. retirement income: $25,441
11. Kalawao County, Hawaii
> Median age: 51.9
> State median age: 38.0
> Population 65+: 24.7%
> Avg. retirement income: $17,607
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12. Boise County, Idaho
> Median age: 52.0
> State median age: 35.5
> Population 65+: 20.7%
> Avg. retirement income: $27,118
13. Henderson County, Illinois
> Median age: 49.1
> State median age: 37.3
> Population 65+: 22.9%
> Avg. retirement income: $16,992
14. Brown County, Indiana
> Median age: 48.3
> State median age: 37.3
> Population 65+: 20.2%
> Avg. retirement income: $19,649
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15. Dickinson County, Iowa
> Median age: 48.7
> State median age: 38.1
> Population 65+: 23.6%
> Avg. retirement income: $22,043
16. Decatur County, Kansas
> Median age: 52.3
> State median age: 36.0
> Population 65+: 27.4%
> Avg. retirement income: $30,309
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17. Lyon County, Kentucky
> Median age: 49.0
> State median age: 38.5
> Population 65+: 22.4%
> Avg. retirement income: $26,147
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18. Tensas Parish, Louisiana
> Median age: 43.0
> State median age: 36.1
> Population 65+: 19.3%
> Avg. retirement income: $21,174
19. Lincoln County, Maine
> Median age: 49.8
> State median age: 43.8
> Population 65+: 24.3%
> Avg. retirement income: $26,373
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20. Worcester County, Maryland
> Median age: 49.1
> State median age: 38.2
> Population 65+: 24.7%
> Avg. retirement income: $31,147
21. Barnstable County, Massachusetts
> Median age: 51.3
> State median age: 39.3
> Population 65+: 27.1%
> Avg. retirement income: $31,723
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22. Alcona County, Michigan
> Median age: 56.6
> State median age: 39.5
> Population 65+: 33.9%
> Avg. retirement income: $21,630
23. Aitkin County, Minnesota
> Median age: 53.1
> State median age: 37.7
> Population 65+: 29.2%
> Avg. retirement income: $22,883
24. Amite County, Mississippi
> Median age: 45.3
> State median age: 36.5
> Population 65+: 20.2%
> Avg. retirement income: $19,416
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25. Hickory County, Missouri
> Median age: 53.5
> State median age: 38.2
> Population 65+: 31.5%
> Avg. retirement income: $17,420
26. Granite County, Montana
> Median age: 53.7
> State median age: 39.7
> Population 65+: 28.3%
> Avg. retirement income: $22,828
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27. Hooker County, Nebraska
> Median age: 57.9
> State median age: 36.2
> Population 65+: 35.8%
> Avg. retirement income: $12,678
28. Storey County, Nevada
> Median age: 54.7
> State median age: 37.2
> Population 65+: 26.3%
> Avg. retirement income: $23,245
29. Carroll County, New Hampshire
> Median age: 50.3
> State median age: 42.2
> Population 65+: 23.4%
> Avg. retirement income: $28,382
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30. Cape May County, New Jersey
> Median age: 48.3
> State median age: 39.4
> Population 65+: 23.3%
> Avg. retirement income: $27,453
31. Catron County, New Mexico
> Median age: 57.1
> State median age: 37.0
> Population 65+: 32.7%
> Avg. retirement income: $29,196
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32. Hamilton County, New York
> Median age: 51.9
> State median age: 38.1
> Population 65+: 25.8%
> Avg. retirement income: $25,441
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33. Polk County, North Carolina
> Median age: 50.9
> State median age: 38.0
> Population 65+: 26.9%
> Avg. retirement income: $25,390
34. Grant County, North Dakota
> Median age: 53.6
> State median age: 35.4
> Population 65+: 27.7%
> Avg. retirement income: $21,573
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35. Noble County, Ohio
> Median age: 50.2
> State median age: 39.2
> Population 65+: 22.3%
> Avg. retirement income: $21,250
36. McIntosh County, Oklahoma
> Median age: 47.4
> State median age: 36.2
> Population 65+: 24.1%
> Avg. retirement income: $18,533
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37. Wheeler County, Oregon
> Median age: 56.5
> State median age: 39.1
> Population 65+: 34.3%
> Avg. retirement income: $21,739
38. Sullivan County, Pennsylvania
> Median age: 51.8
> State median age: 40.5
> Population 65+: 26.5%
> Avg. retirement income: $16,929
39. Bristol County, Rhode Island
> Median age: 43.9
> State median age: 39.7
> Population 65+: 18.4%
> Avg. retirement income: $25,763
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40. McCormick County, South Carolina
> Median age: 51.9
> State median age: 38.6
> Population 65+: 29.2%
> Avg. retirement income: $27,705
41. Custer County, South Dakota
> Median age: 52.8
> State median age: 36.8
> Population 65+: 24.8%
> Avg. retirement income: $17,932
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42. Cumberland County, Tennessee
> Median age: 49.7
> State median age: 38.4
> Population 65+: 28.4%
> Avg. retirement income: $24,442
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43. Llano County, Texas
> Median age: 56.3
> State median age: 34.1
> Population 65+: 33.6%
> Avg. retirement income: $25,806
44. Kane County, Utah
> Median age: 43.6
> State median age: 30.1
> Population 65+: 20.6%
> Avg. retirement income: $35,000
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45. Essex County, Vermont
> Median age: 48.8
> State median age: 42.4
> Population 65+: 22.0%
> Avg. retirement income: $15,980
46. Highland County, Virginia
> Median age: 59.0
> State median age: 37.6
> Population 65+: 34.0%
> Avg. retirement income: $22,287
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47. Jefferson County, Washington
> Median age: 55.6
> State median age: 37.4
> Population 65+: 30.1%
> Avg. retirement income: $28,417
48. Pendleton County, West Virginia
> Median age: 49.1
> State median age: 41.8
> Population 65+: 24.0%
> Avg. retirement income: $17,645
49. Vilas County, Wisconsin
> Median age: 52.6
> State median age: 39.0
> Population 65+: 28.2%
> Avg. retirement income: $25,187
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50. Hot Springs County, Wyoming
> Median age: 49.6
> State median age: 36.8
> Population 65+: 22.4%
> Avg. retirement income: $22,016
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