Humanities › Issues Senior Citizen Population by State Share Flipboard Email Print Alistair Berg/Digital Vision/Getty Images Issues U.S. Liberal Politics Liberal Voices and Events The U. S. Government U.S. Foreign Policy U.S. Conservative Politics Women's Issues Civil Liberties The Middle East Terrorism Race Relations Immigration Crime & Punishment Animal Rights Canadian Government View More By Deborah White Political Journalist M.B.A., California State University, Long Beach B.A., Journalism and Nonfiction Writing, University of California, Los Angeles Deborah White is a political journalist specializing in progressive political issues and perspectives. She is a three-time delegate to the California Democratic Party and a former federal elections official. our editorial process Deborah White Updated October 14, 2019 This article lists the United States' senior citizen population (i.e. sixty-five years old and over) by state, as recorded in the 2010 Census. This data is relevant to national and state elections because historically, more senior citizens vote Republican than vote Democratic. In the 2008 presidential election, senior citizens nationwide heavily favored Republican John McCain over Democrat Barack Obama by a margin of 53% to 45%. Reported campaign strategists Democracy Corps about the 2008 election in comparison to 2004, "According to the exit polls, while Obama made gains with nearly all groups compared to John Kerry, this did not happen with seniors. They, along with gay and lesbian voters, were the big underperformers for Obama." However, in the 2012 elections, voters sixty-five years old and over could be upset enough over Republican proposals to cut and/or change Social Security and Medicare benefits to opt to vote for Democratic candidates. States with high concentrations of senior citizens include 2012 battlegrounds Florida, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, and potential battleground states Missouri, Arizona, Montana, and Iowa. State Resident Population 65 Years Old and Over According to the 2010 Census Very High Level of Senior Citizen Population1. Florida - 17.3%2. West Virginia - 16.0%3. Maine - 15.9%4. Pennsylvania - 15.4%5. Iowa - 14.9%6. Montana - 14.8%7. Vermont - 14.6%8. North Dakota - 14.5%9. Arkansas - 14.4%9. Rhode Island - 14.4%9. Delaware - 14.4%12. South Dakota - 14.3%12. Hawaii - 14.3%High Level of Senior Citizen Population14. Connecticut - 14.2%15. Ohio - 14.1 %16. Missouri - 14.0%17. Oregon - 13.9%18. Michigan - 13.8%18. Arizona - 13.8%18. Massachusetts - 13.8%18. Alabama - 13.8%22. Wisconsin - 13.7%22. South Carolina - 13.7%24. Nebraska - 13.5%24. New York - 13.5%24. Oklahoma - 13.5%24. New Jersey - 13.5%Median Level of Senior Citizen Population28. New Hampshire - 13.5%29. Tennessee - 13.4%30. Kentucky - 13.3%31. New Mexico - 13.2%31. Kansas - 13.2%33. Indiana - 13.0%34. North Carolina - 12.9%34. Minnesota - 12.9%36. Mississippi - 12.8%37. Illinois - 12.5%38. Wyoming - 12.4%38. Idaho - 12.4%40. Louisiana - 12.3%40. Maryland - 12.3%40. Washington - 12.3%43. Virginia - 12.2%44. Nevada - 12.0%Low Level of Senior Citizen Population45. California - 11.4%46. Colorado - 10.9%47. Georgia - 10.7%48. Texas - 10.3%49. Utah - 9.0%50. Alaska - 7.7%Top 20 Labor Union StatesHispanic Population by State U.S. Census Bureau, Table 16, State Resident Population by Age and State: 2010