Humanities Issues Senior Citizen Population by State Share Flipboard Email Print Alistair Berg/Digital Vision/Getty Images Issues U.S. Liberal Politics History & Basics Key Figures & Events U.S. Government U.S. Foreign Policy U.S. Conservative Politics Women's Issues Civil Liberties Middle East Terrorism Race Relations Immigration Journalism Crime & Punishment Animal Rights Canadian Government View More by Deborah White Updated March 06, 2017 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 Population65 Years Old and OverAccording to the 2010 CensusVery High Level of Senior Citizen Population 1. 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 Population 14. 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 Population 28. 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 Population 45. California - 11.4% 46. Colorado - 10.9% 47. Georgia - 10.7% 48. Texas - 10.3% 49. Utah - 9.0% 50. Alaska - 7.7%Other demographic and economic factors that will powerfully influence the 2012 elections, particularly the presidential contest, include: Unemployment Rates by State Foreclosure Rates by State Top 20 Labor Union States Hispanic Population by State African-American Population by State Source - U.S. Census Bureau, Table 16, State Resident Population by Age and State: 2010 citecite this article Format mla apa chicago Your Citation White, Deborah. "Senior Citizen Population by State." ThoughtCo, Jul. 2, 2014, thoughtco.com/senior-citizen-population-by-state-3325157. White, Deborah. (2014, July 2). Senior Citizen Population by State. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/senior-citizen-population-by-state-3325157 White, Deborah. "Senior Citizen Population by State." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/senior-citizen-population-by-state-3325157 (accessed April 22, 2018). copy citation Continue Reading