Chart to go: Seattle is getting older
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
While the Seattle area saw its overall population grow only 0.6% between 2020 and 2023, the population of people 65 and older grew 10.6%, per the Census Bureau.
Why it matters: Americans 65 and older will make up more than 20% of the population by 2030, according to Census Bureau projections, up from 17% in 2022. By 2050, they're projected to make up 23%.
- Cities with growing senior populations should consider older residents' specific needs, like health care, transportation and affordable housing, as they plan.
Driving the news: The 65-and-up population grew in all of America's biggest cities from 2020 to 2023 — by close to 20% in some cases, according to the Census Bureau's latest population estimates.
The big picture: Nationally, the 65-plus population rose 9.4% to about 59.2 million people in this time frame, per the Census Bureau.
Between the lines: Retirees packing up and moving are likely driving some of the change in cities with especially high 65+ growth, like Raleigh (+18.3%), Austin (+17.3) and Houston (+15.3%).
What they're saying: "While some metro areas saw increases in their youth population and many saw gains in working-age populations, what's particularly remarkable is the near-universal increase in the older population for metro areas across the country," said Lauren Bowers, chief of the Census Bureau's Population Estimates Branch, in the agency's analysis.