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Counties with the most seniors in Oregon


Manuela Durson // Shutterstock

Counties with the most seniors in Oregon

Seniors will comprise more than 20% of U.S. residents in 2030, up from 15% in 2020. By 2034, older adults will outnumber children, according to Census Bureau projections.

Across the U.S., 52 million Americans are 65 years or older, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, and a quarter of them live in just three states: California, Florida, and Texas. By comparison, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont, Wyoming, and Alaska each have fewer than 150,000 senior residents. The size of a state’s senior population means a lot in terms of demand for resources like health care, affordable housing, assisted living, in-home and nursing care, and support services, and the quality and availability of those resources help determine where seniors migrate.

With baby boomers moving into old age, fewer babies being born, and longer life expectancies, the senior population of America is on a spectacular rise. The lengthening of the U.S. life expectancy has been particularly dramatic, rising to nearly 79 years from 68 years in 1950.

Stacker compiled a list of counties with the most seniors in Oregon using data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Counties are ranked by the highest percentage of residents 65 years or older according to 2020 5-year estimates.

Keep reading to find out which counties have the most seniors in Oregon.

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M.O. Stevens // Wikimedia Commons

#36. Washington County

– Population aged 65 or older: 13.3%
– Population aged 18 and younger: 22.8%
– Median age: 36.9 years old
— Median age of males: 35.9 years old
— Median age of females: 37.9 years old
– Total population: 595,761 people



Stuart Seeger // Wikicommons

#35. Multnomah County

– Population aged 65 or older: 13.5%
– Population aged 18 and younger: 18.7%
– Median age: 37.5 years old
— Median age of males: 37.1 years old
— Median age of females: 37.8 years old
– Total population: 809,869 people



Finetooth // Wikimedia Commons

#34. Morrow County

– Population aged 65 or older: 15%
– Population aged 18 and younger: 27.6%
– Median age: 38.3 years old
— Median age of males: 38.6 years old
— Median age of females: 37.9 years old
– Total population: 11,425 people



Sam Beebe // Wikimedia Commons

#33. Hood River County

– Population aged 65 or older: 15.2%
– Population aged 18 and younger: 23.7%
– Median age: 39.5 years old
— Median age of males: 40.5 years old
— Median age of females: 38.6 years old
– Total population: 23,270 people



Gancayco // Wikimedia Commons

#32. Umatilla County

– Population aged 65 or older: 15.6%
– Population aged 18 and younger: 25.3%
– Median age: 36.7 years old
— Median age of males: 35.4 years old
— Median age of females: 38.1 years old
– Total population: 77,319 people

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Edmund Garman // Flickr

#31. Marion County

– Population aged 65 or older: 15.7%
– Population aged 18 and younger: 24.5%
– Median age: 36.9 years old
— Median age of males: 35.5 years old
— Median age of females: 37.9 years old
– Total population: 343,742 people



cpaulfell // Shutterstock

#30. Benton County

– Population aged 65 or older: 16%
– Population aged 18 and younger: 16.2%
– Median age: 33.2 years old
— Median age of males: 31.7 years old
— Median age of females: 35 years old
– Total population: 92,168 people



Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA // Wikimedia Commons

#29. Malheur County

– Population aged 65 or older: 16.6%
– Population aged 18 and younger: 25.0%
– Median age: 36.1 years old
— Median age of males: 35.4 years old
— Median age of females: 37.9 years old
– Total population: 30,632 people



M.O. Stevens // Wikimedia Commons

#28. Yamhill County

– Population aged 65 or older: 17.2%
– Population aged 18 and younger: 22.1%
– Median age: 38.6 years old
— Median age of males: 37.5 years old
— Median age of females: 39.8 years old
– Total population: 106,087 people



Bruce Fingerhood from Springfield, Oregon, US // Wikimedia Commons

#27. Polk County

– Population aged 65 or older: 17.8%
– Population aged 18 and younger: 22.6%
– Median age: 37 years old
— Median age of males: 36.1 years old
— Median age of females: 38.2 years old
– Total population: 84,730 people

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Mrgadget51 // Wikimedia Commons

#26. Clackamas County

– Population aged 65 or older: 18%
– Population aged 18 and younger: 21.5%
– Median age: 41.7 years old
— Median age of males: 40.6 years old
— Median age of females: 42.9 years old
– Total population: 415,084 people



Jmabel // Wikimedia Commons

#25. Linn County

– Population aged 65 or older: 18.6%
– Population aged 18 and younger: 22.5%
– Median age: 39.9 years old
— Median age of males: 38.9 years old
— Median age of females: 40.6 years old
– Total population: 127,216 people



Cacophony // Wikimedia Commons

#24. Columbia County

– Population aged 65 or older: 18.7%
– Population aged 18 and younger: 21.0%
– Median age: 43.3 years old
— Median age of males: 42.4 years old
— Median age of females: 44.5 years old
– Total population: 52,117 people



Lauram12345 // Wikicommons

#23. Lane County

– Population aged 65 or older: 19.3%
– Population aged 18 and younger: 18.4%
– Median age: 39.7 years old
— Median age of males: 38.3 years old
— Median age of females: 41.1 years old
– Total population: 377,749 people



Finetooth // Wikimedia Commons

#22. Jefferson County

– Population aged 65 or older: 19.3%
– Population aged 18 and younger: 23.4%
– Median age: 41 years old
— Median age of males: 40.3 years old
— Median age of females: 42 years old
– Total population: 24,048 people

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Ian Poellet // Wikimedia Commons

#21. Deschutes County

– Population aged 65 or older: 19.9%
– Population aged 18 and younger: 20.0%
– Median age: 42.4 years old
— Median age of males: 41.4 years old
— Median age of females: 43.5 years old
– Total population: 191,749 people



Cacophony // Wikimedia Commons

#20. Wasco County

– Population aged 65 or older: 20.1%
– Population aged 18 and younger: 22.4%
– Median age: 40.2 years old
— Median age of males: 38.8 years old
— Median age of females: 41.8 years old
– Total population: 26,274 people



Williamborg // Wikimedia Commons

#19. Union County

– Population aged 65 or older: 20.6%
– Population aged 18 and younger: 22.1%
– Median age: 40 years old
— Median age of males: 38.6 years old
— Median age of females: 41.1 years old
– Total population: 26,502 people



Bobjgalindo // Wikimedia Commons

#18. Klamath County

– Population aged 65 or older: 21.2%
– Population aged 18 and younger: 21.7%
– Median age: 42 years old
— Median age of males: 41.3 years old
— Median age of females: 42.9 years old
– Total population: 67,606 people



Little Mountain 5 // Wikicommons

#17. Jackson County

– Population aged 65 or older: 22%
– Population aged 18 and younger: 20.5%
– Median age: 42.6 years old
— Median age of males: 41.2 years old
— Median age of females: 44.2 years old
– Total population: 218,781 people

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English: Gary Halvorson, Oregon State Archives // Wikimedia Commons

#16. Clatsop County

– Population aged 65 or older: 22.3%
– Population aged 18 and younger: 18.9%
– Median age: 44.4 years old
— Median age of males: 42.6 years old
— Median age of females: 45.7 years old
– Total population: 39,656 people



Finetooth // Wikimedia Commons

#15. Sherman County

– Population aged 65 or older: 23.1%
– Population aged 18 and younger: 19.4%
– Median age: 47.8 years old
— Median age of males: 46.8 years old
— Median age of females: 49.1 years old
– Total population: 1,686 people



Ken Lund // Wikimedia Commons

#14. Harney County

– Population aged 65 or older: 23.9%
– Population aged 18 and younger: 20.3%
– Median age: 45.1 years old
— Median age of males: 42.4 years old
— Median age of females: 46.7 years old
– Total population: 7,310 people



Cacophony // Wikimedia Commons

#13. Crook County

– Population aged 65 or older: 24.9%
– Population aged 18 and younger: 19.8%
– Median age: 46.8 years old
— Median age of males: 47.4 years old
— Median age of females: 46.4 years old
– Total population: 23,733 people



Ken Lund // Wikimedia Commons

#12. Lake County

– Population aged 65 or older: 24.9%
– Population aged 18 and younger: 18.8%
– Median age: 47.5 years old
— Median age of males: 48.4 years old
— Median age of females: 46.6 years old
– Total population: 7,896 people

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USFWS Headquarters’ photostream // Wikimedia Commons

#11. Tillamook County

– Population aged 65 or older: 25.5%
– Population aged 18 and younger: 18.8%
– Median age: 48.6 years old
— Median age of males: 46.4 years old
— Median age of females: 51 years old
– Total population: 26,782 people



English: Gary Halvorson, Oregon State Archives // Wikimedia Commons

#10. Douglas County

– Population aged 65 or older: 25.7%
– Population aged 18 and younger: 19.3%
– Median age: 47 years old
— Median age of males: 45.4 years old
— Median age of females: 49 years old
– Total population: 110,015 people



Debbie Tegtmeier // Wikimedia Commons

#9. Coos County

– Population aged 65 or older: 25.9%
– Population aged 18 and younger: 18.4%
– Median age: 48.7 years old
— Median age of males: 46.9 years old
— Median age of females: 49.8 years old
– Total population: 64,175 people



Joseph Novak // Wikicommons

#8. Josephine County

– Population aged 65 or older: 26%
– Population aged 18 and younger: 19.5%
– Median age: 47.5 years old
— Median age of males: 45.5 years old
— Median age of females: 49.8 years old
– Total population: 87,097 people



Finetooth // Wikimedia Commons

#7. Baker County

– Population aged 65 or older: 26.7%
– Population aged 18 and younger: 19.6%
– Median age: 48.2 years old
— Median age of males: 46.1 years old
— Median age of females: 50.2 years old
– Total population: 16,090 people

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Sam Beebe // Wikimedia Commons

#6. Wallowa County

– Population aged 65 or older: 28.5%
– Population aged 18 and younger: 18.4%
– Median age: 52.4 years old
— Median age of males: 51.5 years old
— Median age of females: 53 years old
– Total population: 7,065 people



EncMstr // Wikimedia Commons

#5. Lincoln County

– Population aged 65 or older: 28.8%
– Population aged 18 and younger: 16.9%
– Median age: 51.8 years old
— Median age of males: 50.2 years old
— Median age of females: 53.4 years old
– Total population: 49,336 people



Tedder // Wikimedia Commons

#4. Gilliam County

– Population aged 65 or older: 29.7%
– Population aged 18 and younger: 17.4%
– Median age: 52.6 years old
— Median age of males: 51.3 years old
— Median age of females: 53.5 years old
– Total population: 1,896 people



Finetooth // Wikimedia Commons

#3. Grant County

– Population aged 65 or older: 30.6%
– Population aged 18 and younger: 17.2%
– Median age: 52.8 years old
— Median age of males: 51.7 years old
— Median age of females: 53.6 years old
– Total population: 7,174 people



Manuela Durson // Shutterstock

#2. Curry County

– Population aged 65 or older: 34.3%
– Population aged 18 and younger: 14.1%
– Median age: 56.3 years old
— Median age of males: 55.7 years old
— Median age of females: 56.9 years old
– Total population: 22,889 people

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Tomas Nevesely // Shutterstock

#1. Wheeler County

– Population aged 65 or older: 34.4%
– Population aged 18 and younger: 18.1%
– Median age: 56.9 years old
— Median age of males: 55.2 years old
— Median age of females: 59.1 years old
– Total population: 1,417 people


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