These Cities Are Aging The Fastest

The United States, as a whole, is getting older. Every day more than 10,000 baby boomers are turning 65 and by 2050 the number of individuals over 65 in America is projected to be 81.7 million, almost double what it is now. That will take the percent of the overall population that is over 65 to 21 percent from its current standing of 15 percent, according to Forbes.

Not all cities are aging at the same rate, however. Some seem to be aging in reverse like Benjamin Button and getting younger, while others are taking the Mel Gibson from Forever Young approach and aging at a seemingly exponential rate.

Tampa-St. Petersburg, Fla. is number one on the list of the most aged regions with 18.7 percent of its population over 65 (the national average is 13.3 percent). Other cities on the list that might not come as much of a surprise are Tucson, Ariz. at 17.7 percent and Miami, Fla. with 17 percent.

Surprisingly, many of the cities on the list aren’t located in warm climates, but in the Rust Belt, such as Pittsburgh and Cleveland. The Sun Belt, however, has a comparatively low number of seniors with Texas having three of the five areas with the lowest percentage of people over 65.

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