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Explore national- and state-level data for hundreds of health, environmental and socioeconomic measures, including background information about each measure. Use features on this page to find measures; view subpopulations, trends and rankings; and download and share content.
United States Value:
Percentage of adults age 65 and older living below the poverty level
Percentage of adults age 65 and older living below the poverty level
7.2% - 9.4%
9.5% - 10.1%
10.2% - 10.8%
10.9% - 12.1%
12.2% - 17.7%
US Value: 11.3 %
Top State(s): Alaska: 7.2 %
Bottom State(s): Mississippi: 15.8 %
Definition: Percentage of adults age 65 and older living below the poverty level
Data Source and Years(s): U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 1-Year Dataset, 2023
Suggested Citation: America's Health Rankings analysis of U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 1-Year Dataset, United Health Foundation, AmericasHealthRankings.org, accessed 2026.
Poverty is associated with poor health outcomes. It influences environmental exposures and health-related behaviors and increases the risk of chronic disease and mortality. Among older adults, poverty is linked to an increased risk of disability, homelessness, and physical and cognitive decline. Many older adults subsist on limited incomes and modest savings that may restrict their ability to afford basic medical care.
The Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM), introduced in 2011, complements the official poverty measure with metrics that adjust for government programs related to food, housing and utilities as well as other expenses such as taxes and out-of-pocket medical costs. The SPM for older adults increased from 9.5% in 2020 to 14.2% in 2023.
Poverty is higher among:
Many federal, state and local government programs, as well as community interventions, exist to support and help reduce the number of older adults living in poverty. Some of them include:
Healthy People 2030 has a goal to reduce the proportion of all people living in poverty.
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Li, Zhe, and Joseph Dalaker. “Poverty Among the Population Aged 65 and Older.” CRS Report R45791. Congressional Research Service, December 6, 2022. https://sgp.fas.org/crs/misc/R45791.pdf.
Lubetkin, Erica I., and Haomiao Jia. “Burden of Disease Associated with Lower Levels of Income among US Adults Aged 65 and Older.” BMJ Open 7, no. 1 (January 2017): e013720. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2016-013720.
Minkler, Meredith, Esme Fuller-Thomson, and Jack M. Guralnik. “Gradient of Disability across the Socioeconomic Spectrum in the United States.” New England Journal of Medicine 355, no. 7 (August 17, 2006): 695–703. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMsa044316.
Romig, Kathleen. “Social Security Lifts More People Above the Poverty Line Than Any Other Program.” Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, June 2, 2023. https://www.cbpp.org/research/social-security/social-security-keeps-22-million-americans-out-of-poverty-a-state-by-state.
Shrider, Emily A. “Poverty in the United States: 2023.” U.S. Census Bureau, September 2024. https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/2024/demo/p60-283.pdf#page=16.
Steptoe, Andrew, and Paola Zaninotto. “Lower Socioeconomic Status and the Acceleration of Aging: An Outcome-Wide Analysis.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 117, no. 26 (June 30, 2020): 14911–17. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1915741117.
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