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Iowa Value:
Percentage of adults age 65 and older who live below the poverty level
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Percentage of adults age 65 and older who live below the poverty level
US Value: 10.9%
Top State(s): Utah: 7.5%
Bottom State(s): Louisiana: 14.8%
Definition: Percentage of adults age 65 and older who live below the poverty level
Data Source and Years(s): U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2022
Suggested Citation: America's Health Rankings analysis of U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, United Health Foundation, AmericasHealthRankings.org, accessed 2024.
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 expenses. In 2020, the SPM-calculated rate was 2.3 percentage points lower than the poverty rate calculated using the official method. This is the first time in SPM history that it indicated a lower poverty rate than the official poverty measure. The SPM for older adults increased from 9.5% in 2020 to 14.1% in 2022.
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.
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America’s Health Rankings builds on the work of the United Health Foundation to draw attention to public health and better understand the health of various populations. Our platform provides relevant information that policymakers, public health officials, advocates and leaders can use to effect change in their communities.
We have developed detailed analyses on the health of key populations in the country, including women and children, seniors and those who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces, in addition to a deep dive into health disparities across the country.