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Social and Economic Factors

Community and Family Safety

Number of deaths among individuals age 65 and older due to firearm injury of any intent (unintentional, suicide, homicide or undetermined) per 100,000 population
U.S. HHS, Multiple Cause of Death Files via CDC WONDER, 2021-2023
Number of internet crime victim complaints per 10,000 adults age 60 and older
U.S. DOJ, FBI, Elder Fraud Report, 2023
Number of deaths due to motor vehicle traffic crashes on a public roadway per 100,000 adults age 65 and older
U.S. DOT, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Fatality Analysis Reporting System, 2022

Economic Resources

Percentage of adults age 60 and older who lacked access to enough food for an active and healthy life due to limited financial resources
Feeding America, Food Insecurity Among Seniors and Older Adults Report Series, 2022§
Percentage of adults age 65 and older living below the poverty level
U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2023
Ratio of the poverty rate of the racial/ethnic group with the highest rate (varies by state) to the non-Hispanic white rate among adults age 65 and older
U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2023
Number of adults age 60 and older who participated in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) per 100 adults age 60 and older living in poverty
USDA, Characteristics of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Households Report Series, 2022

Education

Percentage of adults age 65 and older who have a college degree
U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2023

Social Support and Engagement

Dollars per adult age 60 and older of Older Americans Act funding spent on support services for older adults and caregivers, including congregate meals, home-delivered meals and senior centers
U.S. HHS, Administration for Community Living, State Program Reports, 2021
Percentage of households with adults age 65 and older that have a broadband internet subscription and a computer, smartphone or tablet
U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2023
Percentage of nursing home residents who do not require physical assistance for bed mobility, transferring, using the toilet or eating
Brown University School of Public Health, LTCFocus, 2021
Index of social isolation risk factors (living in poverty; living alone; being divorced, separated or widowed; having never married; having a disability; and having independent living difficulty) among adults age 65 and older; normalized values are 1 to 100, with a higher value indicating greater risk
U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2019-2023
Percentage of the population age 15 and older that reported providing unpaid care or assistance to an adult age 65 or older who needed help because of a condition related to aging
U.S. DOL, Bureau of Labor Statistics, American Time Use Survey, 2022-2023
Percentage of adults age 65 and older who reported volunteering in the past 12 months
U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey, Volunteering and Civic Life Supplement, 2023
Average of the percentage of U.S. citizens age 65 and older who voted in the last presidential and the last midterm national elections
U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey, Voting and Registration Supplement, 2020/2022

Physical Environment

Air and Water Quality

Average exposure of the general public to particulate matter of 2.5 microns or less, measured in micrograms per cubic meter
U.S. EPA, 2021-2023
Average number of health-based drinking water violations per community water system in a state
U.S. EPA, Safe Drinking Water Information System via ECHO, 2023
Percentage of the population covered by 100% smoke-free laws for restaurants, bars and nonhospitality workplaces
American Nonsmokers' Rights Foundation, 2025

Climate and Health

State has an Enhanced State Hazard Mitigation Plan approved by the Federal Emergency Management Agency that uses a social vulnerability index that accounts for older adults and people with disabilities
AARP Public Policy Institute, LTSS State Scorecard Report Series, 2023

Housing and Transit

Percentage of households with one or more adults age 65 and older for which housing costs are 30% or more of household income
U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2023
Percentage of one- and two-person households inhabited by adults age 62 or older with at least one of the following problems: lack of complete kitchen facilities, lack of plumbing facilities, overcrowding or cost-burdened occupants
U.S. HUD, Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategy, 2017-2021

Clinical Care

Access to Care

Percentage of adults age 65 and older who reported a time in the past 12 months when they needed to visit a doctor but could not because of cost
U.S. HHS, CDC, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2023
Number of family medicine and internal medicine geriatricians and nurse practitioners per 100,000 adults age 65 and older
U.S. HHS, CMS, National Plan and Provider Enumeration System, September 2024
Number of personal care and home health aides per 1,000 adults age 65 and older
U.S. DOL, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics Program, 2023

Preventive Clinical Services

Percentage of women ages 65-74 who reported receiving a mammogram in the past two years and percentage of adults ages 65-75 who reported receiving colorectal cancer screening within the recommended time period
U.S. HHS, CDC, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2022
Percentage of adults age 65 and older who reported receiving a seasonal flu vaccine in the past 12 months
U.S. HHS, CDC, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2023
Percentage of adults age 65 and older who reported ever receiving a pneumonia vaccine
U.S. HHS, CDC, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2023
Percentage of adults age 60 and older who reported ever receiving an RSV vaccine
U.S. HHS, CDC, NIS-Adult COVID Module, 8/18/2024-1/4/2025

Quality of Care

Percentage of adults age 65 and older who reported having a personal doctor or health care provider
U.S. HHS, CDC, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2023
Dollar amount shortfall between the average hourly wages for direct care jobs and other comparable entry-level jobs
AARP Public Policy Institute, LTSS State Scorecard Report Series, 2023§§
Percentage of Medicare decedents who were in hospice at time of death
NHPCO Facts and Figures Report Series, 2022
Percentage of certified nursing home beds rated four or five stars over a three-month period 
U.S. HHS, CMS, Care Compare, September-November 2024
Discharges following hospitalization for ambulatory care-sensitive conditions (PQI 90) per 100,000 Medicare beneficiaries ages 65-74 enrolled in the fee-for-service program
U.S. HHS, CMS, Mapping Medicare Disparities Tool, 2023

Behaviors

Nutrition and Physical Activity

Percentage of adults age 65 and older who met the federal physical activity guidelines (150 minutes of moderate or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity and two days of muscle strengthening per week) in the past 30 days
U.S. HHS, CDC, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2023
Percentage of adults age 65 and older who reported consuming two or more fruits and three or more vegetables daily
U.S. HHS, CDC, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2021
Percentage of adults age 65 and older in fair or better health who reported doing no physical activity or exercise other than their regular job in the past 30 days
U.S. HHS, CDC, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2023

Sleep Health

Percentage of adults age 65 and older who reported sleeping, on average, less than seven hours in a 24-hour period
U.S. HHS, CDC, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2022

Smoking and Tobacco Use

Percentage of adults age 65 and older who reported smoking at least 100 cigarettes in their lifetime and currently smoke daily or some days
U.S. HHS, CDC, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2023

Health Outcomes

Behavioral Health

Percentage of adults age 65 and older who reported having difficulty remembering, concentrating or making decisions due to a physical, mental or emotional condition
U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2023
Percentage of adults age 65 and older who reported being told by a health professional that they had a depressive disorder, including depression, major depression, minor depression or dysthymia
U.S. HHS, CDC, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2023
Number of deaths due to drug injury (unintentional, suicide, homicide or undetermined) per 100,000 adults age 65 and older
U.S. HHS, Multiple Cause of Death Files via CDC WONDER, 2021-2023
Percentage of adults age 65 and older who reported binge drinking (four or more drinks on one occasion in the past 30 days for females or five or more for males) or heavy drinking (eight or more drinks per week for females or 15 or more for males)
U.S. HHS, CDC, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2023
Percentage of adults age 65 and older who reported their mental health was not good 14 or more days in the past 30 days
U.S. HHS, CDC, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2023
Number of deaths due to intentional self-harm per 100,000 adults age 65 and older
U.S. HHS, Multiple Cause of Death Files via CDC WONDER, 2021-2023

Mortality

Number of deaths per 100,000 adults ages 65-74
U.S. HHS, Multiple Cause of Death Files via CDC WONDER, 2023
Ratio of the early death rate of the racial/ethnic group with the highest rate (varies by state) to the non-Hispanic white rate among adults ages 65-74
U.S. HHS, Multiple Cause of Death Files via CDC WONDER, 2023

Physical Health

Percentage of adults age 65 and older who reported falling in the past 12 months
U.S. HHS, CDC, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2023
Percentage of adults age 65 and older who reported their physical health was not good 14 or more days in the past 30 days
U.S. HHS, CDC, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2023
Percentage of adults age 65 and older who reported their health was very good or excellent
U.S. HHS, CDC, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2023
Percentage of Medicare beneficiaries ages 65-74 with three or more chronic conditions enrolled in the fee-for-service program
U.S. HHS, CMS, Mapping Medicare Disparities Tool, 2023
Percentage of adults age 65 and older who have a body mass index of 30.0 or higher based on reported height and weight
U.S. HHS, CDC, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2023
Percentage of adults age 65 and older who have had all teeth removed due to tooth decay or gum disease
U.S. HHS, CDC, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2022

Demographics

Percentage of adults age 65 and older who reported having cognitive, visual, auditory, ambulatory, self-care and/or independent living difficulty disabilities
U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2023
Percentage of the population age 65 and older
U.S. Census Bureau, Single-Race Population Estimates via CDC WONDER, 2023
Percentage of adults age 65 and older who live in a rural area
U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2023

* Unweighted measure; not included in calculating the summation measures, including the overall rankings.
† Data in this edition were repeated from the last edition of the Senior Report.
§ 2021-2022 data, sourced from the 2022 publication of the report.
§§ 2021 data, sourced from the 2023 edition of the scorecard.
^ Multicomponent measure. Data for each subcomponent are published on their respective measure pages, which can be found through the Explore Data section.