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Poverty - Age 65+ in California
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California Value:

11.8%

Percentage of adults age 65 and older who live below the poverty level

California Rank:

38

Poverty - Age 65+ in depth:

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Poverty - Age 65+ by State

Percentage of adults age 65 and older who live below the poverty level

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Data from U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2022

<= 8.8%

8.9% - 9.9%

10.0% - 10.8%

10.9% - 12.0%

>= 12.1%

• Data Unavailable
Top StatesRankValue
Your StateRankValue
Bottom StatesRankValue
4813.2%
5014.8%

Poverty - Age 65+

17.5%
37.9%
68.5%
78.6%
78.6%
119.0%
129.2%
149.4%
149.4%
169.6%
169.6%
189.8%
189.8%
209.9%
209.9%
2310.0%
2510.2%
2510.2%
2710.3%
2810.4%
3010.8%
3311.0%
3411.1%
3511.2%
3711.3%
3811.8%
3912.0%
3912.0%
4212.3%
4412.5%
4512.8%
4613.0%
4713.1%
4813.2%
5014.8%
Data Unavailable
Source:
  • U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2022

Poverty - Age 65+ Trends

Percentage of adults age 65 and older who live below the poverty level

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About Poverty - Age 65+

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:

  • Social Security: Most adults age 65 and older receive Social Security benefits. Social Security plays an important role in keeping older adults above the poverty line. The average benefit for a retired worker is $1,837 per month.
  • Supplemental Security Income: This program supplements Social Security benefits with additional income for older adults who need it. 
  • Medicare: This government health insurance program is offered to all adults age 65 and older.
  • Medicaid: Older adults enrolled in Medicare with limited income and resources may qualify for additional assistance with paying premiums and out-of-pocket medical expenses through Medicaid.
  • Housing assistance: The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) provides various affordable housing resources for older adults. More than 2.2 million low-income older adult renters were classified as either having a severe housing cost burden, living in severely inadequate housing or both, according to a 2021 HUD report.
  • Food and nutrition support: The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) can help older adults afford food. The Older Americans Act funds multiple programs that provide congregate or home-delivered meals to low-income older adults.

Healthy People 2030 has a goal to reduce the proportion of all people living in poverty.

Adler, Nancy E., Thomas Boyce, Margaret A. Chesney, Sheldon Cohen, Susan Folkman, Robert L. Kahn, and S. Leonard Syme. “Socioeconomic Status and Health: The Challenge of the Gradient.” American Psychologist 49, no. 1 (1994): 15–24. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.49.1.15.

Alvarez, Thyria and Barry L. Steffen. “Worst Case Housing Needs: 2021 Report to Congress.” U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, July 2021. https://www.huduser.gov/portal/sites/default/files/pdf/Worst-Case-Housing-Needs-2021.pdf.

Baker, Kermit, Pamela Baldwin, Kerry Donahue, Angela Flynn, Christopher Herbert, Elizabeth La Jeunesse, Mary Lancaster, et al. “Housing America’s Older Adults—Meeting the Needs of an Aging Population.” Edited by Marcia Fernald. Cambridge, MA: Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University, 2014. https://www.jchs.harvard.edu/sites/default/files/media/imp/jchs-housing_americas_older_adults_2014_0.pdf.

Braveman, Paula A., Catherine Cubbin, Susan Egerter, David R. Williams, and Elsie Pamuk. “Socioeconomic Disparities in Health in the United States: What the Patterns Tell Us.” American Journal of Public Health 100, no. S1 (April 1, 2010): S186–96. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2009.166082.

Galea, Sandro, Melissa Tracy, Katherine J. Hoggatt, Charles DiMaggio, and Adam Karpati. “Estimated Deaths Attributable to Social Factors in the United States.” American Journal of Public Health 101, no. 8 (August 2011): 1456–65. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2010.300086.

Jacobson, Gretchen, Shannon Griffin, Tricia Neuman, and Karen Smith. “Income and Assets of Medicare Beneficiaries, 2016-2035.” Issue Brief. KFF, April 21, 2017. https://www.kff.org/medicare/issue-brief/income-and-assets-of-medicare-beneficiaries-2016-2035/.

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.

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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