Erie County Senior Services: Demographic Profile

Community

2015
Erie County's Changing Demographic Profile
It's About Aging
It's About Time

Erie County's changing demographic profile - both the aging and increasing diversity of our population - deserves our attention.

Its impact will be felt on all facets of community life - especially in the coming years.

PROJECT 2015: It's About Aging

To help Erie County begin to:

Identify major demographic shifts.
Understand the impacts of the changing demographic profile.
Determine next steps.

Erie County's median age is increasing:

32 years in 1980
38 years in 2000,
42 years - expected in 2015

Older Baby Boomers (those born 1946-64) now reaching early retirement age.

Erie County's Changing Age Structure

Declines in the middle aged population coupled with increases in the number of older persons will have important implications on:

Labor Force
Economy
Caregiver Burden

Dependency Ratios

	1980	1990	2000	2015
Population Support Ratio (20-64 vs. 65+)	4.6	3.9	3.6	3.5
Dependency Care Ratio (45-65 vs. 85+)	20.7	14.2	11.7	10.1

People on the Move = Migration

Erie County's consistent migration patterns show a net out-migration over time (more people moving out than moving in).

Net migration by age follows a distinct life-course pattern in Erie County, as shown on the slide that follows.

Erie County's population will change dramatically due to:

Migration Patterns
Aging of Baby Boomers (born 1946 to 1964)
Increases in life expectancy

More information:

Summary of Demographic Trends

Erie County's population is aging - by 2015 almost 1 of every 4 residents will be 60+.
The cohort aged 85+ is the fastest growing segment of the population.
Despite the vitality of most older adults, 50% of all persons age 75+ have one or more disabilities.
Rapid growth is projected in both the younger and older minority populations. Between 1980 and 2000, Erie County's minority elderly population grew by 70%.
The highest net out-migration occurred among young adults age 25 to 35 and retirees age 60 to 69.
The frail elderly tend to move back to Erie County for family and services.

This has been only part of a presentation about Project 2015 prepared by the Erie County Department of Senior Services.

For more information , or for the entire presentation, Project 2015, or about Erie County's programs and services for older adults, contact the Program Development & Evaluation Unit at (716) 858-7253.

Department of Senior Services