Did you know that? 

Almost 400,000 grandparents aged 65 or older have the primary responsibility for their grandchildren, who live with them. 

Older women outnumber older men - 20.6 million to 14.4 million. 

Almost one in eight Americans is a senior. 

The median income for older persons in 2001 was $19,688 for men and $11,313 for women. 

These and other statistics about seniors are available in A Profile of Older Americans: 2002, a recently completed 16-page statistical summary which can be downloaded from the U. S. Administration on Aging's web site. At this site, readers can also review specific areas of the report, which is based primarily on 2000 census information (but in some cases including later data).

The report lists 13 key subject areas, including income, poverty, living arrangements, employment, and education. Under "Living Arrangements," an interesting statistic is that only 4.5% of the over-65 population are in nursing homes, although that number climbs to over 18% for those over 85. The summary can be accessed at www.aoa.gov/aoa/stats/profile/default.htm

February 2003