The elderly population in Texas is growing faster than the nation as a whole, but it's still one of the youngest states in the nation. So, what makes Texas such a young state?
Though its elderly population is growing, Texas remains one of the youngest states in the nation, according to a recent report from the state demographer.
“We have more births than deaths, and so that’s the natural increase part of the population change,” says State Demographer Lloyd Potter. “And it’s really healthy in Texas.”
Another factor that keep Texas young – people keep moving here. Potter says many of those newcomers tend to be young professionals and families with children.
“In the balance of it, a little more than half of our population change recently has been from net migration, or people moving into Texas from other states and also from other countries,” Potter says.
Though it makes up small share of the state as a whole, Potter says Texas has a large Baby Boomer population. That’s causing the state to age at a much faster rate. And that could have policy implications for Texas down the line – like ensuring the state has enough doctors to care for an aging population. Austin Demographer Ryan Robinson says it may also affect the way our cities look, as more facilities are expected to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
“I immediately think of the built environment and I think how the built environment is about to change. In the last 30 years, we’ve seen huge advances in the ADA type of configurations. But, we have so much farther to go.”
Robinson says Austin is mirroring statewide trends when it comes to aging. Within the next 25 years, he expects one in five Austin residents to be 65 and older.
