Just for fun, I looked at 2000 US Census Bureau statistics for the area. Some of the results are surprising, well at least to me.
One of the comparisons made was against Scottsdale, Arizona. Scottsdale is an affluent resort and retirement community outside of Phoenix. As a percetage of pensioners versus total area population, Scottsdale ranks slightly below St. Pete's and Miami but well above the national average. As a frame of reference, Scottsdale home county, Maricopa, is at the national average for percentage of persons over 65 years of age.
| Area | Population | >65 years | %>65 years | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| County Pinellas FL | 921.482 | 207.563 | 22.5% | 12.4% |
| County Miami-Dade FL | 2.253.652 | 300.552 | 13.3% | 12.4% |
| County Hillsborough FL | 998.448 | 119.673 | 12.0% | 12.4% |
| City Clearwater FL | 108.787 | 23.537 | 21.4% | 12.4% |
| City St Petersburg FL | 248.232 | 43.173 | 17.4% | 12.4% |
| City Miami FL | 362.470 | 61.768 | 17.0% | 12.4% |
| City Scottsdale AZ | 202.705 | 33.884 | 16.7% | 12.4% |
| City Tampa FL | 303.447 | 37.953 | 12.5% | 12.4% |
When people make the statement that Florida is the Golden State, they are not just talking sunshine but also about the average age. 5,7% of the national population population lives in Florida, but 8% of America's retirees live in the state. As an overall percentage, almost 1 in 5 state residents is over the age of 65. The national average is 1 in 8.
The state with the lowest ratio of population >65 years to total population is Utah. Here, the ratio of pentioners to overall population is 1 in 12, or less than half the national average. Utah is known as Family City USA, and has the nation's largest percentage of children <5 years old, 9%, and the lowest median age at 27. By comparison, Florida's median age is a full decade older, at 38 years old.
| Area | #>65 Years | %>65 Years | Median Age |
|---|---|---|---|
| Florida | 2.806.597 | 17.6% | 38.7 |
| Pennsylvania | 1.919.165 | 15.6% | 38.0 |
| West Virginia | 276.895 | 15.3% | 38.9 |
| United States | 34.991.753 | 12.4% | 35.3 |
| Utah | 190.222 | 8.5% | 27.1 |
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