Axios Detroit News | NewsBreak

Recent U.S. Census data indicates a significant rise in Metro Detroit’s retirement-age population, while other age groups are showing a trend of leaving the area.

The implications of this demographic shift are substantial. The increase in residents aged 65 and older places a notable strain on services meant for older adults, such as healthcare, affordable housing, and transportation. This aging population can also economically burden the community, particularly if people leave the workforce to care for elderly relatives. According to Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies, nearly 70% of older adults will require long-term care services.

This shift in Metro Detroit mirrors a broader national trend. Nationally, the population of people aged 65 and older grew by 9.4% between 2020 and 2023, as per Census data. In Metro Detroit specifically, the 65-and-older demographic saw an 8.6% increase during the same period, even as the overall population of the area decreased by 1.1%.

Lauren Bowers, chief of the Census Bureau’s Population Estimates Branch, noted in the agency’s analysis, “What’s particularly remarkable is the near-universal increase in the older population for metro areas across the country.”

Source: Axios