1. REGIONAL SNAPSHOT: EXPLORING
AGING TRENDS IN METRO ATLANTA
May 2023

2. May is Older Americans Month!
Older Americans Month (OAM) was established in
1963.
Goal of OAM:
• Acknowledge the contributions and achievements of older
Americans
• Highlight important trends
• Strengthen our commitment to honoring our older citizens
This May, join us as we recognize the 60th
anniversary of OAM!
May 2023

3. THE CONTRIBUTIONS
AGING SNAPSHOT May 2023

4. AGING SNAPSHOT May 2023
The Empowerline.org blog showcases the integral roles older
adults play in the Atlanta region.

5. THE TRENDS
AGING SNAPSHOT May 2023

6. Population Then, Now, and Later…
AGING SNAPSHOT May 2023
6.67% 6.64%
7.50% 7.66% 7.27%
8.50%
11.78%
21.13%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020 2050
Percent of 11-County Atlanta
Region that is 65 or Older
Source: Decennial Census 1960-2010 (Social Explorer, Age Detailed Tables), American Community Survey 2020 5-Year Estimate; ARC Series 17 Population Forecast
1960: Older adults comprised just
over 6 percent of the Atlanta region
2020: Population 65 or older nearly
doubled to 12 percent
2050: Number of people age 65+ will
almost double again, making up over
21 percent of the population

7. Population Then…
AGING SNAPSHOT May 2023
4.02%
9.38%
8.90%
18.28%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020
Percent of Population that is 65 or Older
Cherokee Clayton Cobb DeKalb Douglas Fayette
Forsyth Fulton Gwinnett Henry Rockdale
Source: Decennial Census 1960-2010 (Social Explorer, Age Detailed Tables), American Community Survey 2020 5-Year Estimates (Table S0101)
Historically and more recently, Fayette County has had the highest proportion of
older people in the region, while Clayton County has had the lowest.

8. Population Then…
AGING SNAPSHOT May 2023
Source: Decennial Census 2000 (Social Explorer), American Community Survey 2021 1-Year Estimates (Social Explorer)
However, all 11 counties in the Atlanta Region have seen growth primarily in
their populations age 50 or older between 2000 and 2021.
-10.5 -5.5 -0.5 4.5 9.5
Cherokee
Clayton
Cobb
DeKalb
Douglas
Fayette
Forsyth
Fulton
Gwinnett
Henry
Rockdale
Atlanta Region
Percent Point Change in Age Cohort Shares 2000-2021
Under 18
18 to 34
35 to 49
50 to 64
65 plus

9. Population Now…
AGING SNAPSHOT May 2023
Source: American Community Survey 2021 5-Year Estimates (Table S0101)
585,415
Older Adults Age 65+ Live
in the 11-County Atlanta Region

10. 0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
North
Port-Sarasota-Bradenton,FL
Cape
Coral-Fort
Myers,FL
Deltona-Daytona
Beach-Ormond
Beach,FL
Palm
Bay-Melbourne-Titusville,FL
Pittsburgh,PA
Tucson,AZ
Tampa-St.
Petersburg-Clearwater,FL
Scranton--Wilkes-Barre,PA
Lakeland-Winter
Haven,FL
Cleveland-Elyria,OH
Miami-Fort
Lauderdale-Pompano
Beach,FL
Buffalo-Cheektowaga,NY
Rochester,NY
Urban
Honolulu,HI
Knoxville,TN
Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton,PA-NJ
Akron,OH
Springfield,MA
Albany-Schenectady-Troy,NY
Dayton-Kettering,OH
Harrisburg-Carlisle,PA
Syracuse,NY
Hartford-East
Hartford-Middletown,CT
New
Haven-Milford,CT
Winston-Salem,NC
Providence-Warwick,RI-MA
Albuquerque,NM
Toledo,OH
St.
Louis,MO-IL
Spokane-Spokane
Valley,WA
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn,MI
New
Orleans-Metairie,LA
Greenville-Anderson,SC
Greensboro-High
Point,NC
Augusta-Richmond
County,GA-SC
New
York-Newark-Jersey
City,NY-NJ-PA
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington,PA-NJ-DE-…
Louisville/Jefferson
County,KY-IN
Birmingham-Hoover,AL
San
Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley,CA
Worcester,MA-CT
Oxnard-Thousand
Oaks-Ventura,CA
Durham-Chapel
Hill,NC
Jacksonville,FL
Boston-Cambridge-Newton,MA-NH
Milwaukee-Waukesha,WI
Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk,CT
Richmond,VA
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson,MD
Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler,AZ
Poughkeepsie-Newburgh-Middletown,NY
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom,CA
Cincinnati,OH-KY-IN
Tulsa,OK
Charleston-North
Charleston,SC
Little
Rock-North
Little
Rock-Conway,AR
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro,OR-WA
Wichita,KS
Columbia,SC
Jackson,MS
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin,IL-IN-WI
Kansas
City,MO-KS
Virginia
Beach-Norfolk-Newport
News,VA-NC
Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford,FL
Boise
City,ID
Madison,WI
Las
Vegas-Henderson-Paradise,NV
Grand
Rapids-Kentwood,MI
Baton
Rouge,LA
Minneapolis-St.
Paul-Bloomington,MN-WI
Los
Angeles-Long
Beach-Anaheim,CA
San
Diego-Chula
Vista-Carlsbad,CA
Memphis,TN-MS-AR
Oklahoma
City,OK
Omaha-Council
Bluffs,NE-IA
Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson,IN
San
Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa
Clara,CA
Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia,NC-SC
Des
Moines-West
Des
Moines,IA
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria,DC-VA-…
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue,WA
Columbus,OH
Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--…
Colorado
Springs,CO
Denver-Aurora-Lakewood,CO
Riverside-San
Bernardino-Ontario,CA
San
Antonio-New
Braunfels,TX
Atlanta-Sandy
Springs-Alpharetta,GA
Stockton,CA
Raleigh-Cary,NC
El
Paso,TX
Fresno,CA
Houston-The
Woodlands-Sugar
Land,TX
Dallas-Fort
Worth-Arlington,TX
Austin-Round
Rock-Georgetown,TX
Salt
Lake
City,UT
Bakersfield,CA
Ogden-Clearfield,UT
McAllen-Edinburg-Mission,TX
Provo-Orem,UT
Percent of Population that is 65 or Older in the 100 Largest Metros
The chart above ranks the largest 100 Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) by
the percent of people 65 or older. Metro Atlanta (in yellow) is currently one of the
youngest metro areas in the nation.
Source: Atlanta Regional Commission 100 Metros Dashboard, 2023 Update; https://neighborhoodnexus.org/dashboard/100-metros-dashboard/
Population Now…
AGING SNAPSHOT May 2023

11. Population Later…
AGING SNAPSHOT May 2023
Source: Atlanta Regional Commission Series 17 Population Forecast
9.9%
21.7%
22.7%
21.9%
18.8%
4.9%
8.7%
17.7%
20.3%
21.6%
20.7%
11.0%
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25%
Ages 0-7
Ages 8-23
Ages 24-39
Ages 40-55
Ages 56-74
Ages 75+
Existing and Forecast Percent of Population by Age
2050 2020
Only people ages 56 or older are expected to increase as a share of the
population, with the 75+ age cohort growing the fastest.

12. Population Later…
AGING SNAPSHOT May 2023
Source: Atlanta Regional Commission Series 17 Population Forecast
By 2050, the Atlanta Regional Commission
forecasts there will be approximately
1,325,745
older people age 65+ living
in the 11-county Atlanta Region.

13. Employment Trends
AGING SNAPSHOT May 2023
Source: Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics’ Quarterly Workforce Indicators, Separations Count
20,570
30,638
24,119
0
5,000
10,000
15,000
20,000
25,000
30,000
35,000
2017
Q4
2018
Q1
2018
Q2
2018
Q3
2018
Q4
2019
Q1
2019
Q2
2019
Q3
2019
Q4
2020
Q1
2020
Q2
2020
Q3
2020
Q4
2021
Q1
2021
Q2
2021
Q3
2021
Q4
2022
Q1
2022
Q2
Number of Employees Age 65 or Older in the
11-County Atlanta Region Whose Job Ended
There was a sharp increase in older people leaving their jobs in the first quarter
of 2020, coinciding with the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. That metric
has also been trending upward more recently.

14. Employment Trends
AGING SNAPSHOT May 2023
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics retrieved from FRED, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis; https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/LNU01375379
This employment trend was mirrored by overall labor force participation rates of
older people in the United States.
23.90%
25.53%
25.37%
23.20%
23.77%
22%
22%
23%
23%
24%
24%
25%
25%
26%
26%
2017
Q4
2018
Q1
2018
Q2
2018
Q3
2018
Q4
2019
Q1
2019
Q2
2019
Q3
2019
Q4
2020
Q1
2020
Q2
2020
Q3
2020
Q4
2021
Q1
2021
Q2
2021
Q3
2021
Q4
2022
Q1
2022
Q2
2022
Q3
United States LaborForce Participation Rate
No Disability, Age 65 or Older

15. Employment Trends
AGING SNAPSHOT May 2023
112,562
133,875
119,999
153,340
0
20,000
40,000
60,000
80,000
100,000
120,000
140,000
160,000
180,000
2017
Q4
2018
Q1
2018
Q2
2018
Q3
2018
Q4
2019
Q1
2019
Q2
2019
Q3
2019
Q4
2020
Q1
2020
Q2
2020
Q3
2020
Q4
2021
Q1
2021
Q2
2021
Q3
2021
Q4
2022
Q1
2022
Q2
2022
Q3
Number of Employees Age 65 or Older
in the 11-County Atlanta Region
Source: Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics’ Quarterly Workforce Indicators, Beginning-of-Quarter Employment Count
However, the number of older people that are employed rebounded to pre-
pandemic levels by Q4 of 2021 and is now the highest it’s been in 5 years.

16. Employment Trends
AGING SNAPSHOT May 2023
Source: Census Population Estimates Program, 1999-2021; LEHD Quarterly Workforce Indicators, EmpTotal 1999-2021
This employment trend is also seen when looking at the percent of the total
population and the percent of all employees that are age 65 or older.
7.37%
7.27%
7.24%
7.27%
7.35%
7.39%
7.54%
7.67%
7.79%
8.03%
8.30%
8.57%
8.85%
9.36%
9.83%
10.25%
10.64%
11.00%
11.37%
11.76%
12.17%
12.28%
12.71%
1.88%
2.04%
2.17%
2.24%
2.34%
2.49%
2.52%
2.65%
2.85%
2.99%
3.16%
3.28%
3.39%
3.63%
3.76%
3.86%
3.95%
4.16%
4.35%
4.63%
4.87%
5.04%
5.10%
0%
2%
4%
6%
8%
10%
12%
14%
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
Percent of Population and Percent of Employees Age 65 or Older
in the 11-County Atlanta Region
Percent of Total Population Age 65 or Older Percent of Employees Age 65 or Older

17. Employment Forecast
AGING SNAPSHOT May 2023
Source: Atlanta Regional Commission Series 17 Population Forecast
1,659,889 1,903,428 2,187,942 2,422,472
3,287,742 3,501,781 3,617,210 3,850,998
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
2020 2030 2040 2050
Forecasted 11-County Atlanta Region Population
Non-working age (0-15, 65+) Working-age (16-64)
The number of traditional non-working age people is forecast to grow 45.9%
between 2020 and 2050, while the working age population is expected to only
see an increase of 17.1%

18. The traditional working age
population will increase by only
563,200 people from 2020 to
2050, compared to a forecasted
increase of 762,500 people in
the non-working age population
during the same time period.
Employment Forecast
AGING SNAPSHOT May 2023
Source: Atlanta Regional Commission Series 17 Population Forecast
762,500
563,200

19. Employment Forecast
AGING SNAPSHOT May 2023
Source: Atlanta Regional Commission Series 17 Population Forecast
In 2020, for every non-working age
person there were 1.98 working-
age people. This is known as a
dependency ratio.
By 2050, there will be only be 1.58
working-age people
per 1 non-working age person.

20. Employment Forecast
AGING SNAPSHOT May 2023
Source: Atlanta Regional Commission Series 17 Population Forecast
Traditional non-working age
people (age 0-15 and 65+)
will comprise
38.6%
of all persons in 2050,
compared to just 33.5% of all
people in 2020.

21. THE COMMITMENT
AGING SNAPSHOT May 2023

22. Live Beyond Expectations
In 2020, ARC’s Aging & Independence Services
Group launched a five-year strategic plan that aims
to improve longevity for residents of our region.
Current Phase: Identifying and addressing the
inequities that create disparities in life expectancy.
Get involved! More information available at:
https://atlantaregional.org/lbe-2020-2025
AGING SNAPSHOT May 2023
Note: The Area Agency on Aging does not serve Forsyth County; therefore, the Live Beyond Expectations strategic plan does not include Forsyth County in its framework.
Legacy Link serves Forsyth County. More information here: https://legacylink.org/

23. QUESTIONS?
Maria Sotnikova, msotnikova@atlantaregional.org
AGING SNAPSHOT May 2023