Jasper County Demographic Report on the Population of Elders: An Overview of Census 2000 Data

Population / total
Total in 2000 / 30043
Total in 2006 (est.) / 32296
% Growth 2000-2006 / 7.5%
Ages 65 and over in 2000 / 3737
Ages 65 and over in 2006 / 4209
% 65 and over in 2006 / 12.03%
% Growth (65+) 2000-2006 / 12.6%
Population over 85 in 2006 / 576
Population est. 55-64 2006 / 2785
Spanish Speakers (65+) / 0
Speak little or no Engl. (65+) / 0

While the total population of Jasper County increased rapidly during the period from 2000 to 2006, the population ages 65 years and older in the county increased proportionally much faster.

(*Number of seniors ages 65 and over by census tract.)

Income
% of ages 65+ living below poverty level / 5.1
% of total population below poverty level / 6.7
Ages 65+ living below 150% of poverty / 18.76
Labor force participation rate for ages 65+ / 13.48
Unemployment rate (%) among labor force participants ages 65+ / 1.59

The percentage of seniors in Jasper County that lives below the poverty level is smaller than the percentage of the county’s total population as well as the percentage of seniors across Indiana (7.7%) that lives below the poverty level. The labor-force participation rate among seniors in Jasper County is nearly the same as among seniors across Indiana (13.93%), but unemploymentamong seniors in the county is lower than among seniors across the state (3.45%).

The ratio of females to males generally increases in older cohorts.

In Jasper County the income category of $5,000 to $9,999 contains the largest frequency of seniors, as in most counties in Indiana, however, in Jasper County there are also nearly as many seniors in the category of $10,000 to $14,999. *Note that income categories for this graph are larger for those making more than $54,999.

Housing
Households with 1 or more 65+ / 2577
Number of 65+ householders / 2385
% 65+ householders who own (v. rent) / 82.26
% 65+ householders living in housing built before 1960 / 42.14
% 65+ householders who moved in before 1970 / 30.4
Number of 65+ females living alone / 808
Number of 65+ male living alone / 190
% of householders living alone / 41.84
% of 65+ householders who pay >35% of income for housing / 21.38

The percentage of senior householders in Jasper County who live in older housing is smaller than the percentage of senior householders who live in older housing across Indiana (48.6%), and the percentage of senior householders in the county who have been living in the same household for over thirty years is also smaller than the corresponding percentage across the state (37.8%).

Grandparents as Caregivers for Grandchildren 18 Years Old and Younger

Tot. / %
Aged 65+ who live with one or more own grandchildren / 100 / 2.82% (of sample)
Aged 65+ having primary responsibility for grandchildren / 20 / *20%
Aged 65+ live with, but not responsible for grandchildren / 70 / *70%
Aged 55-64 who live with one or more own grandchildren / 150 / 5.42% (of sample)
Aged 55-64 having primary responsibility for grandchildren / 80 / *53.33%
Aged 55-64 live with, but not responsible for grandchildren / 80 / *53.33%

*Percent of total of those who live with one or more of their own grandchildren. Sample size for 65+ = 3540; sample size for ages 55-64 = 2770.

Most householders over 64 years old own their home as opposed to rent, while almost one third of all seniors live alone. The percentage of senior householders in Jasper County who own their home is nearly the same as the percentage of senior householders who own their home across Indiana (82.13%). The percentage of householders ages 85 years and older in the county who own their home is somewhat larger than the corresponding percentage across the state (70.94%). Finally, the percentage of seniors in Jasper County who live alone is smaller than the percentage of all seniors who live alone across in Indiana (29.11%).

Disabilities among Non-institutionalized Population Aged 60+ / Total number
Sensory / 525
Physical / 1120
learning/remembering/concentrating / 375
Self-care disability / 390
Go-outside-home disability / 695
Employment disability / 105
Percent of ages 65+ with any disability / 42.0

*Categories are not mutually exclusive. (Source: US Census Summary File 3)