Of the 40 states and the District of Columbia where we are licensed, Hawaii has the largest share of owner households headed by someone aged 65 or older: about 42.3 of every 100 owner households. Florida, at about 39.7, comes next. Delaware and New Mexico follow, at about 37.5 and 37.4, within their margins of error of each other. Utah has the smallest share, at about 25.9, then the District of Columbia and Texas, at about 27.4 and 28.1, within their margins of each other. The national figure is about 33.0.
These are plain Census facts. The Census age bands start at 65, so they do not match the age rule of any loan program.
The table: 40 states and the District of Columbia
The Census sorts each household by the age of its householder. The second column counts owner households headed by someone aged 65 or older out of every 100 owner households. The fourth counts those households out of every 100 households, owners and renters, headed by someone aged 65 or older. The margin of error is the Census Bureau’s, at 90 in 100 confidence, and applies to the column before it.
| State | Per 100 owner households | Margin of error | Owners per 100 households aged 65 or older | Margin of error | Owner households aged 65 or older |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | 42.3 | 0.42 | 79.1 | 1.59 | 131,319 |
| Florida | 39.7 | 0.28 | 82.6 | 0.51 | 2,349,409 |
| Delaware | 37.5 | 0.52 | 84.6 | 1.96 | 110,020 |
| New Mexico | 37.4 | 0.33 | 83.1 | 1.29 | 219,433 |
| Arizona | 36.9 | 0.16 | 82.6 | 0.78 | 709,710 |
| Montana | 36.3 | 0.36 | 81.7 | 1.78 | 115,345 |
| Oregon | 35.9 | 0.11 | 77.9 | 0.88 | 390,125 |
| South Carolina | 34.9 | 0.21 | 84.7 | 0.98 | 531,457 |
| Arkansas | 34.4 | 0.23 | 81.1 | 1.15 | 275,780 |
| Alabama | 34.2 | 0.18 | 83.3 | 0.96 | 479,859 |
| Pennsylvania | 34.1 | 0.07 | 78.2 | 0.51 | 1,246,764 |
| Mississippi | 34.1 | 0.22 | 83.5 | 1.15 | 273,131 |
| California | 33.8 | 0.22 | 73.1 | 0.15 | 2,555,171 |
| New Hampshire | 33.7 | 0.40 | 80.1 | 1.58 | 136,434 |
| Ohio | 33.4 | 0.24 | 78.7 | 0.57 | 1,091,259 |
| Nevada | 33.3 | 0.31 | 74.6 | 1.22 | 240,129 |
| Tennessee | 33.2 | 0.16 | 81.7 | 0.83 | 627,655 |
| Michigan | 33.2 | 0.08 | 82.4 | 0.58 | 989,432 |
| Kentucky | 33.1 | 0.15 | 81.4 | 0.91 | 410,813 |
| Oklahoma | 33.1 | 0.26 | 80.6 | 1.01 | 340,286 |
| Louisiana | 33.0 | 0.22 | 80.4 | 1.06 | 401,836 |
| North Carolina | 32.9 | 0.11 | 80.6 | 0.68 | 939,237 |
| Connecticut | 32.9 | 0.25 | 74.8 | 0.99 | 313,128 |
| Massachusetts | 32.6 | 0.20 | 72.9 | 0.78 | 567,374 |
| Idaho | 32.5 | 0.28 | 84.2 | 1.32 | 167,259 |
| New Jersey | 32.5 | 0.16 | 74.2 | 0.19 | 728,033 |
| Wisconsin | 32.5 | 0.15 | 77.6 | 0.77 | 546,591 |
| Virginia | 32.0 | 0.08 | 80.7 | 0.71 | 724,870 |
| Kansas | 31.9 | 0.26 | 78.5 | 1.18 | 251,238 |
| Illinois | 31.8 | 0.12 | 78.8 | 0.63 | 1,075,771 |
| Washington | 31.6 | 0.15 | 78.4 | 0.77 | 617,614 |
| Iowa | 31.6 | 0.15 | 81.2 | 0.86 | 297,998 |
| Indiana | 31.1 | 0.13 | 81.7 | 0.77 | 595,107 |
| Maryland | 31.0 | 0.16 | 78.2 | 0.82 | 494,607 |
| Georgia | 29.9 | 0.11 | 80.0 | 0.23 | 798,960 |
| Minnesota | 29.4 | 0.11 | 78.6 | 0.66 | 489,644 |
| Colorado | 29.4 | 0.14 | 80.9 | 0.82 | 461,365 |
| Alaska | 28.7 | 0.56 | 82.3 | 2.60 | 51,981 |
| Texas | 28.1 | 0.18 | 78.9 | 0.51 | 1,930,965 |
| District of Columbia | 27.4 | 0.68 | 59.1 | 0.85 | 36,968 |
| Utah | 25.9 | 0.21 | 84.6 | 1.31 | 204,343 |
| United States, national figure | 33.0 | 0.17 | 78.3 | 0.11 | 27,816,717 |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, table B25007, read from data.census.gov on November 6, 2026. Shares and margins worked out by Fidelity Residential.
How the figures were worked out
- Owner households aged 65 or older: owner households whose householder is 65 to 74, 75 to 84 or 85 and over, added together.
- Margins of error: from the Census Bureau’s margins and its formulas for sums and proportions, so they are approximations. Where the proportion formula gives an unusually small margin, the larger ratio formula is used.
- Counts are estimates too, each with its own margin; the largest for a state is about 10,800 households, for California. The estimates pool 2020 to 2024.
What the table shows
- Seven places are at about 35 or more: Hawaii, Florida, Delaware, New Mexico, Arizona, Montana and Oregon. Seven are below about 30: Georgia, Minnesota, Colorado, Alaska, Texas, the District of Columbia and Utah.
- Above and below the nation. Fourteen of the 41 are above the national figure of about 33.0 by more than their margins of error and 18 are below it. Nine are within their margins of it: Ohio, Tennessee, Michigan, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Louisiana, North Carolina, Connecticut and Nevada.
- Owners among households aged 65 or older. Nationally, about 78.3 of every 100 such households are owner households. South Carolina, Delaware, Utah and Idaho are at about 84 to 85, within their margins of each other. The District of Columbia has the smallest figure, about 59.1; the next smallest are Massachusetts and California, at about 72.9 and 73.1.
- Counts. California has the most owner households headed by someone aged 65 or older, 2,555,171; the District of Columbia has the fewest, 36,968.
- New Jersey is 26th of the 41 at about 32.5, with 728,033 owner households headed by someone aged 65 or older. That is below the national figure by more than the margins, but the place in the order is not firm: Connecticut, Massachusetts, Idaho and Wisconsin are each within their margins of it. On the second measure it is about 74.2, below the national 78.3.
If you want to read about reverse mortgages
The table says nothing about any loan. Our page on reverse mortgages says a reverse mortgage is a home loan for homeowners of retirement age and asks you to read how it works, and the cautions, before you choose one. Counseling with an independent counselor is required before you apply. New Jersey readers can also read reverse mortgages in New Jersey. For a different Census look at owned homes, see homes owned with no mortgage.
Frequently asked questions
Why does the table show 40 states and the District of Columbia?
Fidelity Residential is licensed in 40 states and the District of Columbia, and the table covers those. The national figure covers the whole country.
Do the age bands match any loan program’s age rule?
No. The Census groups householders as 65 to 74, 75 to 84 and 85 and over, so the figures start at 65. They are not built around any loan program. Our page on reverse mortgages is the place to read about that loan.
Does a household headed by someone aged 65 or older have just older members?
No. The Census counts the age of the householder, one person in each household. Other people in the home can be any age.
Sources
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, table B25007, Tenure by Age of Householder, states (opens in a new tab), accessed November 6, 2026.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, table B25007, Tenure by Age of Householder, United States (opens in a new tab), accessed November 6, 2026.
- U.S. Census Bureau, Understanding and Using American Community Survey Data: What All Data Users Need to Know (margins of error for sums and proportions) (opens in a new tab), accessed November 6, 2026.
Facts from these sources are stated in our own words. Last reviewed .
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