What new Census data tell us about older Mainers

Robert Muise of Connor Township demonstrates how he laces together a Micmac hand drum during a visit to the Aroostook Band of Micmacs administrative offices on Tuesday, Oct. 30. (Courtesy of Terry Sandusky)

One out of five Mainers is 65 or older, as is the case in the nation’s other oldest states, Florida and West Virginia. But elder age groups can differ dramatically in their activities, a new U.S. Census Bureau study shows.

In Maine, for example, 77.5 percent of those age 65 and older have internet access in their homes as of the latest study data in 2016. By age group, however, 84.7 percent of those age 65 to 74 have internet access, but that drops to 72.2 percent for those age 75 to 84 and falls off even more to 53.9 percent for those 85 and older.

The bureau’s numbers show little diversity in the elderly population. Most, 91.4 percent of those 65 and older, speak only English, while only 4.2 percent are foreign-born.

To read the rest of “What new Census data tell us about older Mainers,” an article by contributing Bangor Daily News staff writer Lori Valigra, please follow this link to the BDN online.