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Narrative

Population Age 65 and Older
• The St. Louis County population increased by 2.3 percent during the 1990s (from 993,539 in 1990 to 1,016,315 in 2000). However, racial and ethnic minorities grew somewhat more rapidly than the majority white population. During the 1990s, the St. Louis African American population increased from 139,318 in 1990 to 193,306 in 2000 - an increase of 38.8 percent. That 53,988 African American population increase in St. Louis County during the 1990s accounted for 66.5 percent of Missouri's total African American population increase during the 1990s. The Asian minority population of St. Louis County increased from 41,277 in 1990 to 64,773 in 2000 - an increase of 57 percent. The tables and maps in this section also report change in the size of the St. Louis County Hispanic population. The number of Hispanics increased from 9,811 in 1990 to 14,577 in 2000 - an increase of 48.6 percent. Hispanic people who are frequently called Latinos are not counted as a racial minority - they are referred to in the Census as an ethnic minority. More than half the Hispanic people in St. Louis County report their race as white.
• The St. Louis County senior population age 65 and older was 143,526 in 2000. As reported in Table 1 128,606 of that population reported themselves as white (89.6 percent), 12,869 reported themselves as African American (8.9 percent) and 1,100 reported themselves as Asian (0.8 percent). Those three racial groups include all but 0.7 percent of the St. Louis County population age 65 and older. Included among that remaining population are residents who describe their race as Indian and/or mixed race.
• Also as shown in Table 1 white population aged 65 and older accounts for more than 20 percent of the total white population in 16 of the 37 Census Tract Areas. The two areas in which the highest proportion of the area white population is age 65 and older is in the Wellston/Pagedale Area and the Black Jack Area, two areas which as shown in the African American column have the largest population of African American seniors. The areas in which less than 10 percent of the white population is age 65 and older are West Chesterfield, 8.0 percent, Southwest with 7.0 percent and South Ballwin/Manchester with 8.1 percent. These are areas of extensive new construction during the 1990s.
• There are eight of the 37 Census Tract Areas in which each includes a population of more than 600 senior African Americans. Those eight areas are generally on the north side and/or border St. Louis City. Those eight areas combined include 8,796, (68 percent) of the county African American senior population. The largest senior African American population is in Wellston/Pagedale with 2,089, followed by University City/Olivette North with 1,815, Black Jack with 1,137 and Jennings with 969. Conversely, 18 of the 37 areas have a senior African American population of less than 100.
• Thirty-two of the 37 areas have at least some Asian senior population although only the Chesterfield Area has a population of greater than 100.
• Similarly, 31 of the 37 areas include at least some Hispanic seniors although only one of those areas (Sappington/Concord) includes an Hispanic senior population of greater than 50.

Population Age 85 and Older
• In 2000 there were 17,906 St. Louis County residents age 85 and older. Of those 93 percent were white, 6.5 percent were African American and the remaining 0.5 percent included 22 Asians and 35 Hispanics. Among the Census Tract Areas the greatest number of white residents age 85 and older were in Kirkwood/Glendale (1,152), Shrewsbury/Affton (995), Webster Groves (948), and Chesterfield (879). There were 11 Census Tract Areas with no African Americans age 85 and older. Of the remaining areas the greatest numbers were in University City/Olivette North (165), Wellston/Pagedale (140), Jennings (118), Black Jack (109) and Berkeley/Airport (97) - see Table 2.

Change In Population Age 65 and Older Among Selected Racial/Ethnic Groups
• There was significant change in the senior population among the Census Tract Areas during the 1990s. As shown in Table 3 the number of whites age 65 and older increased by 7,069 from 1990 to 2000 - an increase of 5.8 percent.
• The 65 and older portion of the St. Louis County population increased by more than double the rate of the total county population during the 1990s. While the total county population increased by 22,786 the senior population increased by 7,069 during the 1990s that was 31 percent of the total county increase even though seniors only account for 14 percent of the population.
• However, Table 3 shows that 16 of the 37 areas declined in population of senior whites during the 1990s. At the same time, there were some areas experiencing exceptional senior growth. Among the most rapidly growing areas were West Chesterfield with an increase of 90 percent in white senior population, Mehlville with an increase of 62.9 percent, Chesterfield with an increase of 56.4 percent and South Ballwin/Manchester with an increase of 58.3 percent.
• The senior African American population increased in 25 of the 37 sreas during the 1990s. The senior African American population in the remaining 12 Areas either declined (eight areas) or didn't change (four areas). The greatest increases were in Black Jack with an increase of 814 (252 percent), University City/Olivette North with an increase of 623 (52 percent), Jennings with an increase of 563 (139 percent) and Wellston/Pagedale with an increase of 521 (33 percent).
• The Asian senior population increased in 27 of the 37 Areas, declining in only seven of those areas. Similarly, senior Hispanics increased in 23 areas and declined in 13.

Ability to Speak and Use English Language
• Table 4 shows that only 1.0 percent of St. Louis County seniors are unable to speak, use English. Ninety-seven percent use and speak only English. In only two of the 37 areas was there a significant number of seniors who were not able to speak and use English. Those two were the Parkway North Area with 232 non-English speakers and the University City/South Olivette Area with 180 non-English speakers. Other than those two areas there were only eight others in which 40 or more seniors could not utilize English.

Maps

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Tables

Population Age 65 and Older by Selected Racial and Ethnic Groups, 2000	HTML	PDF
Population Age 85 and Older by Selected Racial and Ethnic Groups, 2000	HTML	PDF
Population Change for Age 65 and Older by Selected Racial and Ethnic Groups, 1990-2000	HTML	PDF
Population Change for Age 85 and Older by Selected Racial and Ethnic Groups, 1990-2000	HTML	PDF
Population 65 and Older by Ability to Speak English At Home, 2000	HTML	PDF
Change and Percent Change in Ability to Speak English At Home for Population 65 and Older, 1990-2000	HTML	PDF

Graphics

• African American Population Age 65 and Older