America Counts: Stories Behind the Numbers

How COVID-19 Changed Older Adults’ Work and Lifestyle

Older adulthood is often associated with economic and social transitions, including retirement, becoming a grandparent, and changes to health. And this decade, the COVID-19 pandemic brought about even more pronounced societal transformations.

A new U.S. Census Bureau data visualization explores changes across different social characteristics of older adults from 2019 to 2022, a year before the pandemic emergency officially ended, including: computer and internet use; living arrangements; employment; and working from home.

In 2022, 15.6% of employed adults ages 55 to 74 worked from home, compared to just 7.7% in 2019. This rate exceeded 20% in Washington, D.C. (32.7%); Colorado (23.3%), Washington (21.8%), and Arizona (21.5%).

Rates of working from home also varied by social characteristics among employed adults ages 55 to 74.

Continue reading to learn more about how COVID-19 changed the work and lifestyle of older adults. 

Data Viz

This data visualization shows how older Americans age 65 and over represent a growing and diverse segment of the U.S. population.

Help us spread the word about Census Bureau data!

Share this on social media or forward it to a friend.

You May Be Interested In

2020 Census: 1 in 6 People in the United States Were 65 and Over

The U.S. population age 65 and over grew from 2010 to 2020 at fastest rate since 1880 to 1890 and reached 55.8 million, a 38.6% increase in just 10 years.

About America Counts

America Counts features stories on various topics including: 

• Families, Housing, Employment, Business, Education, Economy 
• Emergency Management, Health, Population, Income and Poverty

For the Media: Contact our Public Information Office for inquiries or interviews. 

Don't miss an America Counts story! Use the button below to sign up and update your preferences.