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What's
the Best County for Seniors?
Boone County is
the best county for seniors, says the Missouri Senior Report,
a publication and website produced by the Department of Health
and Senior Services and the University of Missouri –
Columbia’s Office of Social and Economic Data Analysis. The
report ranks each county plus the City of St Louis.
Mid-Missouri
fared particularly well in the ranking, with Cole County
ranked No. 2 and Moniteau No. 10. Southwestern Missouri also
scored well, with Taney at No. 3 and Newton at No. 5. So did
northern Missouri, with Ralls, Adair and Clark in the top ten;
and greater Kansas City, with Platte and Clay in the top ten.
In general,
counties in the state's metro areas scored high -- with the
exception of the City of St. Louis, which had the lowest
score. Second lowest was Pemiscot, third lowest Dunklin.
The rankings
are based on over 20 indicators covering quality of life,
housing, health and wellness, economic factors and more. The
report also features special articles on disparities
(socioeconomic and health), mental health and transportation.
The report,
whose full title is "Missouri Senior Report: Ahead of the
Baby Boom: Missouri Prepares," seeks to increase
awareness of the demographic issues that will impact Missouri
in the next decade and beyond. According to the U.S. Census,
13.5 percent of Missouri's population was over age 65 in 2005.
The report says that figure will be 15 percent in four years
and closer to 20 percent in 14 years.
Missouri
already has a higher percentage of individuals aged 65 plus
than the nation as a whole. The percentage of the population
of the United States aged 65 plus was 12.4 percent in 2005.
The full report
can be found on the MERIC website, Community Issues tab, under
Senior Studies. |
