The U.S. Census Bureau has released a special report showing that the number of centenarians—individuals aged 100 or older—increased by 50% from 2010 to 2020. The centenarian population grew from 53,364 in 2010 to 80,139 in 2020, making it one of the fastest-growing age groups among older adults during that period.
According to the report, “In 2020, centenarians (people who have reached the age of 100) accounted for just 2 out of 10,000 people.” Despite their small proportion within the overall population, this group experienced significant demographic changes over the decade.
The report found that women continued to make up the majority of centenarians at 78.8% in 2020, though this was a slight decrease from 82.8% in 2010. The male centenarian population increased more rapidly than the female population, with an increase of 85.3% for men compared to a rise of 42.9% for women between 2010 and 2020.
Racial diversity among centenarians also increased slightly over the decade. There was about an eight percentage-point decline in those identifying as White alone, although this shift was less pronounced than among Americans under age 65. Black or African American alone centenarians decreased from 12.2% in 2010 to 10.3% in 2020.
Geographically, some regions had higher concentrations of centenarians than others. The Northeast led all regions with a rate of 3.19 centenarians per 10,000 people compared to the national average of about two per ten thousand. Hawaii had the highest state proportion at more than four per ten thousand residents; Puerto Rico also surpassed four per ten thousand.
Living arrangements differed notably by gender and race or ethnicity. In terms of household composition: “About half (49.7%) of male centenarians lived with others in a household, while only about a third (33.8%) of female centenarians lived with others in a household.” Female centenarians were more likely than males to live alone or reside in nursing homes—27.6% versus 14.2%, respectively.
The report noted further differences based on race and ethnicity regarding living situations: Centenarians who were Hispanic or Latino, Asian alone, or classified as “All Other Races” were much more likely to live with others in a household (over sixty percent), whereas White alone and not Hispanic individuals were less likely (under thirty-five percent). Black or African American alone centenarians fell between these groups.
These findings are based on data collected during the 2020 Census, which provides detailed demographic information about Americans across all age groups.
