There are roughly 30,000 centenarians, or 1 in 10,000 of the U.S. population, the Census Bureau says. The 2000 Census count due in June could place the number at 70,000. 90 percent of centenarians are women. More than 90 percent of centenarians reported good health until they reached their early 90s. About 15 percent of centenarians live by themselves, completely independent.
Centenarians are the fastest growing segment of the U.S. population.
They are increasing in number 8 percent each year, compared with 1 percent for other age groups. Centenarians' brothers and sisters have a better chance of surviving to age 90 than people whose siblings died in their seventies. 19 percent of female centenarians had children at age 40 or older, compared with 6 percent of the women who lived to age 73. Juanita Ollman survived the flu epidemic of 1919, and a car accident and pneumonia when she in her 90s. But she eats anything she wants, including breakfasts of bacon and eggs.