The state with the highest median age is West Virginia, at 38.9. But of the 10 U.S. counties with the highest median ages, five are in Florida. Charlotte County, population 141,627 and median age 54.3, is second only to Hawaii's Kalawao County, population 147 and median age 58.6. According to the census numbers, there were 2.8 million Florida residents over 65 and a sixth of those, or 331,287, were over 85. A decade ago, there were only 210,110 residents over age 85.
Health care is a prime concern in Florida.
Dwyer said one in 20 people age 65 will end up in a nursing home. In the over-85 population, the rate is one in four. With support, a lot of people can stay in their home longer. Hernandez said her office started a campaign last year to keep people 85 and older active. She said they have developed a volunteer program for seniors to mentor students and train them to be peer counselors.