Illinois Bureau of the Budget, 1995-2020 . One in four older persons over the age of 75 has an income below the poverty threshold. Other areas of the state have seen declines in the number of older persons residing in their communities. Many rural areas of the state are also experiencing declines in their older population. Older Women and Older Men Elderly women outnumber elderly men 3 to 2 and, at age 85, there are three women to every older man.
More elderly men are married and more elderly women have been widowed.
Three out of four older persons living alone in Illinois are women. Older women are twice as likely as older men to live in nursing homes, boarding homes, or other group settings. More older women than men live at or near the poverty level, and minority older women have the highest poverty rates. One in four older persons live alone and are among the most vulnerable and impoverished groups in Illinois. The number of minority elderly who live alone will increase dramatically in the next 30 years.