In 1998, about 20 percent of older men had a bachelor s degree or higher, compared with 11 percent of older women. About two-thirds of both men and women had finished high school. Data for this indicator can be found in Tables 4a and 4b . Like marital status, the living arrangements of America s older population are important because they are closely linked to income, health status, and the availability of caregivers. Older persons who live alone are more likely to be in poverty than older persons who live with their spouses.
Older women are more likely to live alone than are older men.
In 1998, older women were as likely to live with a spouse as they were to live alone, about 41 percent each. Approximately 17 percent of older women lived with other relatives and 2 percent lived with nonrelatives. Living arrangements among older women also vary by race and Hispanic origin. In 1998, about 41 percent of older white and older black women lived alone, compared with 27 percent of older Hispanic women and 21 percent of older Asian and Pacific Islander women. While 15 percent of older white women lived with other relatives, approximately one third of older black, Asian and Pacific Islander, and Hispanic women lived with other relatives.