Aging in Alameda County

A brief overview

Alameda County is one of the most diverse counties in the United States

With a population of approximately 1.6 million residents, around 440,000 are older adults over the age of 60. The racial and ethnic composition of Alameda County’s older adults is increasingly diverse. Currently, 41% are White, 33% are Asian, 13% are Hispanic, 10% are Black, 1% are Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, and less than 1% are American Indian and Alaska Native.  Demographic and other information about Alameda County’s older adults may be found in Resources for Policy & Planning.

The Council for Age-Friendly Communities is developing Issue Guides on a number of topics of special concern on aging in Alameda County. 

Do you know...

  • By 2030, 1 in 5 Californians will be 65 or older, and by 2040, about 600,000 Alameda County residents will be 60 and over.

  • Most older adults do not eventually become disabled: most commonly they remain physically, mentally, and socially active

  • 33% of older adults in Fremont volunteer in some capacity

  • Half of single older adults in Alameda County can’t cover basic living expenses
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  • According to the Family Caregiver Alliance; In Alameda County,  it is estimated that the economic value of unpaid care provided by the county’s estimated 239,000 family caregivers is approximately $2.74 billion

  • In Alameda County, there are approximately 30,000 enrolled providers in IHSS who give caregiving services to 30,000 recipients

  • 62 percent of caregivers experince substantial strain in California 
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  • Individuals 65 and older have the highest rate of suicide deaths: 1 in 4 older adults who attempt suicide die, versus 1 in 200 younger persons

  • Alameda County’s Adult Protective Services Department receives more than 7,000 reports of elder abuse every year
 
  • Effective interventions exist to prevent and treat Isolation and disability