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American Morning

America's 50-plus Population Growing and Creating Challenges

Aired May 23, 2001 - 09:19   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: News now on America's aging population. A report that is just out on the economic security of Americans over 50 finds that seniors today are better off than they were 20 years ago. But according to a new AARP report, only one-third of those over 65 have private pensions, and social security makes up more than half of most people's retirement money. The study finds a growing disparity between rich and poor. And it says most lower income seniors don't have savings, pensions or health insurance.

Well on that same topic, the 50-plus population is growing steadily and that's creating new challenges in many sections of the country.

Reporter Amalia Barreda of our affiliate WCVB looks at concerns in one community in Cape Cod.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

AMALIA BARREDA, WCVB-TV REPORTER (voice-over): The entire country is getting older, but nowhere is the grain of America happening faster than Barnstable County on Cape Cod. The latest Census Bureau figures say that in the decade from 1990 to 2000, median age in the United States went from nearly 33 to 35 years. In Barnstable County, the median age increased from 39.5 to 44.6.

MARILYN FIFIELD, CAPE COD COMMISSION: It seems to mean that we continue to be attracting people to retire here.

BARREDA: Among those keeping a close eye on the numbers, the Cape Cod Mall.

LEO FEIN, CAPE COD MALL: Yes, now attracting closely for our stores to make sure that we stay in tune with the age population that's coming here.

BARREDA: Census figures also reflect a drop here in the number of couples with children under 18. In Bourne that decline was 25 percent, in Provincetown 33 percent.

(on camera): Fewer children on the Cape means an easing of overcrowding problems in schools, but that plus is a future double- edged sword because older residents whose children are schooled and gone tend to turn a thumb's down on funding issues for education. MARY LECLAIR, BARNSTABLE COUNTY COMMISSION: They won't want their taxes to go up because everything else is going up. The utilities are going up. The cost of their house is going up.

BARREDA (voice-over): For an older population, there are also the health-related concerns.

LECLAIR: There's going to have to be cooperation between your hospitals and your government all together to help with what's happening here.

BARREDA: Officials believe attracting younger residents is crucial to the area's future economy. But one obstacle to that is the increasingly unaffordable housing market - a top reason why many believe the census figures are what they are.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: And that was reporter Amalia Barreda from our affiliate WCVB.

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