Aging Community

The graphic below displays demographic data about Forsyth County’s aging population.
Click on the image above to view at full size.

Demographic Highlights

 

The total population of Forsyth County is 368,745 people.

  • 20% 20%

About 20% (72,800) of the people in Forsyth County are 60 years and older.

When looking specifically at the target population of adults aged 60+, 25% (18,500) are 60-64, 44% (32,000) are 65-74, and 31% (22,300) are 75+. 21% (15,200) of people aged 60+ are African American, 77% (56,300) are White, and 2% (1,500) are another race other than African American or White.

2% (1,500) of people aged 60+ are of Hispanic or Latino origin. 57% (41,600) of people aged 60+ are female. 43% (31,200) are male. 44% (31,700) of people aged 60+ make less than $20,000 per year, 22% (15,700) make more than $20,000 but less than $35,000 per year, and 35% (25,400) make more than $35,000 per year.

Key Findings

Data findings within this report will have different meaning to different stakeholders depending on a reader’s perspective, interests, and goals. The following Key Findings are highlights from the research and were chosen using the following criteria:

  • significant differences among various populations exist
  • common themes were present across all research activities
  • data displayed high prevalence of negative perception
Many adults aged 60 and older have lived in Forsyth County for more than 50 years, and are satisfied with Forsyth County as a place to live. Many aging adults positively perceive:

  • access to health care
  • the availability of food options
  • their ability to influence decision making
  • personal safety
Many aging adults have home repair or modification needs; the most common needs include the following:

  • minor repairs
  • help with uncluttering
  • grab bar installation

Most aging adults are facing wellness-related challenges, such as:

  • not consuming enough fruits and vegetables
  • not exercising enough
  • pain as a barrier to exercise and daily activities
  • falls that result in injury

Forsyth County is perceived positively; however, the following are the most prevalent neighborhood issue areas:

  • need for improved public transportation
  • streets and sidewalks needing repair
  • heavy traffic
  • inadequate number of benches
  • lack of a sense of community

Aging African Americans and low-income groups face more challenges compared to the White population and higher income groups, respectively, in the following areas:

  • increased income shortfalls
  • higher negative perception of personal health
  • higher emergency room usage
  • decreased housing stability
  • increased home repair or modification needs
  • increased public transportation usage
  • increased mobility device usage
Many aging adults are serving as caregivers and not receiving relief from their caregiving responsibilities, particularly people aged 75 and older. Reasons for not seeking caregiving relief include the following:

  • mindsets such as guilt, lack of trust, and pride
  • availability and cost of caregiver relief services
  • unaware of resources
  • too few caregiver support groups
Improved awareness of resources and services is a community need, specifically awareness surrounding the following services:

  • home repairs or home modifications
  • caregiver relief
  • senior lunch programs
  • home delivery of groceries and meals
  • outdoor maintenance