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Is Tennessee on list of worst states in which to grow old?

Hugh Jackson, left, and Aldean Giles converse before lunch while at The Terrace at Mountain Creek's senior living facility off of Mountain Creek Road on Tuesday, February 24, 2015. Hugh Jackson, left, and Aldean Giles converse before lunch while at The Terrace at Mountain Creek's senior living facility off of Mountain Creek Road on Tuesday, February 24, 2015.

By Dave Flessner March 17, 2015 1 min read

The number of Americans 65 and older grew from 35 million in 2000 to 44.7 million in 2013. By 2030, there are projected to be 72.1 million seniors in the U.S. Based upon comparative rankings for senior income, crime, disability and education, the worst states for seniors are:

1. Mississippi, median income of seniors is $29,511 (the lowest of any state) and 45.1 percent of seniors have a disability (2nd highest).

2. Louisiana, median income of seniors is $31,230 (2nd lowest) and violent crime rate (510 per 100,000 residents) is 5th highest.

3. West Virginia, median income of seniors is $31,543 (3rd lowest) and 45.5 percent of those over 65 have a disability (highest state).

4. Arkansas, median income of seniors is $31,959 (4th lowest); 42.4 percent of seniors have a disability (4th highest) and violent crime rate (446 per 100,000 residents) is 10th highest.