According to the 1980 census, one in every nine Americans is over the age of 65. The segment of the population made up of individuals over the age of 65 continues to grow faster than that comprised of individuals under the age of 65. While older people continue to have about half the income of their younger counterparts, the elderly tend to have more health problems and health care costs. Among the other problems that affect the elderly more than the remainder of the population are housing, mobility, and transportation problems. Analysis of data pertaining to living arrangements indicates that while 83 percent of older men lived in a family setting, only 57 percent of older women did so. In addition, increasing numbers of older people now live in nonmetropolitan areas. While older adults comprised 15 percent of the voting age population, they cast 16 percent of all votes. Also revealed by the 1980 census was a sharp decrease in labor force participation rates with increasing age. If Census Bureau projections are accurate, there will be an increasing burden on the middle, more productive-aged population under reasonable economic and labor force assumptions. (MN)