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2012-2017 Orange County Master Aging Plan <br />___ _ <br />Growth and Longevity <br />Orange County's older adult population is <br />expected to follow similar growth patterns to <br />those of the state and country. The number of <br />adults age 65+ in Orange County is estimated <br />to increase by 31 % between 2012 and 2017, <br />or over the course of this MAP 4 By 2030, this <br />population will more than double from its size in <br />2012, reaching an estimated 31,063 people <br />and making up 17.6% of all Orange County <br />individuals compared to an approximate 10.6% <br />currently 4 Furthermore, life expectancy at birth <br />for Orange County residents was 80.8 years in <br />2008, up from 77.2 years in 1992.5 Notably, <br />life expectancy at birth is higher for women than <br />men, and for Whites when compared to African <br />Americans in Orange County 5 <br />Overall, this MAP will prepare the county to <br />serve an increasingly large population of older <br />adults that includes a wider span of age <br />ranges. <br />While planning for the upcoming growth in <br />Orange County's older adult population, it is <br />important to recognize that this population is <br />already substantial. 2010 US Census data <br />suggests that the proportion of adults age 55+ <br />in Orange County was approximately equal to <br />the proportion of youth under age 18 (21.1 % <br />vs. 20.9%, respectively).b This reflects the <br />magnitude of the need for allocating resources <br />to support Orange County's older adult <br />community, including their caregivers and <br />families. <br />