Tuesday, December 12, 2017

The Zeeman: The Facts Are That Oro Valley Is A Growing Retirement Community

We've heard it said by Council Member Mary Snider and others that "Oro Valley is no longer a retirement community." It was the "mantra" of the pro Prop454 supporters. However, stating something does not make it so.

We know that that statement is not correct. We reported this fact in LOVE some time ago.  Still, we thought we would check it out. Maybe things had changed. Maybe all the new apartments in town had brought in the "millennials".

According to the census bureau, that is not the case.

It is true: "Oro Valley is a retirement community"
The facts, as presented by the US Census bureau, support the statement that Oro Valley is a retirement community (assuming that you define retirement as anyone who is 65 or older).

According the the Bureau, Oro Valley's population of age 64 and under has declined from 74% in 2010 to 68% in 2016. The population age 65 and older has increased from 26% in 2010 to 32% in 2016. That is a continuation of a trend seen from 2000, when the over 65 population was 22% of all residents.

Looking at the change in population from 2010 to 2016, there are 498 fewer residents living in Oro Valley who are are age 64 and younger and 3,274 more residents over age 65.

So, the facts are: Oro Valley is getting older, not younger.

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