Income of the Population 55 or Older, 2002

Shares of Aggregate Income, by Source

Aged Units

Units 65 or Older

Nonmarried Persons 65 or Older

Table 7.1 Percentage distribution, by age
Source of income Aged 55–61 Aged 62–64 Aged 65 or older
Total 65–69 70–74 75–79 80 or older
Total percent 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Percentage of income from—
Retirement benefits 7.6 24.5 58.4 44.1 60.4 65.5 72.0
Social Security a 2.0 11.9 39.4 27.6 40.6 44.6 51.9
Railroad Retirement 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.3 0.2 0.3 0.5
Government employee pensions b 2.7 5.6 8.8 7.3 9.7 8.8 10.0
Private pensions or annuities 2.9 6.8 9.9 8.8 10.0 11.8 9.7
Earnings 84.4 65.3 24.9 43.7 23.2 14.1 7.2
Income from assets 5.3 7.3 13.6 9.6 13.5 16.5 17.1
Public assistance 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.6 0.7 0.7 0.9
Other 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.0 2.3 3.1 2.8
Number (thousands) 14,430 4,722 26,219 6,550 6,359 5,758 7,553
a. Includes retired-worker benefits, dependents' or survivors' benefits, disability benefits, transitionally insured benefits, and special age-72 benefits.
b. Includes federal, state, local, and military pensions.
Table 7.2 Percentage distribution, by marital status and sex of nonmarried persons
Source of income All units Married couples Nonmarried persons
Total Men Women
Total percent 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Percentage of income from—
Retirement benefits 58.4 54.3 64.7 57.7 68.5
Social Security a 39.4 34.7 46.7 37.6 51.6
Railroad Retirement 0.3 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.4
Government employee pensions b 8.8 8.8 8.7 8.7 8.8
Private pensions or annuities 9.9 10.5 8.8 10.9 7.7
Earnings 24.9 30.1 16.8 23.4 13.2
Income from assets 13.6 12.9 14.6 15.2 14.3
Public assistance 0.7 0.4 1.2 0.8 1.4
Other 2.4 2.3 2.7 3.0 2.6
Number (thousands) 26,219 10,412 15,806 4,187 11,620
a. Includes retired-worker benefits, dependents' or survivors' benefits, disability benefits, transitionally insured benefits, and special age-72 benefits.
b. Includes federal, state, local, and military pensions.
Table 7.3 Percentage distribution, by Social Security beneficiary status, marital status, and sex of nonmarried persons
Source of income Beneficiary Nonbeneficiary
Total Married couples Nonmarried persons Total Married couples Nonmarried persons
Total Men Women Total Men Women
Total percent 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Percentage of income from—
Retirement benefits 62.4 57.9 69.3 63.4 72.3 20.0 17.5 23.4 18.2 27.6
Social Security a 43.5 38.1 51.9 43.1 56.4 0 0 0 0 0
Railroad Retirement 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.2 0.1 2.4 2.2 2.8 2.6 3.0
Government employee pensions b 8.4 8.7 7.9 8.1 7.7 12.7 9.9 16.7 12.5 20.0
Private pensions or annuities 10.4 11.0 9.4 12.0 8.0 4.8 5.5 3.9 3.1 4.6
Earnings 21.0 26.5 12.3 17.1 9.8 62.6 66.2 57.6 66.5 50.3
Income from assets 13.9 13.1 15.1 16.0 14.6 10.8 11.5 9.8 9.5 10.0
Public assistance 0.3 0.2 0.6 0.4 0.7 4.4 2.7 6.7 3.7 9.2
Other 2.5 2.3 2.7 3.1 2.6 2.3 2.0 2.6 2.1 2.9
Number (thousands) 23,487 9,486 14,001 3,649 10,352 2,732 926 1,806 538 1,268
a. Includes retired-worker benefits, dependents' or survivors' benefits, disability benefits, transitionally insured benefits, and special age-72 benefits.
b. Includes federal, state, local, and military pensions.
Table 7.4 Percentage distribution, by marital status, sex of nonmarried persons, race, and Hispanic origin
Source of income White alone a Black alone a Hispanic origin b
All units Married couples Nonmarried persons All units Married couples Nonmarried persons All units Married couples Nonmarried persons
Total Men Women Total Men Women Total Men Women
Total percent 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Percentage of income from—
Retirement benefits 58.4 54.7 64.2 56.9 68.2 65.4 58.8 71.6 62.5 76.5 57.5 55.8 60.3 52.8 64.8
Social Security c 39.4 35.0 46.4 36.6 51.7 44.4 36.5 51.8 45.1 55.4 44.2 39.9 50.9 42.1 56.2
Railroad Retirement 0.3 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.3 0.4 0.3 0.5 0.6 0.4 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.1 0.5
Government employee pensions d 8.6 8.6 8.4 8.8 8.3 12.4 13.6 11.2 8.2 12.9 6.8 8.6 4.1 3.4 4.6
Private pensions or annuities 10.1 10.8 9.0 11.0 7.8 8.2 8.3 8.1 8.6 7.8 6.2 7.0 5.0 7.1 3.6
Earnings 24.6 29.5 16.8 23.6 13.1 24.1 31.8 16.9 24.2 13.1 30.4 35.1 23.1 36.9 14.7
Income from assets 14.2 13.4 15.5 16.2 15.1 4.7 5.1 4.4 4.3 4.5 6.3 5.2 8.0 4.8 10.0
Public assistance 0.5 0.3 0.9 0.6 1.0 1.8 0.5 3.1 1.7 3.8 3.6 2.1 5.9 3.1 7.6
Other 2.3 2.1 2.6 2.5 2.6 3.9 3.8 4.0 7.4 2.1 2.2 1.8 2.7 2.4 2.9
Number (thousands) 22,700 9,356 13,344 3,498 9,847 2,418 635 1,783 483 1,301 1,604 632 972 282 689
a. Beginning with data for 2002, respondents may identify themselves in more than one racial group. The categories White alone and Black alone reflect respondents who reported only one race. Less than 1 percent of persons aged 55 or older reported more than one race.
b. Persons of Hispanic origin may be of any race.
c. Includes retired-worker benefits, dependents' or survivors' benefits, disability benefits, transitionally insured benefits, and special age-72 benefits.
d. Includes federal, state, local, and military pensions.
Table 7.5 Percentage distribution, by marital status and quintiles of total money income
Source of income All units Married couples Nonmarried persons
First Second Third Fourth Fifth First Second Third Fourth Fifth First Second Third Fourth Fifth
Total percent 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Percentage of income from—
Retirement benefits 86.1 90.7 82.0 72.4 40.2 87.2 86.6 76.6 60.8 34.1 83.3 90.7 90.5 77.4 45.9
Social Security a 82.6 84.0 67.0 47.0 19.8 82.5 72.2 53.0 35.2 15.6 80.3 86.9 81.6 57.0 22.3
Railroad Retirement 0.3 0.5 0.5 0.6 0.1 0.1 0.5 0.7 0.3 0.1 0.1 0.4 0.6 0.7 0.3
Government employee pensions b 0.7 2.2 5.3 11.1 10.4 1.4 5.1 8.7 10.6 9.7 0.6 0.8 3.2 7.6 13.0
Private pensions or annuities 2.5 4.1 9.2 13.8 10.0 3.2 8.8 14.3 14.7 8.8 2.2 2.6 5.2 12.2 10.4
Earnings 1.1 2.3 7.0 14.7 38.4 3.9 6.4 12.3 24.8 45.8 1.2 1.4 2.2 9.1 28.2
Income from assets 2.4 3.6 7.4 9.8 18.9 2.7 5.2 8.2 11.0 18.0 1.9 2.9 4.5 9.5 22.8
Public assistance 8.9 1.6 1.0 0.2 0.1 4.6 0.4 0.2 0.2 0 11.9 3.7 0.7 0.5 0.1
Other 1.5 1.7 2.7 2.9 2.4 1.6 1.4 2.8 3.1 2.0 1.7 1.3 2.0 3.4 3.0
Number (thousands) 5,244 5,244 5,241 5,245 5,244 2,074 2,091 2,082 2,082 2,084 3,159 3,115 3,210 3,157 3,166
NOTE: Quintile limits are $9,721, $15,181, $23,880, and $40,982 for all units; $18,648, $27,744, $39,000, and $63,108 for married couples; and $7,892, $11,448, $15,638, and $24,855 for nonmarried persons.
a. Includes retired-worker benefits, dependents' or survivors' benefits, disability benefits, transitionally insured benefits, and special age-72 benefits.
b. Includes federal, state, local, and military pensions.
Table 7.6 Percentage distribution, by sex and marital status
Source of income Nonmarried men Nonmarried women
Total a Widowed Never
married		 Divorced Total a Widowed Never
married		 Divorced
Total percent 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Percentage of income from—
Retirement benefits 57.7 67.1 45.6 49.2 68.5 72.2 62.9 56.6
Social Security b 37.6 43.3 29.6 31.7 51.6 55.5 40.9 40.6
Railroad Retirement 0.5 0.9 0.1 0.1 0.4 0.4 0.2 0.4
Government employee pensions c 8.7 9.4 10.0 7.3 8.8 8.3 12.2 10.0
Private pensions or annuities 10.9 13.5 5.9 10.1 7.7 8.0 9.7 5.5
Earnings 23.4 12.1 32.5 35.1 13.2 8.8 21.3 28.6
Income from assets 15.2 17.0 18.3 12.0 14.3 15.4 13.0 9.8
Public assistance 0.8 0.6 1.9 0.3 1.4 1.1 1.9 2.0
Other 3.0 3.1 1.7 3.4 2.6 2.6 0.9 3.1
Number (thousands) 4,187 2,074 621 1,022 11,620 8,737 724 1,705
a. Includes persons who are separated or married but living apart from their spouse.
b. Includes retired-worker benefits, dependents' or survivors' benefits, disability benefits, transitionally insured benefits, and special age-72 benefits.
c. Includes federal, state, local, and military pensions.