Income of the Population 55 or Older, 2004

Shares of Aggregate Income, by Source

Aged Units

Units 65 or Older

Nonmarried Persons 65 or Older

Shares of Aggregate Income for Aged Units Table 7.1 Percentage distribution, by age, 2004
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 8.1 21.5 58.3 43.1 58.3 68.4 75.2
Social Security a 2.3 10.3 38.6 26.8 37.6 46.4 52.9
Railroad Retirement 0 0.4 0.5 0.2 0.5 0.7 0.8
Government employee pensions b 2.9 5.1 9.0 7.8 8.7 10.6 10.1
Private pensions or annuities 2.9 5.8 10.2 8.3 11.5 10.7 11.4
Earnings 83.1 67.7 26.3 42.9 26.8 15.6 6.8
Income from assets 6.1 8.2 12.6 11.5 12.0 13.6 14.6
Public assistance 0.5 0.6 0.6 0.6 0.6 0.6 0.8
Other 2.2 2.0 2.1 1.9 2.2 1.8 2.6
Number (thousands) 15,772 4,990 26,865 7,078 5,999 5,827 7,960
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.
Shares of Aggregate Income for Units 65 or Older Table 7.2 Percentage distribution, by marital status and sex of nonmarried persons, 2004
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 58.3 53.0 67.5 61.8 70.6
Social Security a 38.6 33.1 48.0 38.3 53.4
Railroad Retirement 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5
Government employee pensions b 9.0 9.0 9.0 10.6 8.1
Private pensions or annuities 10.2 10.3 9.9 12.3 8.6
Earnings 26.3 31.7 17.0 21.5 14.5
Income from assets 12.6 13.2 11.7 12.9 11.1
Public assistance 0.6 0.3 1.2 0.8 1.4
Other 2.1 1.8 2.7 3.1 2.4
Number (thousands) 26,865 10,930 15,935 4,292 11,643
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.
Shares of Aggregate Income for Units 65 or Older Table 7.3 Percentage distribution, by Social Security beneficiary status, marital status, and sex of nonmarried persons, 2004
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 62.6 57.1 72.2 67.1 74.8 19.3 15.5 25.8 24.8 26.6
Social Security a 42.9 36.8 53.4 43.9 58.5 0 0 0 0 0
Railroad Retirement 0.2 0.2 0.3 0.3 0.2 3.1 3.4 2.7 2.0 3.2
Government employee pensions b 8.8 9.1 8.2 9.6 7.4 11.4 8.4 16.4 17.4 15.7
Private pensions or annuities 10.8 11.1 10.3 13.3 8.7 4.8 3.7 6.6 5.4 7.7
Earnings 22.1 27.4 13.0 16.8 11.0 63.9 70.6 52.5 53.7 51.5
Income from assets 12.8 13.5 11.7 12.6 11.2 11.0 10.4 12.1 14.8 9.8
Public assistance 0.3 0.1 0.6 0.4 0.7 3.7 2.2 6.1 3.4 8.3
Other 2.1 1.9 2.6 3.1 2.3 2.1 1.3 3.5 3.2 3.8
Number (thousands) 23,936 9,848 14,088 3,749 10,339 2,929 1,082 1,847 543 1,303
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.
Shares of Aggregate Income for Units 65 or Older Table 7.4 Percentage distribution, by marital status, sex of nonmarried persons, race, and Hispanic origin, 2004
Source of income White alone Black alone Hispanic origin a
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 58.5 53.5 67.6 62.2 70.6 61.5 53.6 68.2 59.4 73.5 59.4 52.7 68.5 66.7 69.5
Social Security b 38.6 33.4 48.0 38.2 53.3 42.4 34.5 49.1 39.5 55.0 47.2 41.7 54.5 45.6 59.4
Railroad Retirement 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.6 0.4 0.4 0 0.7 0.2 0.9 0.4 0.2 0.8 0.9 0.7
Government employee pensions c 9.0 9.0 9.1 10.6 8.2 9.1 8.9 9.2 10.8 8.2 4.0 3.7 4.2 4.9 3.9
Private pensions or annuities 10.3 10.5 10.1 12.7 8.6 9.7 10.2 9.2 8.9 9.4 7.9 7.1 9.0 15.3 5.5
Earnings 25.8 31.1 16.3 20.6 14.0 28.1 35.7 21.7 28.8 17.4 30.9 38.5 20.5 24.7 18.2
Income from assets 13.2 13.4 12.7 13.9 12.1 5.5 7.6 3.7 5.1 2.8 4.8 5.3 4.1 4.1 4.2
Public assistance 0.5 0.3 0.8 0.5 1.0 1.9 0.8 2.9 2.4 3.3 3.0 1.4 5.3 2.3 6.9
Other 2.0 1.7 2.6 2.9 2.4 2.9 2.4 3.4 4.2 3.0 1.9 2.1 1.6 2.2 1.3
Number (thousands) 23,121 9,818 13,303 3,554 9,748 2,565 618 1,947 542 1,406 1,741 619 1,121 325 797
a. Persons of Hispanic origin may be of any race.
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.
Shares of Aggregate Income for Units 65 or Older Table 7.5 Percentage distribution, by marital status and quintiles of total money income, 2004
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 90.3 83.3 73.2 40.1 86.5 86.5 75.1 64.3 31.8 84.1 91.7 89.9 79.5 49.8
Social Security a 82.6 83.4 66.6 47.5 18.9 81.2 72.9 52.5 34.5 14.1 81.9 87.6 81.3 56.5 23.9
Railroad Retirement 0.3 0.4 0.6 1.0 0.3 0.4 0.5 1.4 1.0 0 0.1 0.5 0.3 0.7 0.5
Government employee pensions b 0.7 2.2 6.0 10.1 10.9 1.6 4.9 7.8 13.3 9.2 0.5 1.0 2.8 8.5 13.4
Private pensions or annuities 2.5 4.4 10.0 14.6 10.0 3.3 8.2 13.4 15.5 8.5 1.5 2.6 5.5 13.7 11.9
Earnings 1.2 2.8 7.1 15.7 40.1 3.7 6.3 15.1 23.6 47.8 1.0 1.5 3.1 9.0 28.8
Income from assets 2.3 3.8 6.0 8.4 17.8 3.4 5.2 7.2 9.7 18.9 1.8 2.2 4.6 7.7 18.3
Public assistance 8.4 1.6 0.9 0.2 0.1 4.1 0.5 0.1 0.1 0 11.3 3.1 0.9 0.5 0.1
Other 2.0 1.5 2.7 2.6 1.9 2.3 1.6 2.5 2.2 1.5 1.9 1.5 1.5 3.3 3.0
Number (thousands) 5,270 5,475 5,372 5,374 5,374 2,185 2,185 2,187 2,184 2,189 3,182 3,173 3,205 3,182 3,193
NOTE: Quintile limits are $10,399, $16,363, $25,587, and $44,129 for all units; $20,258, $29,437, $42,129, and $68,299 for married couples; and $8,364, $12,000, $16,471, and $26,064 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.
Shares of Aggregate Income for Nonmarried Persons 65 or Older Table 7.6 Percentage distribution, by sex and marital status, 2004
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 61.8 68.4 55.9 55.0 70.6 74.8 64.9 57.6
Social Security– b 38.3 41.8 33.8 34.7 53.4 57.9 38.2 41.7
Railroad Retirement 0.5 0.9 0.3 0.2 0.5 0.6 0.1 0.2
Government employee pensions c 10.6 12.2 9.8 9.5 8.1 7.9 13.2 8.3
Private pensions or annuities 12.3 13.6 12.0 10.7 8.6 8.4 13.3 7.4
Earnings 21.5 14.8 21.7 30.4 14.5 10.5 21.1 27.9
Income from assets 12.9 12.9 17.9 11.1 11.1 11.3 9.2 10.0
Public assistance 0.8 0.4 1.9 0.7 1.4 1.1 2.3 1.4
Other 3.1 3.4 2.5 2.7 2.4 2.2 2.5 3.2
Number (thousands) 4,292 2,069 670 1,070 11,643 8,613 790 1,707
a. Includes persons who are separated or are 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.