Women more likely to make it to 100 than men

Key points
- Statistics released from the 2010 census by the U.S.
- But, the statistics also revealed that getting to 100 isn't an easy feat.
- An overwhelming 85.7 of people who are at least 100 lived in an urban area, with the majority living in the South, followed by the Midwest, Northeast and the West.
- In 82.5 percent of the cases the person was white, which is interesting when considering that only 72.4 percent of the total U.S. population is Caucasian.
Want to make it to 100 and older? Your odds are better if you are a woman.
Statistics released from the 2010 census by the U.S. Census Bureau on Dec. 10 revealed that for every 100 women that make it to at least 100, there are only 20.7 men who do the same.
But, the statistics also revealed that getting to 100 isn't an easy feat. Fewer than two people out of 10,000 will make it to that ripe old age. The majority of centenarians - 62.5 percent - were 100 or 101, with 92 percent of the population being between the ages of 100 to 104. Only 0.6 percent of those 100 and over - 330 people -- reached 110 or older. However, the number of people making it to that century mark has increased 5.8 percent since 2000.
An overwhelming 85.7 of people who are at least 100 lived in an urban area, with the majority living in the South, followed by the Midwest, Northeast and the West. The state with the most centenarians was California with 5,921. In comparison, Alaska only had 40 centenarians.
In 82.5 percent of the cases the person was white, which is interesting when considering that only 72.4 percent of the total U.S. population is Caucasian. Latinos only made up 5.8 percent of centenarians, but they make up 16.3 percent of the population.
One other key difference: Women are more likely to reach that age in a nursing home, whereas men are more likely to get to 100 or older if they are living in a household.
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CBS Interactive Inc
Written and revised by
David Cohen, M.D.
Our doctors write and review articles for accuracy and keep them up to date.
health.am provides general information, not medical advice. Always consult a qualified health professional about your own health.
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