The home page for Hertford County provides
information about the
  • County Commissioners
  • Boards and Committees
  • Departmental Information
  • Economic Development
  • County's History
  • Available Employment Opportunities
  • Office of the Register of Deeds
  • Emergency Services, &
  • Cooperative Extension Agency
The North Carolina Department of Health
and Human Services also has helpful
information for seniors.
Visit their web site by clicking here.
The Town of Ahoskie
is the largest town in the county of Hertford.
NC's older population is projected to more than
double from 2000 to 2030. The very old population
(85+) is projected to much more than double
(increase 150%).

The 65+ age cohort is expected to increase to
approximately 18% of North Carolina's population
by 2030. All other age cohorts are expected to
decline in their proportions of the state total.

NC ranked 12th among states in the growth rate of
the 65+ population from 1990-2000.

The median age in NC increased from 26.5 years
in 1970 to 35.3 years in 2000. By 2030, it is
projected to be 38.4 years.

Life expectancy in North Carolina is approximately
75.6 years. In general, women live longer than
men, and white North Carolinians live longer than
persons of minority races (2003).

Socioeconomic Factors

The percentage of NC adults 65+ living in poverty
decreased to 13.2% in 1999 (from 19.5% in 1989),
but this was still higher than the national average
of 9.9%. Members of minority races, women, and
persons living alone are over-represented among
those living in poverty.

In 2000, 41.6% of adults aged 65+ did not have a
high school degree.

About half of older adults in NC live in rural areas
(2003).

In North Carolina, over 14% of people age 65 and
older are employed in the labor force (2003).
Race & Gender

The median age of all minorities in North
Carolina is projected to increase at a greater
rate than for the general population, from 30.4
years in 2000 to 35.1 years in 2030.

About 18% of older adults in NC are
minorities (2004).

Older women significantly outnumber older
men; they represent 61% of the 65+
population and 74% of the 85+ population in
NC (2004).

North Carolina women age 75+ are twice as
likely to be poor as men the same age (2004).

In North Carolina, minority men and women
don't live as long as whites, yet they have
more years of poor health (2004).

Health & Health Care

Less than 1% of older North Carolinians do
not have health insurance, compared with the
15% uninsured among those between ages
50 and 65 (2004).

Approximately 52% of older North Carolinians
had no coverage for prescription drugs in
2001. This was significantly higher than the
national estimate of 31%.

In 2003, North Carolina spent $1.8 billion on
Medicaid for the elderly. While this population
represents 13.9% of the total Medicaid
recipients, they received 27.4% of the total
Medicaid resources.