Disability in the U.S. by age and state: Census data, charted
Direct answer: 42.7 million Americans (13.0%) report a disability. 57.9% of them, about 24.7 million, are under 65. The rate climbs from 7.7% at ages 18 to 34 to 12.4% at 35 to 64, 24.0% at 65 to 74 and 46.5% at 75 and over.
Why this page exists
Accessible bathrooms are usually marketed as a senior product. The Census numbers tell a broader story. Most Americans who live with a disability are children and working-age adults: people with spinal cord injuries, multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, amputations, stroke and many other conditions. They need tubs, showers and transfers that work for decades, not just in late life. That is the audience this site is written for.
The rate rises with age
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2019–2023 5-year estimates (table B18101). Civilian noninstitutionalized population.
But most people with a disability are under 65
A higher rate in older age groups does not mean more people. There are far more Americans aged 18 to 64 than 65 and over, so the working-age group holds more people with disabilities: 21.3 million versus 18.0 million aged 65 and over.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2019–2023 5-year estimates (table B18101). Civilian noninstitutionalized population.
| Age | Population | With a disability | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 18,938,749 | 131,003 | 0.7% |
| 5 to 17 | 54,625,036 | 3,320,802 | 6.1% |
| 18 to 34 | 74,032,926 | 5,676,539 | 7.7% |
| 35 to 64 | 125,249,118 | 15,593,161 | 12.4% |
| 65 to 74 | 32,889,852 | 7,892,160 | 24.0% |
| 75 and over | 21,689,597 | 10,089,398 | 46.5% |
| All ages | 327,425,278 | 42,703,063 | 13.0% |
How the Census defines disability
The American Community Survey asks about six kinds of difficulty, and anyone who reports at least one is counted as having a disability:
- Ambulatory: serious difficulty walking or climbing stairs.
- Self-care: difficulty bathing or dressing.
- Independent living: trouble running errands without help, like getting to the doctor or a store, because of a physical, mental or emotional condition.
- Hearing, vision and cognitive difficulties.
Table B18101 combines all six, so not everyone counted here has a mobility disability. The Census publishes ambulatory and self-care difficulty in separate tables, which are worth checking if you need those specific counts. They also exclude active-duty military and anyone living in an institution such as a nursing home.
State by state
Across all ages, West Virginia has the highest share of residents with a disability (19.1%) and Utah the lowest (10.3%). Among adults 18 to 64, rates range from 8.0% in New Jersey to 16.7% in West Virginia. California has the most people under 65 with a disability, at 2,404,930.
| State | People with a disability | Share, all ages | Share, ages 18 to 64 | Under 65 as share of all with a disability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 807,069 | 16.2% | 14.2% | 59.2% |
| Alaska | 92,451 | 13.1% | 11.7% | 63.2% |
| Arizona | 970,404 | 13.6% | 11.0% | 55.9% |
| Arkansas | 528,995 | 17.8% | 15.8% | 61.2% |
| California | 4,364,431 | 11.3% | 8.6% | 55.1% |
| Colorado | 638,686 | 11.2% | 9.3% | 60.1% |
| Connecticut | 429,568 | 12.1% | 9.6% | 57.0% |
| Delaware | 137,738 | 13.9% | 11.5% | 56.9% |
| District of Columbia | 72,611 | 11.0% | 8.8% | 63.0% |
| Florida | 2,924,178 | 13.5% | 10.1% | 51.3% |
| Georgia | 1,375,224 | 12.9% | 11.0% | 61.3% |
| Hawaii | 173,766 | 12.5% | 8.9% | 47.1% |
| Idaho | 257,204 | 13.8% | 11.9% | 59.2% |
| Illinois | 1,482,931 | 11.8% | 9.5% | 56.6% |
| Indiana | 927,862 | 13.8% | 12.1% | 61.5% |
| Iowa | 390,431 | 12.4% | 10.4% | 57.8% |
| Kansas | 386,716 | 13.4% | 11.7% | 60.3% |
| Kentucky | 784,920 | 17.7% | 16.2% | 62.9% |
| Louisiana | 729,316 | 16.1% | 14.1% | 61.3% |
| Maine | 212,043 | 15.6% | 13.0% | 57.5% |
| Maryland | 690,463 | 11.4% | 9.2% | 58.0% |
| Massachusetts | 835,832 | 12.1% | 9.4% | 57.1% |
| Michigan | 1,414,434 | 14.2% | 12.2% | 59.3% |
| Minnesota | 642,876 | 11.4% | 9.4% | 58.5% |
| Mississippi | 500,688 | 17.4% | 15.4% | 60.8% |
| Missouri | 886,543 | 14.6% | 12.6% | 59.5% |
| Montana | 156,093 | 14.3% | 11.8% | 55.6% |
| Nebraska | 235,106 | 12.1% | 10.3% | 58.0% |
| Nevada | 416,368 | 13.4% | 11.0% | 57.6% |
| New Hampshire | 178,623 | 13.0% | 10.7% | 58.1% |
| New Jersey | 975,308 | 10.6% | 8.0% | 53.8% |
| New Mexico | 346,122 | 16.7% | 14.3% | 57.4% |
| New York | 2,394,964 | 12.2% | 9.4% | 55.5% |
| North Carolina | 1,386,506 | 13.4% | 11.1% | 58.1% |
| North Dakota | 89,750 | 11.8% | 9.9% | 58.5% |
| Ohio | 1,646,041 | 14.2% | 12.0% | 59.4% |
| Oklahoma | 656,264 | 16.8% | 15.0% | 61.5% |
| Oregon | 635,797 | 15.1% | 12.6% | 58.0% |
| Pennsylvania | 1,820,613 | 14.2% | 11.7% | 58.2% |
| Rhode Island | 146,643 | 13.6% | 11.1% | 59.5% |
| South Carolina | 738,495 | 14.4% | 12.0% | 57.1% |
| South Dakota | 106,698 | 12.1% | 10.1% | 55.7% |
| Tennessee | 1,034,275 | 15.0% | 12.7% | 59.4% |
| Texas | 3,491,298 | 12.0% | 10.0% | 61.3% |
| Utah | 339,979 | 10.3% | 9.4% | 65.8% |
| Vermont | 92,624 | 14.5% | 12.3% | 58.8% |
| Virginia | 1,032,353 | 12.2% | 10.0% | 58.2% |
| Washington | 1,010,563 | 13.3% | 11.0% | 58.8% |
| West Virginia | 334,044 | 19.1% | 16.7% | 57.5% |
| Wisconsin | 701,774 | 12.0% | 10.0% | 57.8% |
| Wyoming | 79,382 | 13.9% | 11.4% | 55.6% |
| United States | 42,703,063 | 13.0% | 10.7% | 57.9% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2019–2023 5-year estimates (table B18101). Civilian noninstitutionalized population. Rates are calculated by Aging Safely Baths from the published counts. Margins of error are published with the table and are larger for smaller states.
What the numbers mean for a bathroom
- Plan for a long time. A 40-year-old wheelchair user may use the same tub for decades. Durable doors, replaceable seals and walls with blocking for future grab bars matter more than jets.
- Plan for change. Many conditions progress. Pick a layout with room for a transfer board today and a lift later. See the transfer tub guide.
- Plan for a helper. Self-care difficulty is literally defined as difficulty bathing or dressing. Our caregiver bathing guide covers the helper's side.
- Look at funding beyond Medicare. Working-age adults are often covered by Medicaid waivers, vocational rehabilitation or VA programs rather than Medicare. See the funding guide.
Questions people ask us
How many Americans have a disability?
42,703,063 people, or 13.0% of the civilian noninstitutionalized population, according to the Census Bureau's American Community Survey 2019–2023 5-year estimates (table B18101).
Are most people with disabilities over 65?
No. 24.7 million of the 42.7 million Americans with a disability, or 57.9%, are under 65. The rate rises with age, but there are more younger people, so the under-65 group is larger in number.
Which state has the highest disability rate?
West Virginia, at 19.1% of residents across all ages. Utah has the lowest, at 10.3%. For adults 18 to 64, West Virginia is highest at 16.7%.
Does the Census count wheelchair users separately?
No. Table B18101 counts anyone reporting at least one of six difficulties: hearing, vision, cognitive, ambulatory, self-care or independent living. Ambulatory difficulty means serious difficulty walking or climbing stairs, and self-care difficulty means difficulty bathing or dressing.
Sources and method
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2019–2023 5-year estimates, table B18101: Sex by Age by Disability Status. Counts for males and females are added together for each age group; shares are with-disability counts divided by the civilian noninstitutionalized population in that group.
- U.S. Census Bureau, How disability data are collected from the American Community Survey.
