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April 1, 2001Aging citizens outpace younger generationNumbers underscore trend of more retirees, fewer people under 18 throughout the regionBy BILL ECHLINRecord-Eagle staff writer TRAVERSE CITY - It should come as no surprise to anyone who has seen some gray-haired folks working the drive-through windows of the area's burger joints: We are becoming an older society in northwestern Lower Michigan. Expect more of those senior citizens housing complexes that are popping up all over and much more business for hospitals and doctors. In time the aging of the area also could bring competition for the scarce public dollar: Expand the county-run nursing home or add more classrooms to the school? The adult population of the region is growing at a faster rate than the segment of people younger than 18 in northwest Lower Michigan, according to the latest 2000 census data released Tuesday, a similar trend to what is happening nationally. Now, three out of four people living in the region are adults 18 years and older, very close to the statewide ratio. Between 1990 and 2000, the 13-county region's population of those 18 and older grew by 25 percent while the younger portion grew by only 14 percent. Statewide, the growth rates were much lower and much closer together. The adult population of Michigan grew about 7 percent and the under-18 portion about 6 percent. Within the 13-county northwest region, however, wide variances exist. In Benzie County, the population of those younger than 17 grew 27 percent over the last 10 years, nearly equaling the adult population growth of 33 percent. Residents say subdivisions are filling up with young couples in their early 30s who want to start families because the area offers an alternative to Traverse City. "The growth's been phenomenal," said John Paxson, a home builder who moved to the Benzie area 10 years ago from Saginaw. Paxson suspects what attracts young families to the area is housing that is more affordable than in Grand Traverse or Leelanau counties and an environment that is safe for children and offers plenty of outdoor activities. In contrast, in Kalkaska County the younger population grew by only 7 percent compared with the 29-percent growth rate of the adult population. Factors may include the county's popularity as a retirement area and the relative scarcity of jobs for younger people. "You can see it," said Gay Rowell, assistant director of the county Commission on Aging. "You drive around and see new subdivisions and private roads that you would think are young families, but they turn out to be mostly retirees." The growth in the older population has meant a whopping 20-percent increase in demand for the agency's in-home services such as home-delivered meals and respite care. Other counties in the region with relatively low growth rates for the child population were Crawford, Manistee, Missaukee, and Wexford. Other counties in the northwest with relatively high growth rates for their younger populations include Antrim, Charlevoix, Emmet, Leelanau and Otsego. The reasons for the overall aging trend are many, say experts, including the movement of the Baby Boomer generation bubble (those born between 1946 and 1960) up into the older age groups and a trend toward smaller families. There is also the fact that more people are starting to have children later in life. Then there are the unique regional factors such as more retirees moving into the region. One of the implications, assuming the trend continues, are fewer workers to support retirees. "That's exactly why our Social Security system will be in trouble," said Charlene Schlueter, head of information services at the Northwest Michigan Council of Governments. "It's a simple matter of fewer younger workers paying in compared to the growing numbers that will be taking out." Beyond that, the aging trend also means problems for employers, Schlueter said. The shortage of young workers has been a serious concern for employers throughout the region and was a major topic at a recent economic summit conducted by the Traverse Bay Economic Development Corp., an arm of the Traverse City Area Chamber of Commerce. Development experts are trying to craft ways to keep young workers in the area and better train them as well as entice people with needed skills to move into the area. At the national level the labor force crisis has brought pressure on Congress by high-tech employers to ease restrictions on information technology immigrant workers. Schlueter said we may well see more of the import of seasonal foreign workers for the tourism industry, something pioneered by the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island many decades ago that also has been a successful strategy for the Grand Traverse Resort since 1990. The fast food industry has been dealing with the crunch at the entry level for several years and chains like McDonald's are completely rebuilding their restaurants to automate food preparation and reduce their need for help. At the same time, they are actively recruiting more elderly workers. Read more about the census: • 13-county region has grown 22 percent since 1990 count • Michigan’s top 10 population gainers, losers (map) • Michigan suburban migration accelerates • Region’s racial characteristics (chart) • Region’s population change (chart) • Cities' losses are townships' gains • Family enjoys life in small town • What's at stake with changing population • Large cities that lost or gained population (chart) • City and village populations (chart) • Quiet life entices familes to 'burbs • Native American numbers on rise • Aging citizens outpace younger generation • Population changes in region by county, city and township (chart) |
