Suffolk County has slightly more seniors in raw numbers, about 291,400 residents age 65 and older versus Nassau's roughly 273,100, but Nassau has a slightly higher senior share of its total population, 19.6 percent versus roughly 19 percent in Suffolk. Both figures come from 2024 USAFacts/Census Bureau estimates, and both exceed the New York State average senior share of 18.9 percent.
What is specific to this county
The difference between raw numbers and percentage share matters depending on what you're trying to understand: in absolute terms, Suffolk edges out Nassau because Suffolk's total population of 1,530,146 is somewhat larger than Nassau's roughly 1.395 million, but as a share of each county's population, Nassau is very slightly more senior-heavy at 19.6 percent. Both counties, notably, exceed both the statewide New York average of 18.9 percent and the national average of 18 percent, meaning Long Island as a whole skews somewhat older than the country overall. This matters practically for families comparing the two counties' senior-care markets: Nassau's senior population concentrates in denser, longer-established villages along the LIRR corridor, such as Garden City, Rockville Centre, and Great Neck, while Suffolk's spreads across a much larger geography, from transit-accessible western hamlets to more rural East End retirement-relocation communities.
Related questions
- What is Nassau County's Area Agency on Aging, and how do I reach them?
- What is Suffolk County's Area Agency on Aging, and how do I reach them?
- What is NY Connects, and how does it relate to my county's Office for the Aging?
- Does Nassau County or Suffolk County have a bigger, more spread-out senior care market?
