TEXAS'S AGING POPULATION: BY THE NUMBERS (2025)
If you, a family member, a friend, or a neighbor is isolated and in need of a nutritious, friendly visit and a safety check, please call Meals on Wheels at 210-735-5115. You can download a PDF of these statistics here.
TEXAS'S SENIOR POPULATION STRUGGLES WITH HUNGER AND ISOLATION
| Senior population of adults age 60+ | 5,840,800 (19.2%) |
| Seniors experiencing limited or uncertain access to adequate food (marginally food secure)* | 1,319,242 (22.8%) |
| Seniors experiencing reduced quality, variety, or desirability of diet (low food secure)* | 788,324 (13.6%) |
| Seniors experiencing reduced food intake (very low food secure) | 531,776 (9.2%) |
| State ranking for risk of social isolation | 32nd in U.S. |
FACTORS THAT CREATE DISPARITIES AND MAKE SENIORS VULNERABLE
| Black or African American | 11% | Hispanic or Latino | 24.6% | |
| Seniors self-reporting “fair to poor” health | 29% | Seniors with a disability | 30.9% | |
| Seniors living alone | 22.4% | Seniors living below the poverty line |
14.3% |
|
| Native American / Alaskan or Hawaiian / Pacific Islander | Less than 1% | |||
| Seniors who lack income to pay for basic living needs | Singles: 47.4% | Couples: 22.2% | ||
POOR NUTRITION/LIMITED AFFECTS PEOPLE, HEALTHCARE, AND ECONOMY
| Seniors experiencing falls with injury/year | 11.6% | Preventable hospitalizations** | 2.9% |
| Hospital readmissions within 30 days** | 16% | Total Medicare spending (in billions) | $28.09 |
OLDER AMERICANS ACT (OAA) NUTRITION PROGRAMS IN TEXAS ARE DELIVERING
| Title III-C Nutrition Program | Title VI Grants for Native Americans | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seniors Served | Meals Served | Seniors Served | Meals Served | |
| Congregate meals | 16,974 | 641,358 | 0 | 0 |
| Home-delivered meals | 118,441 | 20,286,297 | 293 | 41,657 |
| Total | 135,415 | 20,927,655 | 293 | 41,657 |
PROFILE OF CLIENTS RECEIVING OAA TITLE III SERVICES ****
| Live in a rural area | 33.7% | Black / African American | 19.3% |
| Live below the poverty line | 45% | Asian | 1.5% |
| Hispanic / Spanish / Latino Ethnicity***** | 34.9% | Native American or Hawaiian/Pacific Islander | Less than 1% |
PROGRAM FUNDING VARIES BASED ON COMMUNITY NEEDS AND RESOURCES OF THE COMMUNITY- MADE UP OF FEDERAL, STATE, LOCAL AND PRIVATE DOLLARS
| Congregate Meals | Home-delivered meals | Total | |
| OAA III Expenditures | $2,988,939 | $33,482,159 | $36,471,098 (35.4%) |
| Total Expenditures | $4,238,423 | $98,858,776 | $103,097,199 |
FULLY INVESTING IN MEALS ON WHEELS ENSURES VULNERABLE TX SENIORS CAN REMAIN HEALTHIER AT HOME, AVOIDING COSTLY HEALTHCARE FACILITIES
| Cost of 1 day in a hospital | Cost of 1 day in a nursing home |
| $3,060 | $180 |
Notes:
* Marginally food insecure includes seniors who are food insecure or very low food secure, and seniors who are food insecure includes those who are very low food secure
** AMONG MEDICARE PARTICIPANTS AGE 65+
*** Includes any race
**** OAA DEFINES OLDER ADULTS AS AGE 60 OR OLDER. TITLE III SERVICES NOT LIMITED TO MEALS. OAA SERVICES ARE AVAILABLE TO AGE 60 AND OLDER AND SOMETIMES CAREGIVERS. INCLUDES TITLE III REGISTERED SERVICES NOT LIMITED TO MEALS AND INCLUDES OAA SPECIFIED ELIGIBLE MEAL PARTICIPANTS UNDER THE AGE OF 60. PERCENTAGES ARE BASED ON OAA CLIENTS WITH RACE DATA KNOWN AND EXCLUDES CLIENTS WITH NO DATA.
***** INCLUDES ANY RACE. PERCENTAGE IS BASED ON CLIENTS WITH ETHNICITY KNOWN AND EXCLUDES CLIENTS WITH NO DATA.