Vulnerable Populations

Both the very young and the very old are likely to be medically vulnerable. Adults over age 65 are more likely to encounter diseases related to aging, such as Alzheimer's disease, or more advanced chronic conditions such as diabetes and heart disease. They are also more likely to suffer from multiple conditions, and may have mobility issues that impede access to care.

Young people are likely to be medically vulnerable, too, but for different reasons. Minority youth and those who live in poverty often have limited access to quality care, healthy food or opportunities for recreation and physical activity. Poor health habits and outcomes in early years can lead to life-long health problems.

Like the rest of the United States, the region is at the beginning of a surge in numbers of older adults. The population over age 65 is expected to double over the next three decades. This growth will put added pressure on the entire health care system in terms of demand for services, the types of services needed, and cost of services.

Since 2000, every county except Wyandotte has seen a significant growth in the percent of its population over age 65. (Both Allen and Wyandotte had slight declines in absolute numbers of persons over age 65.) The region's rural counties have higher concentrations of older adults as a percent of total population.

In absolute numbers, Johnson County has seen by far the largest growth in this age group, accounting for almost 43 percent of the regional total.

Youth comprise 25.1 percent of the region's population — compared to 23.3 percent nationally — with a fairly evenly distribution across the counties. Although the number of youth in the region grew by 34,248 from 2000 to 2015 (with the greatest growth in Johnson and Clay counties), this group has declined as a percent of overall population in every county, as other age groups grew faster.

The composition of our youth population is changing. In 1980, 21 percent of the population under 18 were minorities; in 2015, 36.4 percent are minorities, and that number is expected to rise to more than 45 percent by 2040. Since minorities are often more medically vulnerable, this increase in young people of color may impact both short- and long-term health and health care.

The median age (in 2015) of the non-white population is lower than that of whites, with significant variation across races and ethnicities.

The percentage of youth under age 18 in the Kansas City region who live in poverty has grown in every county from 2000 to 2015, and is substantially higher in most counties.