Disability Status: 2000
About one in five persons, aged five and over in the civilian non-institutionalized population, reported a disability in Census 2000.
Census 2000 Questions on Disability
Disability rates rose with age.
Persons 65 years and older were more likely to report a sensory, physical, mental, or self-care disability, or a disability causing difficulty going outside the home.
Disability rates varied
among the major racial and ethnic groups.
Asians had the lowest overall disability rate.
Disability rates were among the highest for people of two or more races.
65 and older
16-64
5 to 15
The overall disability rate was higher for Hispanics than for non-Hispanic Whites.
Almost two out of every five people with a disability lived in the South.
Disability rates for the four regions.
SOUTH
20.9%
NORTHEAST
19.2%
The disability rate was highest in West Virginia.
Disability Rates by State: South
SOUTH
TX
19.2%
OK
21.6%
LA
21.8%
FL
22.2%
GA
19.7%
SC
22.2%
NC
21.1%
TN
22.0%
VA
18.1%
MD
17.6%
DE
18.4%
DC
21.9%
Disability Rates by State:
West and Midwest
AK
14.9%
UT
14.9%
WEST
MIDWEST
MN
15.0%
WI
16.0%
NE
16.0%
WA
18.2%
OR
18.8%
CA
19.2%
MT
17.5%
ID
17.1%
NV
20.6%
WY
17.1%
CO
16.3%
AZ
19.3%
NM
20.4%
ND
16.7%
SD
16.7%
KS
17.6%
IA
16.6%
MS
19.0%
IL
16.7%
IN
19.0%
OH
18.3%
MI
18.7%
HI
18.4%
Counties with very high disability rates were clustered in the coal mining areas of Kentucky, West Virginia, and Virginia.
More than one person in four reported a disability in each of the ten places with the highest disability rates.
The lowest disability rates were in fast growing areas on the outskirts of metropolitan areas.
Almost half of the people with any disability reported more than one.
People with disabilities were less likely to be employed.
In 2000, 8.7 million people with disabilities were poor.
For More Information
Call our Customer Services
Center at: 301-763-INFO (4636)
Visit the Census Bureau’s website: http://www.census.gov
