ABSTRACT
According to the 2000 U.S. Census, 50.9% of the population was female (U.S. Census Bureau, 2001). Women (defined by the Census Bureau as age 18 years and over) comprised 38.4% of the population, as compared to men, who comprised 35.9% of the population. In terms of older adults (age 65 years and over), 7.3% were women and 5.1% were men. Census projections indicate an increase in the percentage of women age 65 and over for the next 100 years (U.S. Census Bureau, 2000). Thus, women comprise the majority of the adult population, and over time will continue to increase in both numbers and age. The 2000 Census also indicated that a female householder with no partner headed 12.2% of all U.S. households. A total of 7.2% of total households were headed by a single mother with children under the age of 18 years. At press time, data on employment and marital status, educational attainment, disability, income, and other demographic characteristics of U.S. women were not yet available.
