HCR Update from Mark Sanna: The number of Americans 65 and older is expected to nearly double by the middle of the century when they will make up more than a fifth of the nation’s population, according to a Census Bureau report released Tuesday. By 2050, 83.7 million Americans will be 65 or older, compared with 43.1 million in 2012. Fewer than 10% were older than 65 in 1970.