ABSTRACT
The declining significance of old age as a determinant of economic well-being has been a prominent theme in the literature since the early 1980's (e.g., Preston 1984). Poverty rates among all elderly have declined over the past twenty years from 24.6 percent in 1970 to 12.2 percent in 1987 (U.S. Bureau of the Census 1991c). Despite these gains for elderly individuals, overall, certain groups of elderly persons continue to face much poorer economic prospects than others. Among these are nonmetropolitan elders. 1
