The populations of Beaufort County and Washington are getting older, gradually, according to data collected by the U.S. Census Bureau.

Many programs that serve those aging populations are seeing more and more people participating but no increase in funding for those programs, said Annette Eubanks, who works at the Mid-East Commission as the director of its Area Agency on Aging. In some cases, funding for such programs has decreased, she said.

“The aging of the baby-boomer generation is a factor in that (median age) increase. If you look into the future — and I can’t tell you exactly the year — there’s going to be way more number of seniors 60 and older than there are (of) the younger population,” Eubanks said. “There are a lot more participating in senior centers, but as far as the funding, the funding’s not increasing. … It’s definitely not increasing.”

Eubanks expects the area’s aging population to increase its demand for certain services.

“You’re looking at waiting lists for services, especially if you’re looking at transportation, your medical and your congregate meals and your home-delivered meals and your in-home aid services. There are waiting lists at this point. Basically, what we are trying to do is serve the neediest first. … It’s not first-come, first-served as far as the services. It used be that way. There used to be so many slots and you just kind of filled them. Now, you have to be very selective on how you fill those slots.”

Geoff Marett, assistant director of the Beaufort County Department of Social Services, said some of his agency’s programs that primarily serve senior citizens have shown an increase in interest by senior citizens or participation by them. Some of those programs have waiting lists, he said.

“For our in-home delivery meals and in-home aid program … we’ve seen those two lists go up 62 percent from 2011 to 2013,” Marett said.

Some programs, such as long-term care placements for the elderly, have seen modest increases (5 percent to 10 percent) in participation in recent years, he said.

For Beaufort County residents 60 years old or older who receive the agency’s food nutrition benefits, 799 received benefits in January 2010. In the latest report, for August 2011, that figured had jumped to 1,026, or a 28-percent increase, Marett said.

From 2010 to 2013, Beaufort County’s median age moved from 43.5 years (2010) to 43.6 years (2011) to 44 years (2012) to 44.2 years (2013). During that same period, Washington median age moved from42.8 years (2010) to 39.1 years (2011) to 44.2 years (2012 and 2013).

In 2013, the largest segment (percentage-wise) of Beaufort County’s estimated 47,575 population was the 60 years to 64 years bracket at 8 percent, followed by the 55 to 59 years bracket at 7.6 percent and the 50 to 54 years bracket at 7.5 percent. The smallest segment of the population was the 85 years and over bracket at 2 percent.

In 2010, the county’s largest segment of the estimated 47,185 population was the 50 to 54 years bracket at 8 percent, followed by the 60 to 64 years bracket at 7.7 percent and the 55 to 59 years bracket at 7.6 percent. The smallest segment of the population was the 85 years and over bracket at 1.8 percent.

(The margins of error for the county figures ranged from plus or minus 0.1 percent to plus or minus 0.8 percent.)

Washington’s largest segment (percentage-wise) of its estimated 9,751 population in 2013 was the 45 to 49 years bracket at 7.7 percent, followed by the 15 to 19 years bracket at 7 percent. The smallest segment was the 75 to 79 years bracket at 3.1 percent. In 2010, the city’s largest segment of the estimated 9,708 population was the 15 to 19 years bracket at 8.6 percent, followed by the 45 to 49 years bracket at 7.3 percent. The smallest segment was the 65 to 69 years bracket at 3.4 percent.

(The margins of error for the city figures ranged from plus or minus 1 percent to plus or minus 1.9 percent.)