Question about 'old or older'

Hi teachers,

According to both paragraphs the word between paretheses should be 'old or older'?

Of course not everyone agrees on the best place to live. Different people choose to live in different places. For instance, young people prefer to live in cities. They choose big cities like New York, Boston, and Los Angeles. Martin Beck agrees with this. He lives in Boston. “I love living in the city,” says Martin. “There are great museums, restaurants, and movie theaters. There are a lot of jobs here, too.”

On the other hand, many (old, older) Americans prefer to live in smaller towns. For example, Janet and Mario Miller and their family live in a small town in Idaho. Janet says, “I love our town! We know all of our neighbors. The schools here are small and the streets are always quiet.” Yet the majority of Americans—young and old—agree on one idea: They prefer warm weather to cold weather.

Even though some people dream about moving somewhere else, most people are happy with their hometowns. Where do you want to live?

Thanks in advance