We aimed to analyze geographic differences in the distribution of the population and the perceived health status among the elderly in Taiwan. Of those interviewed during the 2001 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), people 65 years of age and older were recruited into this study. Because the sampling strategy of probability proportional to size was used in the NHIS, the study sample in this analysis represented senior citizens who resided in Taiwan in 2001. Two statistical techniques, the chi-square test and the generalized estimating equation model (GEE), were used to delineate the study endpoints. The proportion of the elderly population in southern and eastern Taiwan (11.0-12.7%) was higher than in central and northern Taiwan (7.9-9.0%). In the Taipei metropolitan area, the percentage of elderly people who perceived their health status as poor or fair was 57.6% (the lowest percentage compared to other geographic areas). The perceived health of the elderly was significantly influenced by their level of education, mood (i.e., depression), physical functioning, the number of ongoing chronic conditions, previous ambulatory clinic or emergency room visits, regular exercise habits, and geographic location of their residence. Regular exercise significantly influenced the health of the elderly, implying that advocating exercise habits, improving recreation facilities, and mitigating geographic health disparity should be among the priorities in promoting health status for the elderly.