US Communities Transform with Focus on Livability for Aging Population

The aging U.S. population is being reframed as an opportunity to develop more livable communities, according to new research from Cornell University. A study analyzing nearly 650 counties, cities, and towns that have participated in the AARP Livability Index over the past decade indicates significant progress in creating environments conducive to aging in place. Improvements have been noted across various metrics, including transportation and civic engagement.

While many communities have made strides, researchers found that around 31,000 other locations not part of AARP’s age-friendly network also reported advancements, albeit to a lesser degree. Challenges remain in areas such as housing affordability and health care access, particularly in rural communities that tend to have higher percentages of older and lower-income residents.

Mildred Warner, a professor of global development at Cornell University, emphasizes the need to shift perspectives on aging. “So many view aging as a crisis – but this is not, ‘Woe is me, we’re aging and society is going to fall apart,’” she stated. “This is an opportunity to do what we all want to do, which is create more livable communities. Looking over time, we see that there has been progress.”

Warner is co-author of the forthcoming paper titled “Progress in Building Livable Communities: What do the AARP Livability Data Show?” alongside Xue Zhang, an assistant professor at Pennsylvania State University. The study has been submitted for journal publication and has already been presented at two conferences, receiving reviews from a network of age-friendly scholars and AARP for technical accuracy.

The AARP Livability Index, launched in 2015, aims to encourage communities to focus on policies that support older Americans. It evaluates more than 61 indicators across seven domains: health, neighborhood, housing, transportation, opportunity, civic engagement, and environment. Data points include monthly housing costs and social connection opportunities, among others.

The research revealed that among the 646 places that participated in the Livability Index in both 2015 and 2024, approximately 70% improved their overall livability scores. Those that did not improve began with higher scores in 2015. The findings suggest that communities that joined the network became more livable, engaged, and wealthier over time.

Urban areas have taken the lead in advancing age-friendly initiatives, but challenges persist, especially regarding housing affordability. The researchers noted that livable communities often see an increase in housing demand, which can drive prices up. Conversely, rural communities, which generally have smaller populations and larger proportions of older adults, are lagging behind. This delay may reflect an urban bias in the indicators being tracked.

“To assist all communities in becoming more age-friendly, we need to identify effective practices that work for rural and small communities,” the authors highlighted. This need is increasingly urgent given the demographic shift towards an aging society.

Warner pointed out that many age-friendly improvements can be made at the individual and local levels. These include features like zero-step entries into homes and enhancements in transit systems, zoning, and housing development. However, broader economic and societal issues, such as housing affordability and income inequality, pose more significant challenges.

The authors noted, “We see the greatest improvements in areas that local communities can control – neighborhood, transportation, and engagement.” Although physical design changes may require substantial investment and time, fostering civic engagement has proven to be a low-cost and rapid approach to creating age-friendly environments.

Proactively engaging with residents to plan for desired services and amenities not only encourages innovation but also helps reduce divisions within communities. The data suggests that such engagement can enhance voting participation as well.

“We have the power to create communities that are livable for all, and it’s time to move beyond a singular focus on economic productivity and focus more on community well-being,” Warner stated. “An age-friendly community can be a community that is more livable for all, and that’s what we’re starting to see in planning and community-level response.”

The findings were supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, highlighting the critical role of federal support in fostering age-friendly initiatives across the country. Warner will further discuss these findings during an AARP webinar titled “Toward More Livable Communities: The 2025 AARP Livability Index Reveal,” scheduled for December 9, 2024, at 15:00 UTC.