America is getting older — and it’s not ready, according to new research from Northeastern University.
As the country’s population continues to age, researchers at Northeastern set out to examine whether access to key services such as health care, housing, and grocery stores remains equitable for older adults across the United States.
In a new study, they found not only disparities in access but also alarming gaps in infrastructure and policy to support America’s growing aging population — both now and in the years ahead. “At this stage, we are not ready for the aging population,” says Ryan Wang, an associate professor and vice chair for research of civil and environmental engineering at Northeastern.
“Population aging is not a critical social issue at this point in the U.S. compared to some other countries — Korea, Japan, some European countries — but that does not mean that it will stay like this. … We predict that without a significant policy shift, many of the demands for the aging population in the society will not be met.”
The study used a vast amount of mobility and demographic data — including GPS-based visitation patterns, U.S. Census information, and environmental data from the Environmental Protection Agency — to analyze how easily aging communities across the nation can access essential services such as grocery stores, housing, and health care providers.
Researchers classified communities as high-aging (where over 50% of residents are 65 or older) or low-aging (where fewer than 20% are 65 or older). They then measured how frequently residents from these communities visited essential service locations within a five-mile radius. Communities meeting certain visit thresholds were labeled as accessible.
“At this stage, we are not ready for the aging population,” says Ryan Wang, associate professor and vice chair for research of civil and environmental engineering at Northeastern.
Contrary to what Wang initially expected, researchers did not “observe significant disparities” in accessibility at the national level. However, when analyzing data by region, city, or county, the study revealed major variations in what researchers called the Fairness Index.
“In different places, like in Florida, because there are more aging populations, there are more policies toward meeting the needs of the aging population,” Wang says. “But then in other states, like Arizona or California, their results are mixed. Some [places] are better, some are worse.”
The study also showed disparities depending on the type of service. Housing was generally more accessible in high-aging communities, but grocery access was notably limited. Aging-specific services such as nursing homes and home health care were somewhat more available, though still significantly less accessible compared to other essential services.
“One extreme case of that is that 70% of high-aging communities in Arizona don’t have sufficient accessibility to those services,” Wang says. “In other states, it’s not that extreme but could be problematic compared to the other more general essential needs.”
Wang notes that while America isn’t currently facing a severe aging crisis — thanks partly to younger immigration maintaining balance in the population — this situation won’t last forever. Without proactive planning, service disparities could worsen in the coming decades.
For Wang, solutions go beyond merely increasing services. He emphasizes the importance of designing cities and neighborhoods in ways that make those services easier for older adults to reach. Concepts like the “15-minute city,” where all essential services are accessible within a short walk or drive, could be key for future policy and urban development.
“We want the aging population to be more mobile,” Wang says. “It’s good for their mental health, for their physical health, for their neuro-psychological health, but at the same time, there are more constraints or obstacles for them to be mobile. … Are we developing these places [and] developing infrastructures to align with their needs? That matters and that also matters in the future as the society and population in the U.S. ages over the next 30, 50 years.”
