Welcome to the third edition in theAARPWhere We Liveseries.
Our goal for these publications has been twofold.
By 2050, 1 in 5 Americans will be age 65 or older.
This trend will be felt most at the local level.
All of these communities need to be thinking about how to help older residents stay independent as they age.
Sidewalks and curb cuts are a simple and clear example.
Thats what building communities for people of all ages is about.
Our second goal is to make it a little easier to take action in your community.
Some of the best ideas borrow from and build on what has been tried and tested someplace else.
Learning what others are doing could be just the spark needed to make a difference where you live.
Theyre an Economic Force
As consumers, older adults are a hot commodity.
The over-50 crowd controls nearly 80 percent of U.S. net worth, and corporate America has taken notice.
To be sure, this isnt a 100 percent good news story.
Three in four of them have volunteered in the past year.
Their top motivations were giving back, making a difference for their communities and helping people in need.
Such volunteerism can pay enormous dividends and is an untapped resource in many communities.
The civic engagement of older Americans extends to the ballot box.
They are the largest voting bloc by age.
In 2016, voters age 50 and over made up 56 percent of the electorate.
Older voters are more informed and more likely to vote early than other age groups.
Its not an overstatement to say that older adults often decide local elections.
You will find several Experience Matters profiles that tell these stories.
Other stories highlight how ventures started by or focusing on older adults are solving community problems.
Theres a start-up that pairs young adults looking for housing with older homeowners who have a room to spare.
Take Action
The examples inWhere We Livecome from many sources.
