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As more Hoosiers grow older, the choices we make today will shape daily life for every generation.
It often starts with a ride to a doctor’s appointment or help picking up groceries. Over time, an adult child may find themselves managing a parent’s medications, checking in each evening and struggling to balance growing care needs with work.
For that family, Indiana’s aging population becomes personal. It means helping someone they love stay safe and independent in a place that feels like home. It can also mean financial strain when the time spent caregiving necessitates cutting back work hours or dropping out of the workforce entirely.
More families will face these decisions in the years ahead. Indiana University researchers expect nearly one in five Hoosiers to be 65 or older by 2030, when the state is also projected to have more residents age 65 and older than school-age residents ages 5 to 19.
This shift, called the “silver tsunami,” will reach beyond individual households. Communities will need to rethink housing, transportation and local services so people can remain independent as their needs change.
The age wave will also shape Indiana’s economy. As people retire, communities will need workers to replace them and meet growing care needs. The growth in Indiana’s working-age population is expected to decline through 2040. Adding workers helps businesses expand and communities provide services. Slower workforce growth can limit that expansion, although new technologies can help workers accomplish more. The effects will be felt across communities.
These changes reach public budgets, too. Nationally, more people will draw Social Security and use Medicare. The Congressional Budget Office expects rising enrollment and healthcare costs to increase spending on these programs, leaving lawmakers with difficult choices about funding them alongside other public needs.
Social Security connects these generations. Today’s workers and employers provide most of its funding through payroll taxes. As beneficiaries grow in number relative to workers, financing benefits becomes harder. The 2026 trustees report projects funding shortfalls unless Congress acts. Tax revenue would still support benefits after reserves run out, but would not cover all scheduled payments. How lawmakers close that gap matters to retirees and younger people planning their futures.
Older adults also play a major role in keeping the economy moving. AARP’s 2026 Longevity Economy Outlook estimates that Americans age 50 and older accounted for 43% of the nation’s economic output in 2024, supporting 98 million jobs held by people of all ages. That impact reaches daily life through purchases at local stores, spending on services and the work older adults continue to do. Helping people stay healthy, independent and involved can support the businesses and jobs their communities depend on.
Closer to home, public policy shapes people’s options for aging safely. Housing rules can encourage homes with step-free entrances and main-floor bedrooms. Transportation funding can help someone who no longer drives reach a doctor or grocery store. State support for care at home can give families more choices. Together, these policies can help older Hoosiers remain independent and active in their communities, whether they’re working, volunteering or supporting local businesses.
How Indiana responds to the age wave will shape life for every generation. Families need support they can count on, and communities need to plan for changing needs. Bringing older adults, caregivers and community leaders into that planning can help turn broad policy decisions into practical support, giving more Hoosiers the opportunity to age with independence, dignity and connection.
To learn more, join us for Leading Through the Age Wave: Preparing Central Indiana for the Silver Tsunami on Tuesday, September 29. CICOA, United Way of Central Indiana and AARP Indiana will bring community leaders together to explore what our changing population means for the region and how we can prepare.
Join us at CICOA, 8440 Woodfield Crossing Boulevard, Suite 175, Indianapolis. Breakfast and networking begin at 7:30 a.m., with the program starting at 8 a.m. Help shape a community where every generation can live well. Register for Leading Through the Age Wave.
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