What Does Aging in Your Community Look Like? New Report Provides Details for Every City & Town in the Bay State.

The 2025 Massachusetts Healthy Aging Data Report has been released. It offers a comprehensive look at the health and well-being of older adults across Massachusetts.

This report provides insights into the strengths and challenges faced by older adults in each community. The Gerontology Institute at the University of Massachusetts Boston produced the report.

Elizabeth Dugan, PhD, Principal Investigator at the Gerontology Institute, emphasizes the local focus of the report: "This is what is magic about our report: We report at very local levels. That empowers advocates who live in those communities. It helps policymakers make smarter investments, and helps philanthropists see what their investments yield over time."

The report contains detailed profiles of 386 communities, including cities and towns across the Bay State and neighborhoods in Boston, Worcester, and Springfield.

Key Findings
The report highlights several important trends and disparities in the health of older adults in Massachusetts:

• Growing Older Population: 23.8% of the state's population is now 60 or older, with 17.1% being 65 or older.
• Increasing Diversity: 16% of adults 65 or older speak a language other than English at home.
• Higher Education Levels: Among people 65 and older, half have a college degree, and nearly 19% have a graduate or professional degree.

The 2025 Massachusetts Healthy Aging Data Report includes a wealth of resources to help communities understand and address the needs of their older residents:

• 386 Individual Community Profiles: Detailed information on each community's older adult population.
• 165 Maps: Community rates for various indicators, both ranked and alphabetized.
• 18 Interactive Web Maps: Tools to explore data visually.
• Infographic: Summarizing key findings.
• Technical Documentation: Providing detailed explanations of the data and methodology.

The Healthy Aging Data Reports provide essential information that can drive change and improve the quality of life for older adults in Massachusetts. By understanding local needs and challenges, communities can develop targeted interventions that are relevant and responsive.

The report was first released in January 2014, updated in March 2015 and December 2018.

The report was produced by researchers at the Gerontology Institute at the University of Massachusetts Boston with funding from Point32Health Foundation