That's local government planning.
In 12 years, Minnesota will have more retirees than schoolchildren. By 2030, one in five Americans will be at least 65 years old.The graying of America is a given. The question is, will we be ready for it?
The Central Minnesota Council on Aging recently surveyed 156 cities and townships in 14 Central Minnesota counties to find out.
“What we were finding is that most communities are very surprised at current and projected senior population rates,” Lori Vrolson said. Vrolson is CMCOA’s executive director. “It appeared to be new information for many communities.”
The shift to an older population is unprecedented in this country. Advances in medicine and public health have brought U.S. life expectancy to an all-time high of 78.1 years.
The shift is being accelerated by the aging of the baby boomers. The first boomers retired last year. They will be followed by 80 million more in the next 20 years.
CMCOA wants communities to think about what that will mean for them.
“What types of impact is that going to have on a community’s infrastructure, and how are communities going to prepare for that?” Vrolson said. “We hope communities will look at seniors as an asset and a resource. If a community is designed to be a good place for an older adult to live, it’s going to be a good place for the younger generations as well.”