Key Data

Setting new goals for aging well in Illinois is critical because, like most states, we are experiencing one of the biggest population changes in U.S. history — bringing both challenges and opportunities for our communities. 

In the coming months, EngAging Illinois will create a data dashboard that will help us measure progress on key elements of the Plan. To learn about the focus area work groups visit their pages:

• All Baby Boomers in the U.S. will be 65 or older at the start of the next decade. Starting in 2035 the population over 65 will outnumber those younger than 18. 
• Americans turning 65 this year have an average life expectancy of 84 years. 
• People 85 and older are the fastest growing portion of the population.¹
• In 2020, 16% of Illinois’ population – more than 2 million people – were older than 65. This number is projected to surge 40% by 2035 – to nearly 2.9 million or 22% of all Illinoisans.²
• The state’s current median age of 39 years and five months, already nearly five years older than in 2000, will continue to rise.³

Not only is the size of Illinois’ population of older adults increasing, so too is its diversity. Older women, people of color, members of the LGBTQIA+ community, people with disabilities, individuals who are justice-involved, rural and lower income Illinoisans all have spent a lifetime struggling against intersecting systems of oppression such as racism, gender discrimination, homophobia, transphobia, xenophobia, ageism, and ableism. The impacts of these accumulate over a lifetime, resulting in growing financial, health, and social inequities. 

Data show that by the time individuals reach older ages, disparities in many key indicators of healthy aging are striking. For example:  

• Rates of loneliness during old age are highest among those with the lowest incomes.⁴
• Rates of almost every highly prevalent age-related disease and disability – from arthritis to dementia – are highest among Illinois’ Black, Latine, rural, and low-income older adults.⁴
• LGBTQIA+ older adults in Illinois have more functional limitations and experience worse self-rated health and more frequent poor mental health days, linked to discrimination and lack of affirming care.⁴
• Nearly 1 in 4 unpaid caregivers in Illinois are depressed and report poor health (compared to 1 in 7 non-caregivers), and the majority of these caregivers are women.⁴
• Approximately 1 in 5 Black older adults in Illinois live at or below poverty level, compared to 1 in 13 White older adults.⁵

What these and other data tell us is that too many of us are battling for our health and a basic sense of security, while striving to live with dignity, purpose, and joy as we age. The comprehensive set of strategies in EngAging Illinois seeks to acknowledge and take meaningful steps to lessen these disparities. 

¹Better with Age: A Guide to Funding in a Longevity Society. Grantmakers in Aging. 2024, October. Better with Age Guide

²Population Projections Illinois, Chicago and Illnois Counties by Age and Sex: July 1, 2020 to July 1, 2035. Illinois Department of Public Health. 2024, May. Population Projections

³Why Illinois is Aging Faster than the Rest of the Country. Chicago Tribune. 2025, July 3. Chicago Tribune Editorial

⁴Center for Disease Control (CDC) Behavioral Rick Factor Surveillance System. U.S Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2025, May 5. 2023 BRFSS Survey Data and Documentation

⁵ACS 5-Year Estimate Public Use Microdata Sample. United States Census Bureau. United States Census Bureau. 2023. 2023 Microdata Sample