Everyone has a unique and idiosyncratic experience growing older. No two of us are exactly alike, and our own aging process is informed by everything from our physical health to our family circumstances. Yet, at the same time, some trends transcend individual experiences, and they paint a picture of what it’s like to age in today’s United States. The Pew Research Center just published an in-depth survey of both younger and older Americans to get a better sense of trends and perspectives connected to aging, and to underscore the similarities and differences that factor into aging in various communities across the country. The big-picture takeaway? The experience of older adults in today’s world is very much connected to and colored by the income and financial resources they have at their disposal.

First, a few data points: According to this new Pew Survey, older adults (those 65 and older) have increased their share of the country’s population from 12.4% in 2004 to 18% in 2024. This survey involved 8750 participants, broken down between those under 65 and those 65 and older, and they were surveyed in September of 2025. They were asked to give their personal perspective and insights on several topics, including how well they believe they are aging, how much control they think they have over their aging, how their finances and physical health are holding up, whether they have done anything to make themselves look younger, and what advice they would give to younger people. Younger survey respondents were asked what they anticipate life will be like in their later years. You can read the entire survey results here and read the survey questions here.

Not surprisingly, money plays an important role in both the perspectives of people as they age and in their actual quality of life as older adults. Just about half of those surveyed over the age of 65 said they were aging extremely or very well, and that number increased to 61% among those who would be categorized as upper income (with an annual income over $155,600), though the number drops back down to 51% for those in the middle income category (with an income of $51,900-$155,600) and drops even further, to 39%, for those considered low income (under $51,900). Not only do those income levels influence a person’s assessment of how well they’re aging, but in reality, the income levels are also connected to the physical health, social life, and even cognitive skills of older adults. In essence, how Americans experience aging differs widely depending on how much income they have. Answers also varied by gender and along with racial and ethnic identities.

When it comes to thinking about whether their money will last for their full retirement, about 42% of older adults were highly confident that their income and assets would see them through the rest of their lives, but about 20% of older survey respondents were uncertain that was the case for them. When questioned about how long they would like to live, the majority (76%) said they would like to live to at least 80 years old, and of that group, about 29% expressed hope that they would make it to age 100. But as to whether they have done anything to make themselves look younger, about half of the survey respondents said they have already done something or would consider doing something to appear younger than their chronological age, including coloring gray hair, taking anti-aging supplements, using non-surgical cosmetic procedures, or even considering plastic surgery.

For respondents under 65, there was concern registered about how life would be as an older adult. For example, only 30% of survey respondents under 65 believe they will age extremely or very well, and more than 40% of the under 65 group is not confident they will have sufficient money set aside to retire. But even among the younger respondents, those with higher incomes had a more positive assessment of how their aging would play out. 

And what about advice that older adults would pass on to younger ones? What would they tell them about preparing to get older? Perhaps unsurprisingly, the most common topic mentioned by older respondents related to health- how to eat well, exercise, and keep up with medical appointments. However, a close second in terms of advice focused on finances, such as how to invest and save for retirement. Other themes of advice included focusing on your relationships, mental outlook on life, and activities that have meaning as you get older.

While the picture painted by this survey was a relatively positive vision of how older adults are faring in this country, that is by no means a universally shared experience. Again, income and financial resources significantly influence quality of life in retirement (if one can retire at all), the activities that one can pursue in retirement, and even the physical and cognitive health that retirees experience. How does your own experience of aging measure up to some of these trends? Do you think they accurately reflect what it’s like to be an older adult in the USA today? If you’d like to share your own experiences, insights, or advice, please drop us a line at [email protected], and we can do our own tally of what agebuzz readers think about aging in today’s world.