Progress in Building Livable Communities: What do the AARP Livability Data Show?

In 2015, AARP pioneered design and creation of the Livability Index to track community progress, for all communities in the US. The livability index is based on the WHO domains of age friendly, and measures over 70 indicators in the seven domains of health, neighborhood, housing, transportation, opportunity, civic engagement and environment. We compare communities across the US which entered AARP’s Age-friendly network with those which have not to explore two research questions: 1) Have AARP Age-friendly network members made progress in building more age-friendly communities, and 2) Does entering the network matter? The answer to both questions is YES, network members made progress from 2015 to 2024 in building more age-friendly communities. The goal of the Livability Index was that it would encourage communities to pay more attention to age-friendly actions. We find communities in the age-friendly network improved their livability scores over the decade and expanded their lead over communities not in the network. Joining the network helps communities become more age-friendly.