The America’s Health Rankings® 2025 Senior Report examines 55 measures of health, drawn from 24 distinct data sources to present a comprehensive overview of the health and well-being of the nation’s older adults in each of the 50 states and Washington, D.C.
This year’s report offers an encouraging snapshot of older adult health, including a decrease in the early death rate to near-2019 levels, an improvement in social support and engagement, and an increase in the number of geriatric clinicians. However, suicide and drug deaths among older adults continued to worsen, reaching the highest levels in America’s Health Rankings history, and poverty worsened.
The report highlights data that communities can use to build on existing progress, sustain momentum and develop solutions to address ongoing and emerging challenges in older adult health.
For over 35 years, America’s Health Rankings® has been a trusted leader in public health data analysis, continually evolving to reflect the factors that contribute to population health and well-being.
The America’s Health Rankings platform, produced by the United Health Foundation, is a vital tool for driving meaningful improvements in population health across the country. Policymakers, public health leaders and researchers use these reports to identify and better understand the pressing health challenges and highlight areas of progress in their states.
Explore the America’s Health Rankings 2025 Senior Report to gain deeper insights into the health and well-being of older adults across the nation.
Promising progress for older adults
The number of clinicians trained to meet the needs of older adults reached the highest level since America’s Health Rankings began measuring it, increasing 5% between September 2023 and September 2024.
Key measures of social support and engagement also improved:
- Volunteerism increased 19% between 2021 and 2023.
- High-speed internet access among households with older adults rose 2% between 2022 and 2023.
Additionally, the early death rate among older adults ages 65-74 decreased 9% between 2022 and 2023, building on progress from recent years and approaching 2019 levels.
Persistent challenges remain
The report shines a light on ongoing and emerging challenges that affect the health of older adults, including measures of behavioral health and poverty. Suicide and drug deaths increased between 2018-2020 and 2021-2023, reaching the highest rates since America’s Health Rankings began tracking the measures.
- Drug deaths increased 58% from 8.4 to 13.3 deaths per 100,000 adults age 65 and older between 2018-2020 and 2021-2023. The data also revealed drug death rates were 2.6 times higher among men (20.0) than among women (7.8).
- Suicide increased 5% from 16.9 to 17.7 deaths per 100,000 adults ages 65 and older between 2018-2020 and 2021-2023. The data revealed substantial gender differences, with suicide rates among men six times higher than among women (32.6 vs. 5.4 deaths, respectively, per 100,000 adults age 65 and older).
- Poverty, the percentage of adults age 65 and older living below the poverty level, increased 4% from 10.9% to 11.3% between 2022 and 2023 — a new high in Senior Report history.
“Older adults play a vital role in our communities. They are our cherished family members, friends and neighbors. As Americans live longer, we aim to help them live healthier lives as well. We hope this report continues to foster local and national collaboration, building on these advancements by providing insights into these measures of health.”
Dr. Rhonda Randall | chief medical officer, UnitedHealthcare Employer & Individual Plans, senior medical advisor to America’s Health Rankings and United Health Foundation board member
Spotlight on solutions
UnitedHealth Group and the United Health Foundation have a wide range of programs and partnerships that aim to improve health in response to the challenges identified by this year’s Senior Report. Some examples include:
Helping individuals manage chronic conditions
A $2.6 million grant partnership between the United Health Foundation and Cherokee Health Systems (CHS) helps improve access to essential medications and health care resources for older adults, especially those living in remote areas. A team of clinical pharmacists, certified pharmacy technicians and care coordinators deliver medications directly to patients' homes, as well as identify and address unmet social needs that impact their health. Patients can meet virtually with a clinical pharmacist to better understand and manage their medications, as well as discuss lifestyle changes to manage chronic conditions like diabetes, hypertension and heart disease.
Addressing social drivers of health
Millions of older adults rely on UnitedHealthcare’s free HouseCalls service, which brings important preventive care visits into their home. Nurse practitioners spend up to an hour with patients, checking their health and helping them make connections to other social services so they can live a better, more independent life. Social drivers of health — things like food, housing and transportation — can have a major impact on one’s health, and HouseCalls can also help connect older adults and other beneficiaries to services and resources for unmet needs. In 2024 alone, HouseCalls closed over 3 million gaps in care.
Investing in affordable housing
UnitedHealth Group has invested more than $1.2 billion in affordable housing. Since 2011, through its UnitedHealthcare and Optum businesses, the company has helped to create affordable and mixed income housing developments in 33 states and the District of Columbia for people in need of housing and supportive services. These investments have helped create more than 32,000 homes for individuals and families, including older adults, facing housing insecurity.
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