Ten years of the AARP Livability Index platform and a base of 1,000-plus members of the national AARP age friendly network are now yielding important data. For a study released in August 2025, researchers Xue Zhang of Penn State University and Mildred Warner of...
News: Data and Reports
Family Caregiving in Massachusetts: New Research on the Realities Facing Family Caregivers and the Policies Voters Support
AARP conducted a survey of registered voters 30 and older across Massachusetts, which highlights who caregivers are, the challenges they face and the solutions that can make a difference. AARP estimates that there are over 1.4 million family caregivers age 18 and...
‘America’s Rental Housing 2026’ Report Released by JCHS at Harvard
The Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University released the report "America's Rental Housing 2026" along with interactive maps and data. The report shows the number of renters with cost burdens has reached another record high, rents for new leases show...
New Guide Promotes Age Inclusivity in Higher Education
Building off the work and tools of Reframing Aging and the Age Inclusivity Domains of Higher Education (AIDHE) initiative, a new guide was released by Gerontological Society of America (GSA) to promote age-inclusive communication in higher education. While the guide...
DPH Community Health Equity Initiative Announces New Round of Survey and Data Collection
The Community Health Equity Initiative (CHEI) collects data on the social and structural causes of health experienced by Massachusetts residents, specifically among communities impacted by structural racism and other drivers of inequity. CHEI collaborates with...
Foundation for Social Connection Releases Inaugural ‘State of the US Ecosystem Report’
The State of the US Ecosystem Report offers a field-level perspective on the current health of the US SILC ecosystem. The report draws on survey responses from more than 60 entities working across sectors, roles, and geographies, reflecting the collective perspectives...
JCHS at Harvard Reports on Historic Highs for Housing Unaffordability
Newly released American Community Survey data, analyzed by the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University shows that 43.5 million households were cost burdened in 2024, dedicating more than 30 percent of their income each month to housing costs. The number...
Report by Boston Indicators Looks at Early Impact of MBTA Communities Law
Adopted in 2021, the MBTA Communities zoning law requires cities and towns served by the MBTA to allow multifamily housing by right in “reasonably sized” districts, at moderate densities, near transit stations where feasible, and without restrictions on the ages of...
Structural and Socioeconomic Inequities in Cardiovascular Health: What Neighborhood-Level Data Reveal About Aging in Boston – Guest Blog Post
The following is a guest blog post by Shahriar Shakeri, MD, MPH using analysis from the Massachusetts Healthy Aging Data Reports: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains one of the leading causes of death among older adults in the United States. However, the burden of...
AARP Research Explores AI Awareness and Usage Among Older Adults
Eight in ten adults 50-plus report having used some form of AI, though most place themselves at the beginner or intermediate level according to a recent "data story" released by AARP Research. AARP's data story explores Artificial Intelligence awareness and usage...