Summary: As America approaches its 250th anniversary next month, the country faces an uncomfortable reality: much of America is aging right alongside its population.
The roads, water lines, sewer systems, electrical infrastructure and housing stock built during America’s post-World War II boom are now decades old. At the same time, millions of Americans are entering retirement age and hoping to remain in the homes and communities they know best.
America is not just celebrating 250 years of independence.
It is confronting the challenge of maintaining 250 years of growth.
And increasingly, the two biggest pressures facing communities — aging infrastructure and aging residents — are colliding.
America’s Homes Are Aging
Many of the homes Americans live in today were built during the housing expansion of the 1950s through the 1970s. According to National Association of Home Builders analysis of U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey data, the median age of owner-occupied homes in the United States reached 40 years in 2022 and continues to rise as new construction struggles to keep pace with demand. That means a significant share of the nation’s housing stock is now 50, 60, or even 70 years old.
Older homes often come with aging plumbing systems, outdated electrical wiring, deteriorating sewer connections, inefficient heating systems, foundation issues, and accessibility limitations that make aging safely at home more difficult.
These homes were not originally designed for mobility limitations, in-home caregiving, smart home health monitoring, multi-generational living, long-term accessibility, or climate resiliency.
Yet they are increasingly expected to support exactly those needs.
Americans Want to Age in Place
According to AARP’s 2021 Home and Community Preferences Survey, 77% of adults age 50 and older want to remain in their homes long term, while 79% want to stay in their communities as they age.
For many families, aging in place is not simply a preference. It is emotional, financial and practical.
Older adults often want to stay near family and neighbors, maintain independence, avoid the high costs of nursing facilities, preserve community connections, and remain in familiar environments.
But aging in place only works if homes — and the infrastructure supporting them — remain safe, functional and accessible.
The Hidden Infrastructure Crisis Beneath Aging in Place
When people think about aging infrastructure, they often think about highways or bridges. But for older homeowners, infrastructure failures are deeply personal.
A leaking sewer line. A failed water heater. Tree roots damaging buried utility lines. Unsafe stairs. Outdated electrical systems. Flooding basements. Heating failures during extreme weather.
These issues are not just inconvenient. For older adults living on fixed incomes, they can become health and safety emergencies. ICMA research on aging in place has emphasized that inadequate housing conditions, inaccessible homes and aging infrastructure can directly impact health outcomes, mobility and social isolation among older adults.
The challenge is growing rapidly because:
• Nearly 11,000 Americans turn 65 every day
• More Americans are aging into retirement simultaneously
• Housing repair costs continue to rise
• Skilled labor shortages delay repairs
• Extreme weather is stressing older infrastructure systems
• Many older adults lack savings for major home repairs
Why Local Governments Are Paying Attention
Organizations like the National League of Cities and the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) have increasingly emphasized age-friendly planning, universal design, and infrastructure modernization as critical priorities for local governments preparing for demographic change. HomeServe is proud to support these efforts through its recent participation in ICMA’s Annual Partnership Program as a Strategic Partner, helping advance conversations around infrastructure resilience and community sustainability.
Their research points to a common conclusion: Communities designed for older adults are often better communities for everyone.
Investments include safer sidewalks, reliable transportation, accessible housing design, broadband connectivity, water and utility modernization, home modification programs, community health partnerships, and resilient infrastructure systems.
NLC has also emphasized the importance of universal design. AARP research found that one-third of adults over age 50 believe their current homes will need modifications in order for them to age safely in place.
The lead-up to America’s 250th anniversary creates a symbolic opportunity.
This is not only a celebration of the nation’s past. It is a moment to decide what the next 250 years of American communities should look like.
The future of infrastructure is not just about roads and bridges. It is about whether Americans can safely remain in the communities they helped build.
Supporting aging in place increasingly requires supporting the infrastructure beneath it.
What Communities and Industry Can Do Next
1. Invest in Preventative Infrastructure Maintenance
2. Expand Home Accessibility Programs
3. Modernize Older Housing Stock
4. Build Stronger Public-Private Partnerships
5. Prioritize Equity in Aging Infrastructure Investments
Programs and partnerships like the Service Line Warranty Program by HomeServe, help homeowners update plumbing, electrical systems, HVAC systems and water infrastructure to improve both safety and long-term housing stability. HomeServe and municipal utility partnership programs have increasingly highlighted the growing financial risks tied to aging private service lines, water infrastructure failures and emergency home repairs for older homeowners.
The Bottom Line
America is approaching a milestone birthday. But the country itself — its homes, infrastructure and population — is growing older.
Supporting older adults and modernizing aging infrastructure are not separate missions. They are the same mission.
As communities prepare for the future, now is the time to rethink how we support aging infrastructure and aging residents together.
References
1. National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), The Age of the U.S. Housing Stock
2. AARP, Home and Community Preferences Survey, 2021
3. ICMA, Aging in Place: A State Survey of Livability Policies and Practices
4. National League of Cities, 3 Steps Local Leaders Can Take to Support Older Adults
5. HomeServe Partnerships, Aging Infrastructure and Finances
6. U.S. Census Bureau, Snapshot of the Nation’s Housing Stock
7. National Institute on Aging, Aging in Place: Growing Older at Home
8. AARP Survey Shows 8 in 10 Older Adults Want to Age in Their Homes