KEY FACTS
California’s demographics are shifting, increasing demand for daily care and long-term supports:
Accelerating aging population: California’s over-60 population is projected to diversify and grow faster than any other age group over the next decade. While in 2010 older adults made up 16% of the population, by 2030 older adults will be about 25% of the state’s population. Nearly 10 million Californians will be 60 years old or older.
More Californians are in the oldest age groups: The population of Californians age 80 and older is projected to double by 2040, representing the fastest-growing age segment and driving a massive increase in demand for daily care and long-term supports.
Increasing diversity: By 2040, no single racial or ethnic group will comprise a majority of California's older adults. Growth rates will be highest among Latino and Asian American older adults — where 60% and 85%, respectively, are foreign-born — underscoring the need for culturally competent care.
Disability becomes more common with age: Disability affects Californians across the lifespan, but prevalence increases considerably with age — from about 7% of adults ages 18–34 to 46% of adults age 75 and older.
The vast majority of Californians want to age in their homes or communities — but rising costs are a major challenge:
Demand for home-based care is growing: 97% of older Californians are aging in place in their own homes and local communities.
The high costs of long-term care and services: In 2026, the median annual cost of a home health aide is $94,266 and the median annual cost to reside in an assisted-living community is $86,520. The cost of a private room in a nursing facility is $187,599 annually.
Daily care is out of reach for many: Half of California's middle-income older adults cannot afford basic living expenses if they require 4 hours of paid care a day.
Many Californians will not be able to afford long-term services and supports: By 2033, 89% of Californians age 75 and older will not have enough financial resources to pay for private care.
The care workforce and unpaid caregivers are feeling the strain, putting pressure on workers and families:
Severe direct-care shortage: As demand for home- and community-based services grows, California is expected to have 1.8 million direct care job openings by 2032. The state has just over 900,000 direct care workers today, with job growth in this sector hampered by low wages and high turnover.
Family caregiving is an unpaid part-time job: California’s 4.1 million family caregivers devote an average of 19 hours a week to supporting aging loved ones or family members with disabilities, valued at $81 billion per year.
Low wages impact working families, the state budget, and economy: 47% of direct-care workers in California rely on public assistance programs due to low median wages. Meanwhile, working family members are forced to cut back hours or quit jobs to fill care gaps, reducing household savings and shrinking spending and state tax revenues.
This care crisis is becoming more urgent:
Older adults are the fastest-growing population of homeless Californians: Nearly half (48%) of single, homeless adults in California are age 50 and older, and 41% of older homeless adults first experienced homelessness after age 50. This trend will continue; the proportion of people experiencing homelessness age 65 and older in the U.S. is projected to triple between 2017 and 2030.
Reliance on safety net programs is expected to climb: California is projected to have approximately 600,000 more low-income older adults by 2040 than it does today, placing heightened demand on public safety net programs like Medi-Cal and IHSS.
Millions more older Californians are in the “overlooked middle:” In 2024, 5.5 million Californians aged 50+ were in the “overlooked middle” — earning too much for Medi-Cal but lacking wealth for private care. This population will reach 6.9 million by 2050.