Multidimensional Well‐Being Among Older Adults in the United States

ABSTRACT

The U.S. population is aging rapidly over the last few decades. In this article, we measure well‐being among older adults by estimating a well‐being index based on data from the U.S. Census Bureau. We find that multidimensional well‐being among older Americans improved over time. The percentage of older adults with the highest well‐being index increased from 16% in 2014 to 22% in 2023. Compared with the rest of the population, the average well‐being index among older adults was lower in value. Well‐being index was higher among Asians and Whites and lower among Blacks, American Indians, and Hispanics. Inequality in well‐being was of a much smaller magnitude than income inequality and it decreased over time.