Aging & Disability Fast Facts

Learn about the complex issues and challenges facing California's older adults and people with disabilities.

The California Collaborative's Fast Facts publication compiles and visualizes data from a wide variety of sources to describe the complex challenges faced by California's growing population of older adults and people with disabilities.

Scroll through the publication to learn about Long-Term Services and Supports (LTSS), explore demographic trends, browse caregiving and affordability data, and dive into innovations that are driving systems change!

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Aging and Disability Fast Facts California (presnted by California Collaborative for Long Term Services and Supports – CCLTSS).

California's Aging Population Is Growing Faster Than Any Other Age Group. By 2030, over 25% (1 in 4) Californians will be age 60 and older. Percent of CA's Population By Age Group: (18 & Under) 2010 - 27%, 2020 - 22%, 2030 - 21%, 2040 - 20%, 2050 - 20%, 2060 - 19%. (19 to 39) 2010 - 33%, 2020 - 30%, 2030 - 29%, 2040 - 28%, 2050 - 27%, 2060 - 26%. (40 to 59) 2010 - 26%, 2020 - 24%, 2030 - 22%, 2040 - 22%, 2050 - 22%, 2060 - 22%. (60 & Over) 2010 - 16%, 2020 - 22%, 2030 - 16%, 2040 - 29%, 2050 - 31%, 2060 - 32%.

California Is Home To Nearly 7 Million Disabled Adults (Age 18+). 1 in 4 Californians Live with a Disability. Percent Of Adults In CA With Select Functional Disability Types: Mobility - 10%, Cognition (Includes adults with developmental disabilities) - 10%, Indepdendent Living - 6%, Hearing - 5%, Vision - 4%, Self-Care - 3%.

Disability Prevalence Increases With Age. CA Disability Prevalence by Age: (4 & Under) - 1%, (5 to 15) - 4%, (16 to 20) 5%, (21 to 64) - 9%, (65 to 74) - 26%. The number of older disabled Californians will increase by 160% between 2015 and 2060.

The State's Older Adult Population Is Becoming More Racially and Ethnically Diverse. CA's 60+ Population by Race/Ethnicity (by Year): 2010 - White (70%) / People of Color (30%), 2020 - White (45%) / People of Color (55%), 2030 - White (20%) / People of Color (80%). By 2030, White, non-Hispanics will no longer represent the majority of older adults.

Life Expectancy Has Been On The Rise Since 1950. Life Expectancy In CA, 2019: 81.4 Years. U.S. Life Expectancy 1950-2022: 1950 - 68 years, 1960 - 70 years, 1970 - 71 years, 1980 - 73 years, 1990 - 75 years, 2000 - 77 years, 2010 - 78 years, 2020 - 79 years. As many as half of today's 5-year-olds are predicted to live to the age of 100.

Life Expectancy Of Californians Decreased As A Result Of The COVID-19 Pandemic. CA Life Expectancy Decline 2019-21: Hispanic (-5.74), Black (-3.85), Asian (-3.04), White (-1.90). The impact was not even across the board... For Hispanics, life expectancy declined by nearly 6 years.

Long-Term Services and Supports (LTSS) refers to a wide range of personal, medical, and social supports needed by persons with functional limitations over an extended time. What Can LTSS Help With? Personal Care, Transportation, Care Coordination, Meal Preparation, Grocery Shopping, Wound Care, Housekeeping, Errands, Medication Management, and More!

Examples of LTSS. LTSS Can Be Provided In A Variety Of Settings. Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS): Home-Based – Personal Care Aide Home Health Aide Respite Care Caregiver. Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS): Community-Based – Assisted Living Adult Day Health Center Residential Care Facility Regional Center Independent Living Respite Care Villages. Facility-Based – Nursing Home Intermediate Care. All Are Long-Term Services and Supports (LTSS).

Snapshot of Findings from the 23 Long-Term Services & Supports (LTSS) State Scorecard. CA Ranks 11th in the Nation Overall: Choice of Setting & Provider (1st) – CA consistently ranks among the highest-performing states in this dimension. Since 2020, the state improved HCBS rebalancing efforts and leads the nation in targeting Medi-Cal dollars toward HCBS. Safety and Quality (4th) – CA performed well on new indicators. However, the state continues to make limited movement on implementing standardized HCBS quality measures. Support for Family Caregivers (15th) – Despite a decline from 8th to 15th overall, CA has maintained its performance on most of the indicators. Affordability & Access (30th) – CA's drop from 7th to 30th is largely attributed to gains by other states. CA has made little progress in this dimension. Community Integration (31st) – CA ranked 20th overall for transportation and 41st for housing. Findings underscore the intersection of CA's high housing costs and lack of housing options.

Policy Opportunities. Develop affordable LTSS options for all Californians. Streamline access to LTSS information and support. Make it easier for family caregivers to provide care. Ensure all Californians can live in the community of their choice. Collect standardized data to support equitable access to high quality LTSS. Visit for a Deeper Dive: Browse the full 2023 State LTSS Scorecard (https://ltsschoices.aarp.org/scorecard-report/2023). Explore CA policy opportunities in more detail (https://www.thescanfoundation.org/publications/innovation-and-opportunity-californias-performance-in-the-2023-long-term-services-and-supports-state-scorecard/).

The Need for Support Is Growing. More Than Half of CA's Older & Disabled Adults Reported Needing Help With Routine Care. 1 in 5 Reported Needing Help With Personal Care. In California, 1.3 million older adults live alone. The number of individuals age 65+ living alone is growing.

The Vast Majority Of Individuals With LTSS Needs Rely On Unpaid Assistance From Family And Friends. There are 4.4 million family caregivers in California. Spend an average of $7,000 - $13,000/year in out-of-pocket costs associated with caregiving. Provide $81 Billion in economic value of unpaid care. Provide 4 Billion hours of unpaid care. Women (particularly women of color) are providing a disproportionately large share of unpaid caregiving – often while simultaneously caring for children.

Direct Care Workers Are Paid To Provide Essential, Hands-On, Daily, & Long-Term Assistance. They work in: Private homes, Community settings, and Congregate facilities. 80% are women, 47% are immigrants, and 75%+ are people of color. Their median income is $14-$18 per hour. 47% receive public assistance benefits due to low wages – others can't access benefits due to their immigration status.

California Is Facing A Direct Care Workforce Crisis. The increase in CA's aging population and the number of older and disabled adults living alone is driving demand for caregiving professionals. Occupations In CA With Most Job Openings, 2018-2028: Direct Care Workforce - 1,247,900, Cashiers - 846,000, Laborers/Movers - 690,000, Waiters/Waitresses - 656,700, Fast-Food Workers - 643,900.

Demand VS Supply. By 2030, 1 Million+ Californian's will have self-care limitations. Fewer family caregivers are available. Older and disabled adults increasingly prefer to age in place. Direct care work is physically and emotionally demanding. Low wages that can't support the cost of living. Limited resources, training, and support make it difficult to attract and retain workers.

LTSS Can Be Expensive. Costs vary widely depending on the type and amount. Adult Day Care - $20,020 5 days/week. Home Health Aide - $80,005 30 hours/week. Assisted Living - $68,842. Nursing Home - $159,538. Even if they sold their homes, HALF of CA's middle-income older adults would not have sufficient resources to pay for private assisted living.

Most LTSS Costs Are Paid by Medicaid. Federal COVID-19 Pandemic Assistance - $29.9 or 6%, Other Private, $23.9 or 6%, Private Insurance, $27.6 or 8%, Out of Pocket, $64.0 or 14%, Medicare, $68.6 or 18%, Medicaid, $200.1 or 42%, Other Public Sources $26.9 or 6%. $400 Billion LTSS Total Spending (US 2020).

A common consumer misconception is that Medicare pays for LTSS. However, Medicare only covers limited LTSS. California's Medicaid is known as Medi-Cal. Medi-Cal is only available to Californians at or below 138% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL). 138% FPL is equal to just $20,120 per year in annual income for a single individual.

Older & Disabled Adult Poverty Outpaces State Average. CA Average Poverty Rate, Fall 2021: 11.7%. CA poverty rate by age and ability status: Disabled (18-64) - 26.4%, Adults (65+) - 16.3%, Non-Disabled (19-64) - 11.6%, Children - 9.0%. CA has the HIGHEST % of older adults living at or below the poverty level.

Older And Disabled Adults Are Center Stage In California's Housing Affordability And Homelessness Crisis. Nearly half of California's unhoused adults are 50+ years old. 35% of rented households with residents 65+ spend more than half of their income in rent. In 2020, 42% of people experiencing homelessness reported a disabling condition. 32% of Californians experience chronic homelessness exacerbated by a disability.

California's "Missing Middle" Describes individuals between 139 – 650% FPL. Unlikely to qualify for Medi-Cal: 401% - 650% FPL (Up to $94,770* – Without selling their homes, 89% will have insufficient resources for private-pay assisted living.), At-Risk of Spending Down to Medi-Cal Eligibility: 139% - 400% FPL (Up to $58,320* – By 2033, 1 million individuals will be at-risk of spending down.), Medi-Cal Eligible <138% FPL (Up to $20,120*). *Annual income for single individual.

A Fragmented System Of Care. CA's LTSS service delivery system is siloed across multiple government agencies with a fragmented patchwork of programs across the state. Access to care is inequitable and difficult to navigate, resulting in: Poorer health outcomes, Increased likelihood of unnecessary institutionalization, Higher state expenditures. 2/5 community-living older adults experienced adverse consequences due to unmet LTSS needs.

California Is Innovating! California's CalAIM initiative seeks to address delivery system fragmentation and improve health outcomes for over 2 MILLION older and disabled adults who receive Medi-Cal. CalAIM Goals: Implement a whole-person care approach and address social determinants of health, Improve quality outcomes, reduce health disparities, and drive delivery system transformation, Create a consistent, efficient, and seamless Medi-Cal system. Visit online to learn more (https://www.chcf.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/EasingTransitionsCalAIMsChangesOlderAdultsPeopleDisabilities.pdf)!

Building A California For All Ages And Abilities. The Master Plan for Aging (MPA) serves as a "blueprint" to prepare California for the coming demographic changes. The MPA is comprised of: 5 Bold Goals, 23 Strategies, and 200+ Initiatives aimed at building a CA for all ages and abilities by 2030. Visit online to learn more (https://mpa.aging.ca.gov)!

Tracking California's MPA Progress. Implementation Tracker – Monitor implementation activities by searching for progress updates on each MPA initiative. Data Dashboard – MPA initiatives are continually informed by the publicly accessible, user-friendly, and routinely updated Data Dashboard for Aging. Local Playbook – Resources for local age & disability-friendly planning. Visit online and learn more (https://mpa.aging.ca.gov)!

Download Fast Facts Digital File (PDF)

This publication is supported by a grant from The SCAN Foundation - advancing a coordinated and easily navigated system of high-quality services for older adults that preserve dignity and independence. For more information, visit www.TheSCANFoundation.org.