Westchester is Aging
As in most places, the population in Westchester County is aging. Residents 85 or older are by far the fastest growing group with an increase of 58% since 2000, followed by people 60 to 84 (increase of 34%). In fact, no other age groups in Westchester are growing significantly and younger populations are in decline.
Reaching retirement age can bring significant change to the day-to-day experiences of older adults. The end of working requires many older adults to subsist on social security and retirement benefits. While these programs were once sufficient, for many retirees they no longer provide enough to cover essential needs, forcing seniors to choose between such necessities as food, medicine, and utilities. In 2022, the poverty threshold for an individual 65 or older was an annual income of $14,036. Although Westchester is overall an affluent county, 8% of seniors (residents ages 65 and older) in the county had incomes below the poverty line in 2016-20. Although this is not far off the national rate (9%), it is above the rate in some peer counties like Nassau (5%). Supplemental Security Income is a resource available to older people with limited income (along with people with disabilities). In Westchester, the rate of SSI participation was 17 per 1,000 residents, above comparison counties but lower than the state and nation.
Who is most vulnerable?
The rate of poverty is also much higher for some racial and ethnic groups - the poverty rate for African American seniors in Westchester is twice as high as the county rate at 17% (2018-22). This is the result of historical and structural barriers, such as wage and education gaps, that continue to disadvantage African Americans.
A significant share of Westchester’s seniors live alone (2018-22), 39%, and the proportion is even higher in some municipal areas, noted below. When seniors live alone, they may face greater challenges in accessing suitable transportation to access food and health resources. Living alone may also lead to a sense of isolation and related mental health challenges, as well as an increased risk of elder abuse, be it financial, physical, or mental.
What can be done to lift up seniors?
With the senior population expected to continue to grow, the need to support seniors with low incomes and those living alone will grow in importance.
In Spring 2023, the New York State Office for the Aging (NYSOFA) conducted the first ever statewide Community Assessment Survey for Older Adults. Information from the survey will be used to guide local government agencies and community-based services on the programs and services seniors need to live healthy, fulfilling lives.
Transportation, food security, home-based services, respite, and caregiver support programs, as well as case management and legal services for older adults will need to be increased and promoted to ensure equitable aging for everyone. The Field Hall Foundation is one organization dedicated to improving the lives of older adults in Westchester though grantmakig that directly impacts vulnerable senior and/or their caregivers.
Learn more about The Trust's recent grantees and other local organizations supporting seniors in Westchester:
Cancer Support Team offers in-home services, including nursing support, case management and social work, for cancer patients and their families living in Westchester.
Family Service Society of Yonkers provides a Kinship Program for seniors raising grandchildren.
Furniture Sharehouse collects gently used, unwanted furniture and distributes it free of charge to economically disadvantaged families and individuals across Westchester County.
Long Term Care Community Coalition is dedicated to improving quality of care, quality of life, and dignity for elderly and disabled people in nursing homes, assisted living, and other residential settings.
Meals on Main St. combats food insecurity in Westchester though food recovery, meal preparation, meal delivery, and mobile food pantry services.
Pace Women's Justice Center provides civil legal services to protect seniors from all forms of elder abuse.
Wartburg provides affordable and comprehensive senior living care and assistance throughout Westchester County.
Updated July 2025
