AARP 65th ANNIVERSARY BONUS ISSUE EXCERPT
Our Lives, Now and Then
How much (or how little) has the life of a 65-year-old changed between 1958 and today? Here are some surprising answers
THERE ARE A WHOLE LOT MORE OF US …
In 1958, 9 percent of Americans were 65 and older; together, we totaled about 15 million.
In 2023, 17 percent of Americans are 65 and older, totaling almost 55 million.
… AND WE’VE COME A LONG WAY, BABY.
Well-known people who turned 65 in 1958 included Mae West, Jimmy Durante, General Omar Bradley and Mao Zedong.
Celebs turning 65 this year include Madonna, Jamie Lee Curtis, Ellen DeGeneres, Andie MacDowell, Kevin Bacon and Ice-T.
WE BRING IN MORE CASH.
Median income for 65-plus households 1958: $2,666 (adjusted for inflation, that’s $28,200 today) 2023: $47,620
WE’RE FLYING HIGH …
According to a 1959 report on airline traffic, 49 million passengers took to the skies the prior year.
In 2022, airlines flew 853 million American passengers, even with pandemicrelated drops in business travel and tourism.
… AND WE STILL DRIVE. A LOT!
1958: The average American motorist drove 9,500 miles, getting 14.2 miles per gallon. Average gas price: 31 cents per gallon ($3.27 today, adjusted for inflation)
2023: The average American drives about 11,000 miles a year, getting 25.3 mpg. Average gas price: $3.82 per gallon
BARBIE WAS ABOUT TO MAKE HER DEBUT …
In 1958, Mattel was producing the first prototypes for a doll named Barbara Millicent Roberts (“Barbie”), which was to go on sale March 9, 1959.
… AND NOW, NEARING MEDICARE AGE, SHE’S FINALLY A HOLLYWOOD STAR.
In 2023, the Barbie movie surpassed $1 billion in global ticket sales in just weeks.
WE’VE CREATED A SPACE JAM …
Number of satellites orbiting the Earth
… AND WE’RE STILL INTRIGUED BY ALIENS.
1958: The U.S. seals off Area 51, near Las Vegas, sparking endless conspiracies about aliens and UFOs.
2023: 56 percent of Americans 65 and over believe intelligent life exists in outer space.
OUR LARGEST COMPANIES HAVE CHANGED.
1958: General Motors, Jersey Standard (now Exxon Mobil), Ford Motor Company, U.S. Steel
2023: Walmart, Amazon, Exxon Mobil, Apple
WE SPENT A LOT LESS OF OUR INCOME ON PRESCRIPTION DRUGS IN 1958.
The annual Rx expenditure per person per year in 1958 averaged $9.93—that’s the total, not the copay. Today that figure is $1,567.
WE PAY MORE FOR OUR HOMES.
The median price of a home in
June 1958: $19,214
($202,850 now, adjusted for inflation)
June 2023: $410,000
WE COPE …
1958: People at age 65 had survived the Great Depression, two world wars and a flu pandemic.
2023: We’ve seen the Kennedy assassinations, the Vietnam War, race riots, 9/11 and COVID.
... BUT WE’RE OK.
Today, the older we get, the more likely we believe we’re living our best possible life.
