New U.S. Census Bureau data is shining a light on the growing financial challenges facing older Americans.
According to the AARP Foundation, more than 10 million adults age 65 and older fell below the Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM) threshold in 2025. The poverty rate for older adults reached 15.4%, up from 9.4% in 2020—the largest increase among any age group measured during that period.
The Supplemental Poverty Measure provides a broader picture of economic well-being by considering factors beyond income, including housing and medical expenses, taxes, and certain government benefits.
AARP Foundation President Claire Casey shared:
“Each year since 2020, more and more older adults have fallen into abject poverty. Today’s release confirms what we see every day in our work—that rising prices, an eroding social safety net, and diminishing access to quality jobs are creating extreme precarity for older adults in our communities.”
Additional research from the AARP Foundation illustrates the difficult financial decisions older adults with low incomes face, seniors have little or no emergency savings, and struggle to afford basic necessities, including food.
When someone is struggling to afford housing, food, utilities, medical care, and other necessities, purchasing a coat may simply be beyond their budget.
That’s where communities can make a difference.
One Warm Coat works with 2,000 nonprofit organizations across the country, including organizations that provide essential services to older adults. Through our Coat Drive Program, volunteers collect clean, gently worn, and new coats that are distributed free of charge to children and adults in need through members of our Nonprofit Network.
A warm coat is a basic necessity, and no older adult should have to choose between staying warm and paying for another essential expense.
You can help. Organize a One Warm Coat drive in your community and help provide warmth to older adults and other neighbors in need this winter.