Senior Statistics Hub
Family caregiving
Family Caregiving & the Sandwich Generation Statistics
How many Americans care for an aging parent, what that care is worth, and who carries the load. Current figures from AARP and Pew Research. Free to cite and embed.
Key statistics
54%
of adults in their 40s are “sandwiched” — a parent 65+ and a child to support
The value of caregiving, state by state
The value of family caregiving, state by state
Estimated economic value of unpaid family caregiving by state ($ billions), 2024
View chart data
| Category | Value |
|---|---|
| Alabama | $12.8B |
| Alaska | $2B |
| Arizona | $27B |
| Arkansas | $9.1B |
| California | $149B |
| Colorado | $16B |
| Connecticut | $10.7B |
| Delaware | $2.6B |
| District of Columbia | $1.64B |
| Florida | $81B |
| Georgia | $41B |
| Hawaii | $4.9B |
| Idaho | $6.6B |
| Illinois | $33B |
| Indiana | $16.1B |
| Iowa | $6.4B |
| Kansas | $10.9B |
| Kentucky | $15.5B |
| Louisiana | $12.9B |
| Maine | $5.5B |
| Maryland | $24B |
| Massachusetts | $22B |
| Michigan | $27B |
| Minnesota | $11.1B |
| Mississippi | $9.4B |
| Missouri | $17.5B |
| Montana | $2.8B |
| Nebraska | $4.5B |
| Nevada | $10.6B |
| New Hampshire | $4.4B |
| New Jersey | $28B |
| New Mexico | $6.2B |
| New York | $58B |
| North Carolina | $33B |
| North Dakota | $1.27B |
| Ohio | $32B |
| Oklahoma | $12.2B |
| Oregon | $15.4B |
| Pennsylvania | $40B |
| Rhode Island | $2.8B |
| South Carolina | $17.2B |
| South Dakota | $2.5B |
| Tennessee | $26B |
| Texas | $65B |
| Utah | $9.9B |
| Vermont | $2.1B |
| Virginia | $27B |
| Washington | $25B |
| West Virginia | $4.4B |
| Wisconsin | $11.1B |
| Wyoming | $1.06B |
| Category | Value |
|---|---|
| Alabama | $2,482 |
| Alaska | $2,702 |
| Arizona | $3,561 |
| Arkansas | $2,947 |
| California | $3,779 |
| Colorado | $2,686 |
| Connecticut | $2,912 |
| Delaware | $2,472 |
| District of Columbia | $2,335 |
| Florida | $3,466 |
| Georgia | $3,667 |
| Hawaii | $3,388 |
| Idaho | $3,297 |
| Illinois | $2,596 |
| Indiana | $2,325 |
| Iowa | $1,974 |
| Kansas | $3,669 |
| Kentucky | $3,378 |
| Louisiana | $2,806 |
| Maine | $3,915 |
| Maryland | $3,832 |
| Massachusetts | $3,083 |
| Michigan | $2,663 |
| Minnesota | $1,916 |
| Mississippi | $3,194 |
| Missouri | $2,802 |
| Montana | $2,462 |
| Nebraska | $2,244 |
| Nevada | $3,244 |
| New Hampshire | $3,123 |
| New Jersey | $2,947 |
| New Mexico | $2,910 |
| New York | $2,919 |
| North Carolina | $2,988 |
| North Dakota | $1,594 |
| Ohio | $2,693 |
| Oklahoma | $2,979 |
| Oregon | $3,605 |
| Pennsylvania | $3,058 |
| Rhode Island | $2,517 |
| South Carolina | $3,139 |
| South Dakota | $2,704 |
| Tennessee | $3,597 |
| Texas | $2,077 |
| Utah | $2,826 |
| Vermont | $3,238 |
| Virginia | $3,064 |
| Washington | $3,141 |
| West Virginia | $2,486 |
| Wisconsin | $1,862 |
| Wyoming | $1,804 |
About this data. Totals are AARP’s estimated value of unpaid family caregiving by state (2024). The per-capita view divides that value by each state’s total resident population (Census 2024) so a state’s size doesn’t dominate — Maine, Maryland, and California rank highest per resident.
Bigger than you’d think
Unpaid family caregiving is bigger than you’d think
How the $1.01T value of family caregiving compares ($ billions/year)
View chart data
| Category | Value |
|---|---|
| Family caregiving | $1010B |
| All private-business health spending | $967B |
| All Medicaid spending | $932B |
| All U.S. out-of-pocket health | $505B |
About this data. AARP (2026) family-caregiving value vs. CMS National Health Expenditure benchmarks. An orders-of-magnitude comparison, not a like-for-like accounting category.
More than doubled in 15 years
The value of unpaid family caregiving has more than doubled
Estimated economic value of unpaid family caregiving ($ billions/year)
View chart data
| Category | Value |
|---|---|
| 2009 | $450B |
| 2013 | $470B |
| 2017 | $470B |
| 2021 | $600B |
| 2024 | $1010B |
About this data. AARP “Valuing the Invaluable” series. Estimated economic value of unpaid family caregiving; the caregiver definition and wage method changed between editions, so read it as a long-run trend. Caregiver definition and wage method changed between editions — label the trend accordingly rather than treating each point as a like-for-like measure.
The toll falls harder on women
Caring for an aging parent weighs more on women
% who say it has hurt their emotional well-being
View chart data
| Category | Value |
|---|---|
| Women | 47% |
| Men | 30% |
About this data. Pew Research, Family Caregiving in an Aging America (2026). Among those caring for an aging parent, the share saying it has hurt their emotional well-being, by gender.
Sources
- AARP — Valuing the Invaluable (2026 update)
- AARP — Economic Value of Family Caregiving (2026)
- Pew Research — Family Caregiving in an Aging America (2026)
Stay informed
Caregiving is heavy — let KinKeeper carry the daily check-in
Paid Wellness Checks and Reminders call or text on schedule. If a check-in is missed, KinKeeper follows saved attempts, then alerts the Kin Circle. Social Calls are connection-only.
Waitlist updates · No payment required · Unsubscribe anytime