Economic Value of Family Caregiving in Washington Reaches $25 Billion Annually

Seattle, WA - Family caregivers in Washington state provide an estimated $25 billion worth of unpaid care each year, according to a new AARP report that underscores the essential role families play in supporting older adults and sustaining the state’s long‑term care system.

The report finds that approximately 1.25 million Washingtonians provide care to adults - often aging parents, spouses, neighbors, and other loved ones - contributing 930 million hours of care annually.

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Why This Matters: Without family caregivers, many more Washington residents would be forced to rely on paid in-home care or costly institutional care, significantly increasing expenses for families, taxpayers, and public programs. Family caregiving makes it possible for millions of older adults to remain independent and live safely at home.

“Family caregivers are a major economic force and the backbone of our long‑term care system,” said Marguerite Ro, AARP Washington State Director. “The value of the care they provide now exceeds $25 billion each year. Yet too often, that care comes at a steep personal cost to caregivers’ health, finances, and well‑being. AARP is working to elevate this issue and advocate for policies that save family caregivers time and money.”

Washington State Findings

Key findings from Valuing the Invaluable 2026 include:

• Approximately 1.25 million Washingtonians are caregivers of adults, providing care to older parents, spouses, neighbors, and other loved ones.
• These caregivers contribute 930 million hours of care annually, valued at $25 billion per year if paid in the marketplace (The estimated hourly value of caregiving in Washington state is $27.05 per hour. Values range state-by-state, reflecting regional wages and the cost of care.)

National Findings

• 59 million Americans are caregivers of adults, providing care for older parents, spouses, neighbors, and other loved ones, contributing 49.5 billion hours of care annually, work that would be valued at $1.01 trillion per year if paid in the marketplace, based on a value of $20.41 per hour.
• The 49.5 billion hours of care provided each year is the equivalent of nearly 24 million full-time workers, roughly 17% of the entire U.S. full-time workforce.
• The value of family caregiving exceeds the combined total of federal, state, and local Medicaid spending nationwide, and almost doubles all out-of-pocket health care spending.