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Seattle ranks high among the nation’s communities in AARP’s latest Livability Index platform — a distinction that comes after years of work by the community to support aging residents.
The city is No. 3 among very large communities (population 500,000+) in the December 2025 report.
Other western communities ranking in the Top 10 for their population size were No. 1 San Francisco and No. 9 Portland, Oregon, among very large cities, and No. 4 Salt Lake City among large cities (population 100,000 to 499,999). The index assesses housing, transportation, health, engagement and other factors. It shows how well communities support people as they age — and where gaps remain.
While Seattle’s strong ranking reflects years of age-friendly planning, AARP Washington State Director Marguerite Ro says, “The reality is that there’s a lot of work left to be done.”
Among the top concerns, she says, is affordability. Indeed, housing costs are a central concern for the city government’s decade-old Age Friendly Seattle initiative, says Dinah Stephens, who manages the program.
“We’re seeing older adults needing to leave homes that they’ve lived in for a long time because they can no longer afford to live there,” she says.
Zoning changes that allow more housing types across neighborhoods and incentivize accessible design could have generational impact, Stephens adds.
She says the initiative’s most impactful work to date includes digital community building, a discount directory and efforts with partners to help people with disabilities navigate transportation options. The city has also provided anti-ageism training to more than 2,000 people.
Learn about AARP’s index at aarp.org/livabilityindex and the city’s program at seattle.gov/agefriendly.
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