May 20, 2026
National Census Confirms Villages Are Redefining How America Ages in Place
The Village to Village Network in partnership with Rutgers University Hub for Aging Collaboration released preliminary findings from the 2025 National Census of Villages, offering the most comprehensive national look at the Village Movement since 2016. After 25 years, Villages are more vital than ever.
The Census surveyed 245 Villages across 37 states, achieving an 88% response rate — a rare depth of data on the grassroots organizations helping older adults remain in their homes and communities. At the May 13th webinar premiere of the findings, approximately 300 Village leaders, partner organizations, and aging-space advocates joined the conversation, reflecting the Movement’s extraordinary momentum.
Emily Greenfield, PhD, lead researcher for the Census, Professor of Social Work, and Director of the Rutgers University Hub for Aging Collaboration stated: “This project is a testament to the power of partnerships and data for advancing grassroots, local innovation toward broader systemic change on how we age well not only in, but because of, our communities.”
Villages are more than service providers. They are an infrastructure for belonging. More than 50,000 older adults across the country participate in Village communities, and after a pandemic-related slowdown, new Village formation is rebounding, a clear sign the Movement’s best years are ahead.
William Kincaid, MD, MPH and Board President of VtVN claimed, “The Village Movement has spent 25 years proving that community is the best medicine. This census confirms that Villages are stepping up where conventional government and private organizations often can’t. VtVN’s role is to make sure these remarkable local communities have the national network, resources, and recognition they need to keep thriving.”
Villages combat isolation with a compelling range of programs and services:
- Social events (68%) and educational programming (66%)
- Wellness activities (59%)
- Supportive Services like rides (86%), errands (84%), and tech assistance (87%)
One of the most striking findings: every Village delivering services relies on volunteers. Among the vast majority of Villages that offer one-on-one support to members;
- 60% provide this support exclusively through volunteers
- 27% of Villages report having no paid staff at all.
Villages also extend their reach through community partnerships, averaging six each, with organizations such as senior centers, Area Agencies on Aging, and healthcare organizations, among others.
Despite their reach, most Villages operate with limited financial resources. Nearly half of Villages (45%) run on annual budgets under $50,000, with membership fees averaging $337, and 86% offer reduced or sliding-scale rates to ensure no one is priced out. Villages are a blueprint for doing more with less.
A summary of the 2025 Census data is now available on the VtVN website. This is data Villages can use right now: to fundraise more effectively, advocate more powerfully, and make the case for why the Village Movement matters.
