Iowa’s life expectancy sees increase according to Univ. of Iowa study

IOWA CITY, Iowa (KCRG) - Iowa’s life expectancy is now in the 80s according to a University of Iowa study. It’s one part of a “megatrend” regarding age in the state.

The report also finds Iowa now has the highest percentage of residents over 80. By 2030 those 65 and older could outnumber people 18 and younger.

“This is the first generation in history where we’ll just see a lot of folks reach the age of 100,” Brian Kaskie, UI professor of health policy and researcher on the project said.

These changes are thanks to resources Iowa has to offer that have made it a good place to grow older.

“As people have been getting access to good health care, they’ve had good jobs, they’ve been able to live longer lives,” Kaskie said.

He says scattered across Iowa are age friendly areas that are especially accommodating for older Iowans. These areas have an abundance of resources like accessible healthcare facilities.

However, the study also found Iowa’s younger population is shrinking. The state could be approaching a point where one in five Iowans are above 65 years old.

That could lead to problems down the line, as more Iowans retire, there’s fewer people to fill their jobs.

”Employers now are being challenged to find replacements for people who are retiring and leaving the workforce,” Kaskie said. “We just don’t have as many younger people around as we used to.”

This could result in older Iowan’s postponing their retirement to combat the worker shortage. Others may need to keep working out of necessity, as a longer life expectancy can also mean people needing to save more for a longer retirement.

Not all could be able to work. Those 65 and older are more vulnerable to age-related conditions which could bar them from being able to work.