More Americans in their 40s are finding themselves responsible for two generations at once — raising or financially supporting their children while their parents grow older — a demographic squeeze that could become particularly consequential in New York as the state rapidly ages.
New research from the Pew Research Center found 54% of Americans ages 40 to 49 now belong to the so-called “sandwich generation.” Pew defines the group as adults who have a living parent age 65 or older and either a child younger than 18, an adult child they financially supported during the previous year, or both.
The national findings don’t provide a New York-specific breakdown, but state demographic trends suggest the underlying pressures are likely to become increasingly important here. New York has one of the country’s largest older populations, and state projections anticipate more than a quarter of residents will be 60 or older by 2030.
That aging population is colliding with another trend identified by Pew: Children aren’t necessarily becoming financially independent by the time their parents begin caring for aging relatives.
Overall, 25% of American adults now qualify as members of the sandwich generation, up modestly from 23% when Pew last measured it in 2021.
The concentration is much higher during middle age. After the 54% of adults in their 40s, those in their 50s are next at 45%. The figure falls to 25% among people in their 30s, 10% among those 60 and older and 8% among adults younger than 30.
The biggest recent change has occurred among people in their 50s. In 2021, 36% were considered sandwiched. That has risen to 45%, in part because more people in their 50s now have a living parent who is at least 65.
New York’s aging population raises the stakes
New York’s demographics make that shift particularly important for families, employers and the state’s long-term care system.
The New York State Office for the Aging projects that by 2030, every county in the state will have a population in which at least 20% of residents are 60 or older. In 36 of New York’s 62 counties, people 60 and older are projected to account for at least 30% of the population.
The state’s total population is expected to remain around 20 million through 2030 even as the number and share of older residents increase.
That means the caregiving question isn’t simply how New York will provide services to more older adults. It’s also who will provide the care — and what other responsibilities those people will already be carrying.
Family members already perform an enormous amount of that work.
AARP estimated this year that nearly 4 million family caregivers in New York provide about 2.6 billion hours of care annually. The organization valued that unpaid work at roughly $58 billion per year.
Caregiving can include transportation, shopping, household work and coordinating medical care as well as hands-on assistance with everyday activities.
The State Office for the Aging has also warned employers that New York’s aging demographics can create workforce pressures as employees try to balance jobs with responsibilities at home. Those pressures can show up as missed work, disruptions during the workday or employees leaving jobs to care for relatives.
The squeeze isn’t always just two generations
Pew’s findings show the traditional image of a middle-aged parent caring for young children and an elderly parent doesn’t capture every family.
Among sandwiched adults in their 40s, 58% have a child younger than 18 but haven’t financially supported an adult child. Another 19% have financially supported an adult child but don’t have a minor child.
Nearly one-quarter — 23% — are dealing with all three circumstances simultaneously: They have an aging parent, a child younger than 18 and an adult child they’ve helped financially.
The balance changes as people age.
Among sandwiched adults in their 50s, 61% are supporting an adult child rather than raising a minor child. For sandwiched adults 60 and older, that figure reaches 89%.
Pew’s findings point to a family structure in which financial responsibility for children can extend further into adulthood at the same time longer life expectancy means parents may require assistance later in life.
For New York, that overlap comes as policymakers are already confronting the cost of long-term care, home-based services and programs designed to allow older adults to remain in their communities.
The state’s fiscal 2027 budget continued funding for aging services and expanded some community-based programs, including the Naturally Occurring Retirement Community model. But New York’s demographic trajectory suggests public programs will continue to depend heavily on families providing care outside the formal health care system.
And increasingly, those caregivers may be trying to do that while raising children, helping adult children financially and remaining in the workforce themselves.
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