An estimated 7.2 million Americans aged 65 and older are living with Alzheimer’s dementia in 2025, according to the Alzheimer’s Association. That figure doesn’t include the hundreds of thousands of people under 65 with early-onset forms of the disease. By 2050, the total is projected to reach nearly 13 million.
How Prevalence Changes With Age
Alzheimer’s is overwhelmingly a disease of older age, and the risk climbs steeply with each decade. CDC data from 2022 breaks down diagnosed dementia rates among adults 65 and older living in the community:
- Ages 65 to 74: 1.7%
- Ages 75 to 84: 5.7%
- Ages 85 and older: 13.1%
These numbers only capture people who have received a formal diagnosis, which means the true prevalence at every age is higher. The jump from the 75-84 group to the 85-plus group is especially striking: roughly 1 in 8 people over 85 has been diagnosed.
Early-Onset Alzheimer’s
Alzheimer’s can develop well before age 65, though it’s far less common. About 110 out of every 100,000 adults between ages 30 and 64 have young-onset Alzheimer’s. These cases are often harder to recognize because neither patients nor their doctors expect cognitive decline at that age, and symptoms can initially be mistaken for stress, depression, or other conditions.
Women Are Disproportionately Affected
Nearly two-thirds of Americans with Alzheimer’s are women, making the disease almost twice as common in women as in men. Part of this gap is explained by the fact that women live longer on average, giving the disease more time to develop. But longevity alone doesn’t account for the full difference. Researchers are still investigating hormonal, genetic, and social factors that may make women’s brains more vulnerable to the disease.
Racial Disparities in Alzheimer’s Risk
Black Americans are roughly 1.5 to 2 times as likely as white Americans to develop Alzheimer’s and related dementias. The reasons are complex and layered. Higher rates of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and limited access to healthcare all contribute. Chronic stress tied to systemic racism may also play a role in long-term brain health.
Despite this higher overall risk, research from the National Institute on Aging has found that Black participants in clinical studies are actually less likely to have received a diagnosis at the time they enroll. This points to a diagnostic gap where the communities most affected by the disease are the least likely to be identified early.
Millions Go Undiagnosed
The 7.2 million figure likely understates the true scope of the problem. Research from USC found that only about 8% of expected cases of mild cognitive impairment, the stage that often precedes Alzheimer’s, had actually been diagnosed. Scaled to the general population aged 65 and older, that translates to roughly 7.4 million undiagnosed cases of mild cognitive impairment across the country.
This matters because early detection opens the door to planning, treatment options, and clinical trials. By the time many people receive a diagnosis, the disease has already progressed significantly. Routine cognitive screening during annual checkups remains inconsistent, and many primary care providers lack the time or tools to catch subtle early signs.
Where Alzheimer’s Takes the Greatest Toll
Alzheimer’s death rates vary considerably by state. Mississippi has the highest age-adjusted mortality rate at 46.9 deaths per 100,000 people, followed by South Dakota (42.0), Louisiana (38.0), Idaho (37.6), and Utah (37.6). Alabama, Georgia, Arkansas, and Washington round out the top tier. These differences reflect a mix of factors: the age of the population, access to specialized care, how often the disease appears on death certificates, and the prevalence of risk factors like heart disease and diabetes.
The Financial Weight of the Disease
The total cost of dementia in the United States reached $781 billion in 2025, a figure that captures not just medical bills but also the economic value of unpaid caregiving. Of the $232 billion in direct medical and long-term care costs, Medicare covers about $106 billion, Medicaid picks up $58 billion, and individuals and families pay $52 billion out of pocket. The remaining $16 billion falls on private insurance and other payers.
Those out-of-pocket costs hit families hard. Long-term care, whether at home or in a facility, is expensive and rarely covered in full by insurance. Many families deplete savings or reduce their own work hours to fill the gaps, creating financial strain that can last for years.
Alzheimer’s as a Cause of Death
Alzheimer’s is the 7th leading cause of death among all U.S. adults and the 6th leading cause among adults 65 and older. Unlike heart disease or cancer, there is currently no treatment that stops or reverses its progression. The disease gradually destroys the brain’s ability to manage basic body functions, with most people living 4 to 8 years after diagnosis, though some survive for 20 years or more. The trajectory varies widely from person to person.