With Older Adults Active Longer, Is The 25-54 Demo Too Narrow?

The adult 25-54 demographic has served advertisers well for decades, but with key changes in how adults live their lives – when they marry, purchase a home, have children or reach other milestones – would brands be better served by a 25-64 demo? A new report by Audacy makes the case for making the change.

“Adulthood has changed and the economic timeline has stretched, and if we’re honest about where growth lives today, the traditional frame is too narrow,” Audacy Senior Director of Research and Insights Reggie Shah says. “For years, 25-54 has been the industry’s comfort zone. For a long stretch it aligned with where careers, families and spending power intersected. [But] younger adults are reaching major milestones later, [and] older adults are staying economically active longer. Adulthood has stretched, and so has spending power.”

Comparing current activity of adults in two stages of their lives to 30 years ago, it’s clear that the rapidly-rising cost of living has made it so younger adults take longer to raise families and make life-changing decisions and purchases. According to the National Association of Realtors, over the past 10 years the median age of home buyers in the U.S. has moved from 37 in 2016 to 59 in 2025.

“The early adult years look very different than they once did,” Shah says. “Longer lifespans and financial responsibility mean that earning years extend further than they did a generation ago.” As a result, older adults are working longer, with the average retirement age now at 66.

The adults 55-64 segment adds significant value to the older demo, according to research cited in Audacy’s report. They account for 17.8% of U.S. households while driving close to 20% of both income and spending, with a median net worth of $364,500, well beyond that of younger segments. Over the past three decades, annual spending among 55-64s has more than doubled. 

“This is not a declining segment. It is a financially dominant one,” Shah says. “And culturally, this group is not who many marketers assume they are. 70% of adults 55-64 are Gen X, not Boomers. They came of age alongside hip-hop and the internet. They were early adopters of digital platforms and have evolved with technology, not around it.”

Backing up Shah’s statement are findings from an AARP survey conducted in 2025 showing that older consumers match or surpass those younger when it comes to owning high-tech devices. Specific to 55-64s, monthly YouTube viewing is up 25%, smart TV viewing 61% and daily podcast listening 173%.

“These aren’t marginal differences; they reflect deeply connected households that are actively using streaming platforms, voice-enabled devices, and integrated home systems as part of their everyday lives,” Shah says.

Even marketers’ long-held belief that older adults are less likely to try new brands is challenged by a 2025 MRI Simmons study showing that just 28% of adults 55-64 agree completely that “when I find a brand, I stick with it,” vs. 38% in 2018.

How would a change from 25-54 to 25-64 impact radio? According to Nielsen, the national radio audience moves from 107 million to 140 million adults, for a 31% lift in reach. “You’re adding 33 million adults to your addressable radio audience simply by aligning your target with how adulthood actually looks today,” Shah says. What’s more, he adds, “Higher-income households remain just as concentrated, and homeownership actually increases in the broader group. Real-world behavior shows spending patterns across categories like auto, travel, home improvement, dining, and tech don’t drop off. The economic profile stays strong.”

How does 25-64 help brands? Nielsen also shows that adding 10 years to the demo results in increases in awareness, consideration and conversion among exposed radio listeners. “Conversion is where business impact becomes tangible,” Audacy Senior VP of Research and Insights Ray Borelli says. “A 4% lift at scale translates into measurable revenue, not just awareness.”

Noting brands such as Delta, DoorDash and L’Oreal, all of which have seen growth in consumers 55-64, Shah notes that “these brands are aligning with where purchasing power and responsiveness intersect. Expanding to 25-64 is not about abandoning younger adults, it’s about reflecting how adulthood and spending power actually work today. The demographic reset is not theoretical. It’s already visible in who is buying homes, booking travel, ordering delivery, purchasing premium seats, and responding to advertising.”