According to a recent Pew Research Center survey of 8,750 U.S. adults, Americans say they would ideally live to an average age of 91, and 29% would like to reach age 100, even though U.S. life expectancy at birth remains around 78 years. At the same time, surveys reveal a strong preference for healthy years over simply more years. But what is behind the seemingly new desire for extreme longevity? Here’s what researchers have uncovered.
Strong Family Ties Often Top the List of Reasons People Want Extra Decades
Pew found that Americans who hoped to live to 100 often tied that goal to spending more time with family and continuing to experience life’s milestones, reflecting a broader desire for meaningful years rather than simply more years.
Watching younger family members grow up, attend milestones, and build their own lives creates a powerful emotional pull that makes additional decades feel worthwhile. In practical terms, a 62-year-old grandparent who dreams of seeing a grandchild graduate college or start a family may view those extra 20 or 30 years as deeply meaningful rather than abstract.
Curiosity About the Future Drives Optimism for Many Who Want to Live to 100
A significant number of people express genuine excitement about witnessing technological, medical, and societal changes that could unfold over the coming decades. They imagine seeing advancements in clean energy, space exploration, or treatments for currently incurable diseases, and they don’t want to miss those developments. For many people, the possibility of witnessing future medical breakthroughs, scientific discoveries, or technological innovations makes the idea of a longer life especially appealing.
Advances in medicine have dramatically changed what aging can look like. Someone who reaches age 65 today can expect to live significantly longer than life expectancy at birth would suggest because they’ve already survived many of the risks associated with younger adulthood.
Unfinished Goals and Personal Experiences Push People Toward Longer Lives
Many individuals who want to live to 100 still feel they have meaningful work, creative projects, travel dreams, or personal growth ahead of them. Retirement no longer signals the end of contribution for a growing segment of the population; instead, it opens space for second acts, new businesses, or long-delayed passions. A former teacher who always wanted to write a book or a professional who dreams of mentoring in a different field may see additional decades as necessary runway for those ambitions. This drive reflects a broader cultural shift where people expect more active, purposeful years after traditional retirement age. When someone feels their story still has important chapters left to write, the appeal of living to 100 becomes deeply personal and motivating.
Improving Health and Medical Progress Make Extreme Longevity Feel More Realistic
A 2024 survey by Medtronic and Morning Consult found that nearly two-thirds of Americans (66%) would rather live a shorter life in good health than a longer one marked by illness, reinforcing that quality of life matters more than longevity alone for many people.
Recent advances in preventive care, chronic disease management, and emerging therapies have made the idea of reaching 100 seem more achievable than it did even a generation ago. People increasingly believe that staying active, eating well, and accessing good healthcare can extend not just lifespan but the number of healthy, independent years.
Ken Stern, chair of the Longevity Project, said, “The goal is not just for people to live longer lives, but to live those years in good health.”
Financial Security Concerns Shape Both the Appeal and the Anxiety Around Longer Lives
Unfortunately, surveys also consistently show that many Americans worry more about outliving their savings than about dying itself, illustrating how financial preparedness shapes attitudes toward living longer.
Longer retirement periods mean higher lifetime healthcare costs, potential long-term care needs, and the risk of outliving assets, a challenge often called longevity risk in financial planning. At the same time, some people view extra decades as an opportunity to continue earning, investing, or enjoying the fruits of earlier financial discipline.
Those who feel confident in their retirement preparations tend to express more enthusiasm about living longer, while others see the same prospect as a source of stress. So, how much money would you need to be able to comfortably retire AND live until 100?
Well, it depends on how much you plan to spend each year and when you plan to leave the workforce. If you retire at 67 (the full retirement age) and plan to spend $60,000 per year, you’d need $1,980,000 if you were to live to be 100 years old. But that number will shift, depending on how much you plan to spend and when you leave your job.
The Desire to Live Longer Ultimately Reflects Hopes for More Meaningful Time
The desire to reach 100 is about far more than adding birthdays. Survey after survey shows that Americans want additional years only if those years include good health, financial security, strong relationships, and the ability to remain active and independent. That makes longevity less of a medical goal than a planning goal, one supported by healthy habits, meaningful connections, and thoughtful financial preparation. Whether someone ultimately reaches 100 or not, the choices made today can increase the odds that the years ahead are lived with purpose rather than simply counted.
Have you thought about whether you would want to live to 100, and what factors would make that appealing or concerning for you? What steps are you taking now to prepare for a potentially longer life, whether through health, relationships, or finances? Share your perspective in the comments.
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