Age Friendly States as a Linchpin of Age Friendly Ecosystems

States across the U.S. are advancing the age-friendly movement by joining networks that promote age-friendly communities. While much of the existing scholarship has focused on local initiatives, far less attention has been paid to the role of states in sustaining and scaling age-friendly change. Age-Friendly States build on local momentum to drive systems-level changes that create healthier, more inclusive environments for older adults. This forum examines the role of states in shaping sustainable aging policy and practice. An environmental scan of age-friendly state plans and multisector plans on aging was conducted to document and examine how states design and implement approaches to healthy aging and to identify promising strategies for systems change across public sectors. Nineteen states met the inclusion criteria: 12 had AARP Age-Friendly State designations, eight had Multisector Plans for Aging (MPAs) in development or implementation, and four had MPAs supported by legislation or executive orders. Findings from this analysis were synthesized to surface transferable models, enabling conditions, and actionable lessons that can inform future state and local efforts to embed age-friendly principles across systems to support long-term, equitable change. The authors argue that states involvement is a crucial lynchpin in advancing age-friendly ecosystems.