Retirement In 1960 Looked Completely Different. Here's What Changed

If you were born in 1960, it's safe to assume that even if you haven't already left the workforce, the topic of retirement is very much on your mind. Even as you weigh the topic, you might not fully realize just how much life and expectations have changed for retirees in the decades since your birth. Consider that in 1960, estimates placed the global population at around three billion. As of 2025, the worldwide population is approximately 8.2 billion people. Not only are there far more people on the planet than in the mid-20th century, but nearly a billion are of retirement age. 

In America today, retirees are navigating a socioeconomic environment that's much different than what their own grandparents would have experienced. In many ways, both positive and negative, retiring in 1960 would look far different from what it does today. While some look back on the era with nostalgia, others might find that current social norms and technological advances make it worthwhile to live life as a modern retiree. If you're curious about the difference between then and now, here's what retirement looked like in 1960, and what's changed in the years since.

Thanks to a nostalgic outlook, many Americans today assume that hard-working citizens in decades past were protected by companies with pensions that took care of them and their spouses. However, there's evidence that this wasn't the case for most. In fact, it's thought that in 1960, less than half of all workers had access to any sort of pension. Moreover, availability largely depended on specific factors, such as being part of a union or working in fields most likely to offer employees a pension. It's common to think of retired automotive factory workers, salespeople, or firefighters when considering pension recipients of the time. Many Americans did not have this additional passive income to rely on after ending their many years of work, instead leaning on personal savings. 

As of 2023, it's believed that around a third of Americans hold pensions. Even though a majority of people surveyed by USAToday felt that traditional pensions provide greater financial security in retirement, this option is far less common today than 401K or IRA plans. In the modern era, the onus is on the worker to make choices to build their post-retirement financial stability. Companies will match money paid in, but this is much different from knowing that once you stop working, your former employer will handle monthly payments with consistency. And thanks to ongoing shifts in the economy and expectations regarding long-term stability, we may likely never see an era where pensions become the norm.

Today, if you found yourself disabled and unable to work, you could receive monthly financial support in the form of Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) payments. This was not the case for most Americans through the 1950s. In fact, it wasn't until President Eisenhower signed an amended law in 1960 that SSDI payments could be made to Americans of any age and their dependents. Less than a year later, Americans would gain the early retirement option, letting them collect Social Security benefits as early as age 61. Before that, U.S. citizens couldn't collect benefits until they turned 65.

It's true that today, Americans have to wait slightly longer for reduced and full benefits, collecting them at age 62 and 67, respectively. However, thanks to a series of changes over the decades, Social Security payouts have increased to match the rising cost of living and even control how much retirees pay out in taxes based on Social Security benefits. Had things remained unchanged before much of 1960, likely, Social Security benefits would not be the vital source of retirement income that it has since become for so many older Americans.

It can be hard to comprehend just how much stronger the dollar was in 1960 until you learn that at the time, the average home cost $11,900.  The American economy was strong, with a growing middle class that had a lot of money to spend. For retirees of the time, that meant that the income that came by way of pension and Social Security checks, or money available through many years of saving, was much more valuable than today. One dollar in 1960 would be worth about $11 today. 

While it is true that the dollar was stronger for retirement-age Americans in that era, it's also true that today's retirees might actually have more cash to spend overall. As of 2025, Americans aged 65 and older hold a 401(k) worth about $300,000 on average. Most also receive a median Social Security income of about $2,000 per month. All things considered, there are actually more resources for passive, post-retirement income to help older Americans navigate life after leaving the workforce than what would have been found in 1960. It's ironic to think that while groceries would have been objectively more affordable at the time, there wouldn't have been quite as many ways to receive the money necessary to afford them compared to what's available now.

It's an unavoidable fact that in 1960, Americans of all ages smoked a lot more than they do today. In fact, by the mid '60s, it was thought that at least 42% of all Americans smoked regularly. This would have included a significant number of retirement-age Americans, who would have come of age at a time before there was any real criticism of smoking or research that demonstrated relevant health concerns. This is important because we now know that excessive smoking is tied to long-term health risks, such as developing cancer. We also know that even if older Americans didn't smoke, they still suffered the risk of health issues brought on by exposure to secondhand smoke. Though smoking was often seen as a leisurely activity meant to reduce stress, for older, retired Americans of the time, it was a pastime that could negatively affect their quality of life.

Thanks to increased education about smoking and its adverse effects, almost all spaces have banned indoor smoking, meaning that retirees can relax in a variety of spaces without worrying about exposure to cigarette smoke or related health issues. Likewise, because of the impact of various anti-smoking campaigns over the years, there are fewer retirement-age Americans who are currently smokers than there would have been in 1960.

If you have ever watched a movie or viewed images of people alive during the 1950s, you might have made the observation that everyone seemed to look and dress so much older than in the 2020s. That's because, for the time, attitudes around fashion and behavior favored maturity and modesty, with clothes that more clearly differed by gender. More importantly, heading into 1960, style trends were set by adult Americans and followed by the youth. While some people did dye their hair and take steps to look younger, popular culture had not yet shifted to a point of view that highly prioritized youth and looking as young as possible. For this reason, retired Americans of the time likely looked and dressed much older and were comfortable enough socially to do so.

This attitude shifted as the 1960s went on and Boomers came of age. This generation forever shifted the point of view around aging, making it okay to not only dress more casually, but to look as young as possible for as long as possible. As a consequence, you may find that retirees today look and behave in a way that would be seen as more youthful than their 1960 counterparts.

Although retirees in 1960 may have looked older, there's a good chance they were otherwise in better physical shape than Americans retiring in 2025. Surveys conducted by the National Institutes of Health in the early 1960s suggested that about 13% of Americans were obese according to guidelines created by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Due to varying factors such as common eating habits and less sedentary lifestyles, Americans of the time weren't as likely to be overweight. These habits carried over into retirement age, and would likely mean that retirees of the time were more likely to be of a healthy average weight.

While there have been various fitness trends over the decades, so too have obesity rates been on the rise. As of 2021, the CDC reports that as much as 43% of the American population is drastically overweight. Thanks to this uptick in obesity, it's logical to assume that a significant portion of retired Americans are impacted. Also worrying is research that suggests that upwards of 85% of seniors do not regularly exercise. The good news is that with appropriate lifestyle adjustments, retirement-age Americans have the potential to live longer, healthier lives than in decades past. There's also research to suggest that 

Depending on your gender, race, and economic status, how you experienced retirement probably greatly varied, including whether you were able to afford to retire at all. There was a notable uptick in women entering the workforce, with the number of women working outside the home increasing from 29% in 1950 to 34% in 1960. That said, women who would have been of retirement age in 1960 would likely have represented a smaller pool of the population compared to retired American women living today. It's also important to consider that there would have been considerable limits on how many women accessed and spent money, as wives in the United States could not have their own bank accounts at the time. This may have had a significant impact on how retired married American women were able to spend money, even as it related to their retirement earnings.

Though there was a significant increase in African American retirees in 1960 compared to decades past, many were forced to work low-income jobs or found themselves dealing with higher unemployment rates than their white counterparts. These conditions negatively impacted this demographic's overall ability to qualify for social security benefits or amass the sort of savings necessary to enjoy retirement.

As for class differences, those who were white collar employees in this era were better able to save and arrange long-term retirement plans compared to Americans who worked lower-paying jobs.

Retirees who desired a life of leisure and who had the funds to relocate often migrated to a specific area of the United States that became known as the Sun Belt. Though there are about 15 states said to make up this portion of the country, the most popular destinations for retired Americans were frequently the states of Arizona and Florida, with destinations like Miami and Sun City as special standouts. It's no secret that, as we age, cold weather often represents an increase in aches and pain as well as a greater risk of injury due to slippery conditions. It only makes sense to retire to parts of the country where the weather remains much warmer for far longer, if not all year long! By the 1960s, retirees had begun to proudly settle across the Sun Belt, determined to make the most of a more pleasant climate.

Though seniors continue to retire to the Sunbelt region in 2025, a growing number of retired Americans have decided to settle in warm locations across the globe, including places like Costa Rica, Vietnam, and Portugal. Thanks to advancements in travel technology, retirees can build communities all over the world instead of limiting themselves to specific areas of the United States.

Thanks to advancements in travel technology, a lot of retirees see the world as their oyster. However, in 1960, there was one method of getting around that was prized above all others: the automobile. In the 1950s and 1960s, family road trips were a favorite American pastime. For retirees relocating or simply with the extra time to travel, many were still able to get from place to place across the country by car. It would have been necessary for these adventurous retired drivers to have paper maps handy, as the U.S. road system was more localized and complex at the time. In 1960, what we now know as the interstate highway system was in the beginning stages of existence and would not be complete until many years later.

Regardless, retirees of the time were far more likely to travel long distances by car, followed by train. For retirees today, it's actually easier and more affordable to travel by plane. There are probably still some older Americans who yearn for the open road, having traveled around with their own parents and grandparents on family road trips in the past. But now, retirees have even more travel options. Some enjoy spending time on cruises, visiting Caribbean islands, or famous ports across Europe. Others take it a step further and spend their retirement years globe-trotting, or even decide to buy a one-way plane ticket and settle down in a foreign country.

For a retiree in 1960 who wanted to have fun, you would very likely find them playing bingo for prizes or settled around a table with friends playing Bridge or dominoes. These games provided them with the opportunity to have fun in person and continue socializing with others. The games weren't complicated or high-stakes, but were fun all the same. And you'll notice that they involve tabletop interactions rather than any real technology like a TV or smartphone.

In 2025, you will find that while some seniors still enjoy games like bingo, some are comfortable with video games like Call of Duty, Minecraft, or Animal Crossing. That is because today's retirees came of age as the nature of gaming changed. They were old enough to have played Pong as well as spent time at the local arcade, taking in games ranging from Pac-Man to Donkey Kong. Later, they likely grew used to playing games on consoles like PlayStation and Nintendo, and so will be less lost when it comes to modern gaming than their 1960 counterparts.

Speaking of games, one place aside from the local bingo hall that we've become accustomed to finding retirees is in casinos. But while today it's not at all unusual to find retired Americans seated at the slot machines, sipping on complimentary beverages, such a sight would have been rather unusual in 1960. Take Las Vegas, Nevada, a destination that grew increasingly popular with tourists during the 1950s. If you viewed snapshots from the time, the casinos would be filled with younger, well-dressed patrons. The now common image of retirees spending their retirement at the casinos didn't become commonplace until the 1990s, around which time the gambling industry seemed to realize that older Americans with lots of free time and disposable income were, in fact, an ideal target audience. One study found that seniors were increasingly heading to casinos because they were great places to socialize and avoid feelings of loneliness.

Some organizations, such as AARP, have come out against marketing that targets older Americans, raising alarms about vulnerabilities to gambling addiction. At the very least, if you were retired in 1960, you were probably more likely to lose a hand of poker at a friend's house than have to worry about potentially losing the equivalent of your entire social security check during one of many visits to a local casino.