America's baby boomers comprise the largest generation in American history.

• An estimated 78 million people born from the mid-40s through the mid-60s
• One turns 60 every eight seconds
• Most female boomers work outside the home

Colorado is a magnet for the baby boom generation. Nearly a third of Metro Denver's residents are boomers - much higher than the national average of 26.8 percent. Some non-urban Colorado counties have even higher concentrations of boomers.

A statistical profile of the 55 - 64 population in Denver's six-county metro area (Adams, Arapahoe, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas and Jefferson counties) reveals that:

• In 2006, an estimated 246,000 people aged 55 - 64 lived in the Metro area.
• By 2010, this age group will number nearly 300,000.
• The race/ethnicity demographics of the boomers are:
  
  • White - 78%
  • Hispanic - 10.6%
  • Black - 4.7%
  • Asian - 2.5%
  • Other - 4.2%
• The boomers' household incomes are:
  
  • Less than $30,000 - 22%
  • $30,000 - $49,000 - 20%
  • $50,000 - $99,999 - 35%
  • $100,000 or more - 22%
• 35% of boomers (age 45 - 64) have a bachelor's degree or higher.
• 93% of boomers have health insurance.

Rose Community Foundation launched Boomers Leading Change, an initiative to find out how 55 - 65-year-olds in Metro Denver are thinking about their futures. in 2006. Funding was provided by The Atlantic Philanthropies as part of a national effort to understand the potential for future civic engagement of adults in their 50s and older.

The effort began with a community assessment that included:

• Literature review and demographic research
• 772 surveys
• 14 focus groups
• 60 key informant interview
• 9News/Survey USA poll of 250 55 to 65-year-olds
• Surveys of employers, nonprofits and educational institutions

Some experts foresee a potentially unsustainable escalation of costs associated with aging. Others are more optimistic. As a whole, the baby boomers arehealthier, better educated and more affluent thanprevious generations. They reject the terms such as seniors, aging and “golden years.” They see themselves as a generation that embodies a wealth of work and life skills that they can still put to use.

Our communities, our nation and our world can profit from what baby boomers have to offer. If we can imagine how people can live meaningfully and productively in their 60s, 70s, 80s and beyond, everyone will benefit.