The United States faces a significant and growing burden from neurodegenerative diseases. Aging demographics, improved diagnostic capabilities, and better disease recognition drive increasing prevalence across Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and related disorders. This page provides detailed epidemiological data for major neurodegenerative conditions affecting the US population.
| Age Group |
Prevalence Rate |
Number Affected |
| 65-74 years |
~3% |
~1.1 million |
| 75-84 years |
~13% |
~2.8 million |
| 85+ years |
~35% |
~3.3 million |
| Total (65+) |
~11% (1 in 9) |
~7.2 million |
| Younger-onset (<65) |
~110 per 100,000 |
~200,000 |
Key Statistics:
- 74% of Alzheimer's patients are age 75 or older
- Nearly two-thirds are women (reflecting longer life expectancy)
- 1 in 9 people age 65 and older has Alzheimer's disease
| Year |
Projected Prevalence |
Change |
| 2025 |
7.2 million |
Baseline |
| 2030 |
8.5 million |
+18% |
| 2040 |
10.3 million |
+43% |
| 2050 |
12.7 million |
+76% |
The projected 76% increase from 2025 to 2050 reflects the aging of baby boomers into high-risk age groups.
- Northeast: Higher proportion of elderly population; older demographic structure
- South: Highest absolute numbers due to large population; growing elderly population
- Midwest: Average prevalence; stable demographic patterns
- West: Growing elderly population; significant increase projected
| Cost Category |
Annual Amount |
| Total direct costs |
~$360 billion |
| Informal caregiving |
~$340 billion |
| Total economic burden |
~$700 billion |
| Per-patient annual cost |
~$24,000 |
| Age Group |
Prevalence Rate |
Number Affected |
| 50-59 years |
~0.5% |
~300,000 |
| 60-69 years |
~1.0% |
~500,000 |
| 70-79 years |
~2.5% |
~700,000 |
| 80+ years |
~3.5% |
~500,000 |
| Total |
~1-2% (65+) |
~1.5 million |
Note: An estimated 50-90% of cases go undiagnosed, suggesting true prevalence may be 1.5-2x higher.
| Year |
Projected Prevalence |
Notes |
| 2025 |
1.5 million |
Current estimate |
| 2030 |
1.8 million |
+20% |
| 2040 |
2.4 million |
+60% |
| 2050 |
3.0 million |
+100% |
Parkinson's shows higher prevalence in:
- Industrial Midwest (environmental exposure history)
- Rural areas (pesticide exposure correlation)
- Northeast (aging population)
| Cost Category |
Annual Amount |
| Direct medical costs |
~$26 billion |
| Non-medical costs |
~$26 billion |
| Total (US) |
~$52 billion |
| Per-patient annual cost |
~$26,000 |
| Metric |
Value |
| Total prevalence |
~30,000-50,000 |
| Annual new cases |
~5,000-6,000 |
| Annual deaths |
~5,000-6,000 |
| Median survival |
2-5 years |
Demographics:
- Mean age at onset: 55 years
- 60% male
- 90-95% sporadic, 5-10% familial
| Cost Category |
Amount |
| Direct medical |
~$1.5 billion/year |
| Equipment & caregiving |
~$4.5 billion/year |
| Lost productivity |
~$400 million/year |
| Total (US) |
~$6 billion/year |
| Per-patient lifetime cost |
~$1.5-2.5 million |
| Variant |
Estimated Cases |
| Behavioral variant FTD |
~30,000-40,000 |
| Primary progressive aphasia |
~10,000-15,000 |
| Total FTD |
~50,000-60,000 |
Note: FTD is significantly underdiagnosed; true prevalence may be 2-3x higher. FTD is a leading cause of dementia under age 65.
- Mean age at onset: 50-60 years (earlier than AD)
- 30% have family history
- Slight male predominance
| Metric |
Value |
| Gene carriers (at risk) |
~200,000-250,000 |
| Manifest HD patients |
~40,000-50,000 |
| Juvenile HD (<20 years) |
~5-10% of cases |
| Category |
Amount |
| Direct costs |
~$12,000/year |
| Informal care |
~$30,000/year |
| Lost productivity |
~$30,000/year |
| Total annual |
~$72,000/patient |
| Metric |
Value |
| Estimated prevalence |
~20,000-30,000 |
| Underdiagnosis factor |
~3-5x |
| True prevalence |
~60,000-100,000 |
| Mean age at onset |
~63 years |
| Metric |
Value |
| Estimated prevalence |
~10,000-20,000 |
| Mean age at onset |
~53-60 years |
| Slight male predominance |
1.5:1 |
| Metric |
Value |
| Estimated prevalence |
~5,000-10,000 |
| Mean age at onset |
~60-70 years |
| Underrecognition |
Significant |
| Disease |
Prevalence (2025) |
Projected 2050 |
Annual Economic Cost |
| Alzheimer's Disease |
7.2 million |
12.7 million |
~$700 billion |
| Parkinson's Disease |
1.5 million |
3.0 million |
~$52 billion |
| ALS |
30,000-50,000 |
Stable |
~$6 billion |
| FTD |
50,000-60,000 |
100,000+ |
~$15 billion |
| Huntington's Disease |
40,000-50,000 |
Stable |
~$3 billion |
| PSP |
60,000-100,000* |
— |
~$5 billion |
| MSA |
10,000-20,000 |
— |
~$2 billion |
*True prevalence accounting for underdiagnosis
- Alzheimer's Association 2025 Facts and Figures Report
- Parkinson's Foundation Prevalence Estimates
- CDC ALS Registry Data
- GBD 2024 Neurological Disorders Study