Published on: Dec 02, 2025
Where you live may matter just as much for your brain as your diet or exercise habits. New research from Purdue University indicates that residing in a neighborhood rich in cultural, educational, and social activities can help older adults maintain stronger cognitive health as they age.
For Dr. Kenneth F. Ferraro, distinguished professor of sociology and founding director of Purdue’s Center on Aging and the Life Course (CALC), this finding adds a significant new dimension to his decades of work on aging and resilience.
For years, scholars have examined how negative neighborhood characteristics like crime or poverty affect health, Ferraro said. Because cognitive decline threatens independent living in later life, we wanted to discover which neighborhood features are tied to better cognitive outcomes.
Ferraro and PhD candidate Bing Han analyzed eight years of data to explore how a person’s environment relates to cognitive changes over time. They combined information from the Health and Retirement Study—a nationally representative survey of older adults—with data from the National Neighborhood Data Archive.
Their results, published in Innovation in Aging, reveal that older adults who live in cognitively stimulating areas—neighborhoods with access to libraries, museums, arts venues, parks, and a high concentration of college-educated residents—experience slower cognitive decline. Ferraro describes these environments as high in cognitive capital, meaning they provide social and spatial opportunities that foster mental resilience through engagement and interaction.
Cognitive capital includes the networks and amenities that promote thinking, reflection, and well-being, Ferraro said. These communities help people learn new things and rediscover familiar ones. What’s remarkable is that individuals may benefit even without realizing their neighborhood is helping them stay mentally sharp.
Han’s findings highlighted another crucial point: the effects are age-specific.
We observed that the positive impact of cognitively stimulating neighborhoods applied only to adults aged 60 to 82. Beyond age 82, we did not find a significant benefit, Han explained. We refer to this as the 60–80 window for intervention.
Ferraro compares neighborhood influence to exercising a muscle.
The brain is an organ, but like muscle, it needs regular training and challenging tasks. A lifetime of mental stimulation builds cognitive reserve—the brain’s ability to adjust, adapt, and solve problems, he said. Our study shows that those living in stimulating neighborhoods are better able to preserve their cognitive abilities.
The findings also emphasize that cognitive health is not solely determined by personal habits. While activities such as reading, strategic games, or dancing strengthen the brain, Ferraro notes that community design is equally critical.
Most social science research focuses on individuals, he said. We need to better understand how neighborhoods help people maintain optimal cognitive function.
Ferraro’s broader work on optimal aging highlights the interplay between personal actions and environmental support. He calls the goal of sustaining both physical and cognitive ability dual functionality.
People want to live long lives if they can remain both physically capable and mentally sharp, he said. “This research demonstrates that the communities we create and the amenities we invest in can help make that goal achievable.
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