Author: Annette Malave, SVP/Insights, RAB
Marketers have spent years chasing younger consumers – following emerging platforms, evolving behaviors and cultural trends. But in the race to connect with millennials and Gen Z, many advertisers may be overlooking one of the most financially powerful audiences in America: baby boomers.
Born between 1946 and 1964, boomers continue to hold enormous economic influence. They may not dominate headlines and reports like younger generations do, but when it comes to wealth and purchasing power, they are an important audience for businesses across categories to connect with.
Boomers control a large share of household wealth in the U.S. According to data from the Federal Reserve, Americans age 55 and older account for the majority of the nation’s accumulated assets, with baby boomers representing $89.7 trillion by Q4 2025. That wealth spans retirement savings, investments, home equity and other assets. What does this mean? They are financially flexible.
Unlike younger generations who may still be navigating student debt, the cost of housing and career challenges, boomers are in a different life stage. Homes are often paid down, paid off or they may be purchasing another home. According to the National Association of Realtors, for the second year in a row, baby boomers are the largest generation to buy or sell a home. Their retirement savings are also more established than other generations. While some may remain in the workforce to grow those savings, on average they have a retirement nest egg of nearly $1.2 million. For businesses, this translates into a consumer who holds a greater discretionary income and stronger purchasing confidence.
That purchasing power extends across a wide range of categories. Boomers continue to spend heavily on healthcare, travel, home improvement, financial services, automotive purchases and dining. They are also investing in wellness, aging-in-place upgrades and experiences that support active lifestyles. As longevity increases and retirement evolves, many boomers are continuing to spend well beyond what advertisers may traditionally associate with older consumers. Their spending is reflective of financial stability and confidence, especially across categories where lifestyle, comfort and long-term planning meet. Specifically:
- Boomers accounted for 54% of home renovation projects in 2025, with a median spend of $22,000.
- Boomers will spend $6,000 when traveling, on average.
- In 2024, boomers held a 28% share of new vehicle registrations and an average loan amount of $30.4K.
- Boomers are projected to account for 18% of restaurant spending by 2030, per Technomic.
Perhaps one of the biggest misconceptions about boomers is that they represent a declining consumer segment. The reality is quite different. Today’s boomers are active, digitally aware and highly engaged. Many research products online, use mobile devices regularly and participate in e-commerce. Yet unlike younger audiences that may jump quickly between brands, boomers often value familiarity, trust and consistency. This makes boomers especially valuable for advertisers focused on long-term customer relationships. Familiarity matters to this audience, and many remain loyal to brands that consistently engage them over time. Twenty-six percent of boomers will rarely or almost never consider switching brands unlike their younger cohorts, according to a Numerator survey.
This is where radio becomes especially valuable – not simply as a reach medium, but as a consistent companion in boomers’ daily routines. Boomers have a strong connection to AM/FM radio, making it one of the most effective channels for reaching this audience consistently. According to MRI-Simmons data, boomers remain among radio’s most loyal listeners, incorporating it into daily routines – with nearly half tuning in at home and eight in 10 tuning in the car and while running errands. Radio’s habitual nature aligns naturally with how boomers consume media – less fragmented, more routine and often tied to local connection.
Unlike digital environments where ads compete against constant scrolling and short attention spans, radio delivers repeated exposure in moments when consumers are engaged in everyday life. For boomers, those listening occasions often coincide with moments of decision-making: commuting to appointments, shopping, planning travel or researching services. Boomers tap into radio because of its local appeal – 50% agree. They remain connected to their favorite station via broadcast (57%) and via digital platforms (41%), per Jacobs Media Techsurvey 2026.
Radio also performs beyond awareness. Its strength lies in repetition, routine and proximity to daily decision-making moments. Whether listeners are driving, shopping or planning purchases, radio delivers messaging in environments where attention is less fragmented and behavior is often forming.
Boomers’ perspective on radio is a positive one – giving advertisers the opportunity to reach an emotionally engaged audience. Per MRI-Simmons, boomers, compared to the total U.S. population, are more likely to:
- Attribute radio as their main source of entertainment – 22%
- View radio as a good source of learning – 19%
- Consider radio a relaxing medium, putting them in a good mood – 18%
- Find the on-air personalities relatable – 16%
- See radio as informative – keeping them up to date – 13%
For boomers, who often take a more deliberate approach to purchases, this matters. They may hear a message, conduct research, visit a website or compare options before making a decision. Radio supports that journey by reinforcing awareness over time and helping brands remain top of mind throughout the consideration process.
The opportunity for advertisers is significant. Boomers are not just consumers – they are often decision-makers for households, healthcare choices, financial planning and even multigenerational purchases involving children or grandchildren. Their influence extends beyond their own spending habits, shaping broader family decisions as well.
For categories like healthcare, travel, home services, financial planning, retail and automotive, boomers represent a highly valuable audience with both the means and motivation to spend. And in a media landscape increasingly defined by fragmentation, radio offers something increasingly valuable: consistent reach to an audience with real purchasing power.
Boomers remain one of the strongest consumer segments available to advertisers – not because of nostalgia or legacy habits, but because they continue to drive meaningful economic activity. They hold wealth, maintain purchasing confidence and engage with media that fits naturally into their lives.
For advertisers looking to connect with consumers who are financially stable, loyal and actively spending, boomers represent a high-value audience and radio, it all its forms, remains one of the most efficient ways to consistently reach them.