Frederick County hires national consulting firm as population projected to grow 26% by 2035, with adults 85 and older increasing by 59%
By Ryan Miner | The Senior Soup | January 28, 2026
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Take the online survey here or pick up a paper copy at any 50+ Community Center.
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FREDERICK, MD — Frederick County, Maryland, has embarked on the most comprehensive assessment of its senior services in recent memory, partnering with (hiring) the national consulting firm MGT to evaluate the county’s five community centers and chart a path forward for an aging population growing faster than almost anywhere else in the state.
This “Senior Center Feasibility Study” represents a critical turning point for senior services in Frederick County, as local officials prepare for a demographic shift that will outpace the rest of the state.
The study included 11 in-person listening sessions and two virtual meetings held across the county in January 2026.
According to data from MGT, the county’s population is projected to grow from 309,212 in 2025 to 388,216 by 2035 — a 26% increase, compared to just 3% statewide and 4% nationally.
Breaking the numbers down by age reveals even more striking trends. Projections estimate the population of adults 80 to 84 will grow by 61%, and those 85 and older by 59%.”
These are the age groups most likely to need the support services provided by senior centers.
“This is considerable growth, and you’re living it,” Dr. Lance Richards, MGT’s director of education solutions, told attendees at the Brunswick listening session on January 20. “The dollars you have are precious, and it’s important that those dollars are spent in a meaningful way and have the most impact going forward.”
Who is Conducting the Frederick County Senior Services Study?
MGT, a national consulting firm headquartered in Tampa, Florida, was selected by Frederick County to conduct the study.
Rob Tanner, vice president of education solutions, and Lance Richards, Ed.D., director of education solutions, lead the project team. Monica Farirai consults on market research, stakeholder engagement, data analysis, small-group facilitation, and community engagement.
The team’s background is primarily in K-12 education: Dr. Richards worked for over thirty-three years in public education as a teacher, principal, district administrator, and superintendent, rather than specialized aging services.
According to the MGT presentation, the firm’s methodology for this study follows a seven-task process:
- Project Initiation
- DAI Data Collection and Analysis
- Facilities Assessments
- Demographic Forecast
- Community Engagement
- Prioritization of Planned Projects
- Master Plan Draft and Final Report
Dr. Richards emphasized that the study’s conclusions remain open:
“As far as our work has been determined, there’s been no predetermination as to what our report would be,” Richards told attendees at the Frederick County Health Department session on Wednesday, January 21, 2026.
“Our report centers around feasibility — the feasibility of your senior centers, the feasibility of the programming, some viable options forward.”
MGT conducted on-site facility assessments approximately 10-12 weeks before the listening sessions, walking all five centers and meeting with senior supervisors. The firm also pre-surveyed community members and leadership to gather initial insights before the public engagement phase.
Frederick County’s Division of Aging and Independence, under the leadership of Director Kitty Devilbiss, coordinates the study.
How Fast is Frederick County’s Senior Population Growing?
The demographic data MGT presented reveals a county in economic and population transition.
Nearly 40% of the county’s residents are 50 or older.
This group — the primary focus of our senior centers — spans a broad spectrum of needs, from active 50-year-olds to adults 85 and older needing intensive support.
Projections show growth for almost every age bracket over the next decade. The only exception, adults 60 to 64, will decline slightly — a ‘blip on the radar‘ noted Dr. Richards.
But that anomaly is more than offset by significant growth in older cohorts, particularly the 75-79, 80-84, and 85-plus populations.
According to testimony from a Division of Aging and Independence board member at the Health Department session, the 60-plus population has grown at a rate three times that of the county overall.
Approximately 43% of Frederick County seniors live below the ALICE threshold — Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed — which includes those in poverty.
“Those are the folks that really need the most significant assistance, not just in senior centers, but in all services,” the board member said.
About one-third of Frederick County older adults continue to work — many because they have to, not by choice.
“More than a few live just on Social Security,” the board member noted. “And those of you that do not have other sources, you understand what kind of a struggle that is.”
Frederick’s median household income is $41,900 above the national median — a sign of relative affluence that also carries implications for older adults on fixed incomes as property values and costs of living rise.
Perhaps most notable for senior services planning: roughly 27% of the county’s workforce is age 45 or older. Workers aged 55-64 represent 17.7% of the workforce (21,834 jobs), while those aged 65 and older hold 9% (11,067 jobs).
Many older adults in Frederick County are continuing to work, whether by choice or financial necessity, raising questions about program scheduling and accessibility for those who don’t fit the traditional retired-senior profile.
Projected Frederick County Senior Population Growth (2025-2035)
| Age Group | 2025 | 2035 | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50-54 | 18,973 | 27,927 | +47% |
| 70-74 | 12,853 | 17,370 | +35% |
| 75-79 | 9,852 | 13,814 | +40% |
| 80-84 | 6,130 | 9,851 | +61% |
| 85+ | 5,169 | 8,201 | +59% |
Source: MGT Consulting presentation, LIGHTCAST Q3 2025 Data Set
What New Senior Center Projects Are Planned in Frederick County?
Frederick County has already committed significant capital improvement funds to senior center projects.
According to the county’s CIP budget presented at the sessions, three major initiatives are underway or planned:
- East County Center ($14.7 million): A new facility to serve the fast-growing eastern portion of the county around New Market and Linganore. Land acquisition and early design work began in 2025, with continued design in 2026, site preparation and possible early construction in 2027, and expected completion in 2028.
- Frederick Center Renovation ($6.5 million): The main center at 1440 Taney Avenue, a former church, will receive upgrades to HVAC, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems. Planning and renovation preparations are underway in 2025-2026, with major renovation design and systems planning in 2027, complete renovation construction in 2028-2029, and expected completion in 2030.
- Brunswick Center Replacement ($14.5 million): Frederick County accelerated the replacement of the aging Brunswick center in its capital plan, moving the funding from FY2032 to FY2028. The county will conduct a study and preliminary work through 2026, followed by detailed planning in 2027–2028 and design and construction setup in 2029–2030. Officials expect to finish most construction by 2031–2032. During the Brunswick listening session, county representatives informed attendees that they are still negotiating the site location.
Where Are the 50+ Community Centers (Senior Centers) Located in Frederick County?
Frederick County currently operates five physical 50+ Community Centers plus a Virtual Center that provides online programming.
Each center offers a mix of fitness classes, social activities, health education, and support services.
- The Frederick Center on Taney Avenue serves as the hub for meal production and distribution across the county system.
- The Urbana Center, which opened in 2004, is the only facility in the county system designed and built as a senior center.
- The other four centers occupy repurposed buildings — former churches, schools, or other structures adapted for senior programming.
Even Urbana has faced challenges: one longtime observer who worked in the co-located library building for 13 years noted that the senior center has struggled for dedicated space, with the library using the shared community room “90% of the time.”
| Center | Address | Phone |
|---|---|---|
| Brunswick | 12 East A Street, Brunswick, MD 21716 | (301) 834-8115 |
| Emmitsburg | 300 South Seton Avenue, Emmitsburg, MD 21727 | (301) 600-6350 |
| Frederick (Taney Ave) | 1440 Taney Avenue, Frederick, MD 21702 | (301) 600-3525 |
| Middletown | 101 Prospect Street, Middletown, MD 21769 | (301) 600-3613 |
| Urbana | 9020 Amelung Drive, Frederick, MD 21704 | (301) 600-7020 |
| Virtual Center | Online programming | (301) 788-1075 |
What Top Concerns Did Seniors Raise at Listening Sessions?
The Senior Soup attended three of the eleven listening sessions — at the Frederick 50+ Community Center and Brunswick 50+ Community Center on January 20, and at the Frederick County Health Department on January 21 — and observed several consistent themes emerge from resident feedback.
Why is Transportation a Major Barrier for Frederick County Seniors?
At multiple sessions, transportation emerged as perhaps the most significant obstacle to participation.
The issue was particularly acute in Brunswick, where residents asked about shuttle services and round-trip transportation models — similar to school bus systems — that would pick up older adults at their homes, bring them to centers, and return them afterward.
At the Frederick County Health Department session on January 21, one attendee highlighted a specific safety concern: the public bus drops riders at Taney Senior Living apartments, requiring them to cross busy Taney Avenue to reach the senior center.
“Good luck with that because it’s a busy road,” she said.
“And then, you know, get down the hill and whatnot. We don’t have the transit system. The regular bus doesn’t go to the front door of the building.”
MGT’s preliminary community survey themes confirmed these findings, noting that “transportation and safe access routes limit participation” and that “transportation resources don’t always match senior needs and schedules.”
What Are the Parking and Facility Constraints at the Current Frederick County Senior Centers?
The physical limitations of current senior centers in Frederick County were a recurring concern among residents who attended in-person sessions.
At the Taney Avenue session, attendees and staff noted that county vehicles and Meals on Wheels delivery trucks compete with visitors for limited spaces.
Attendees also raised concerns about the Brunswick Center’s age and condition.
Dr. Richards acknowledged the facility’s limitations, while the community demanded faster progress on the replacement project. Consequently, the county accelerated the project’s timeline in the capital plan.
But beyond parking, attendees raised a more fundamental issue: the current centers lack welcoming spaces for people to gather before or after programs.
“Seniors come for a wonderful class in their building. And then they go home. They come for a book club. And then they go home,” one Division of Aging board member observed at the Health Department session. “We want to be welcoming. But there’s no place to be welcoming. There’s no place for any kind of congregate anything. You can’t sit down and have a cup of coffee.”
The board member noted that none of the county’s five centers have any outdoor space — no walking areas, no park benches, no places for seniors to enjoy time outside. She pointed to the SeniorScapes park in Monocacy Village Park as a model, featuring amenities designed for memory care and Alzheimer’s patients and their caregivers.
“At least our senior services center should be a bit more welcoming and inclusive and enjoying the outdoors,” she said.
“I’d like to see the outdoor space not just to have a nice park area, but also an area for maybe an outdoor concert, some picnic tables, a place to meet.”
When asked about desired amenities for future centers, attendees across sessions prioritized flexible multipurpose rooms, fitness studios, wellness screenings, art studios, and updated facilities designed specifically for senior programming rather than repurposed buildings.
Why is Communication a Widespread Gap?
According to MGT’s preliminary community survey, marketing and communication emerged as a top concern across all stakeholder groups.
Many older adults either don’t know the centers exist or assume the programs “aren’t for them.”
When polled on preferred communication methods at the sessions, attendees indicated a strong preference for email and website information.
Phone calls received virtually no support — a notable data point for a population often assumed to prefer traditional communication methods.
Why is Social Connection the Core Value?
When asked what they value most about their centers, residents’ answers coalesced around a single theme: community.
Words like “fellowship,” “social,” “connection,” and “people” dominated the live polling responses.
Dr. Richards, of Indiana, connected this to a broader concern about social isolation, sharing a personal story about his mother’s experience:
“When she kind of lost her social circles during COVID, there was a little bit of hearing loss that she wouldn’t admit to. It shrank her world. I feel like it exacerbated the problem and carried it forward faster.”
MGT’s survey themes document echoed this finding: “Social isolation is a major concern and driver of demand.”
Do Frederick County Residents Prefer Central Hubs or Distributed Senior Centers?
MGT asked attendees at the listening sessions to weigh in on the fundamental question of what future centers should look like in Frederick County. The choices included a single large central hub, multiple distributed centers across the county, smaller program sites in shared spaces like libraries, or a hybrid model.
The most popular response at the sessions observed: multiple senior centers spread across the county with no single main hub. Close behind was the “hybrid” model — senior center space co-located with community facilities like libraries, YMCAs, or recreation centers.
On the question of whether centers should serve seniors exclusively or welcome all ages, the hybrid approach emerged again as the preferred option —a dedicated senior space within a larger multigenerational facility.
As MGT’s Monica Farirai noted, this model “includes more people in the community, so that you’re not just hanging out with just the seniors.”
When asked which co-located features would be most beneficial, attendees prioritized on-site social service partners, health clinics and wellness services, healthcare provider partnerships, and shuttle or transportation hubs.
The survey also asked about interest in intergenerational programming, including partnerships with high schools where students might teach older adults to use technology.
This option generated notable interest, reflecting a desire for meaningful cross-generational connection.
Are Seniors Interested in Virtual Programming?
Despite the county maintaining a Virtual Center among its six offerings, attendees at the Brunswick session expressed limited interest in remote programming.
When asked about virtual exercise classes, lectures, and social groups, the majority indicated they were not interested.
This preference for in-person connection aligns with the social isolation concerns raised throughout the sessions. For many older adults, the value of senior centers appears to lie not just in their programming, but also in their physical presence and human contact.
What Did MGT’s Preliminary Survey Find?
Beyond the listening sessions, MGT conducted one-on-one interviews and structured conversations with a range of stakeholders, including current center users.
Key findings from MGT’s preliminary survey themes include:
- Community Need and Demand: Needs are increasing faster than current services and facilities can keep up. Older adults have different needs depending on age, health, and lifestyle.
- Current Gaps: Many facilities are cramped, outdated, or not designed for senior programming. Older adults lack a single, easy way to find services and navigate resources.
- Vision and Goals: The community wants modern, welcoming spaces with more programming choices and options for different schedules, including evenings and weekends.
- Partnerships: Building partnerships allows the county to broaden services without overloading staff. The study highlights cultural, multilingual, LGBTQ+, and Deaf partners as key opportunities to improve inclusion.
- Political Alignment: There is strong momentum and support for improving senior services. Planning aligns with the county’s goals for health, housing, transportation, and community well-being.
Equity and Access: The ALICE Population
Equity emerged strongly as a theme at the Health Department session, ensuring that Frederick County’s senior services reach those who need them most, not just those who can afford them.
The Division of Aging board member who spoke noted that many fee-based programs, like exercise classes, cost money that seniors living below the ALICE threshold cannot afford.
She advocated for fee waivers for low-income seniors.
“Wellness and fitness help your state of mind and also the state of your health,” she said.
“I would really like to see seniors have the opportunity to take fee-based services at our senior centers, like the exercise programs… I’d like those fees to be waived for those that fall in that ALICE category.”
She also highlighted gaps in meal services.
While Frederick County’s Meals on Wheels program delivers food to homebound seniors, the centers themselves have limited capacity to provide congregate meals.
“The senior centers need to be in their sites providing everyday lunch services for seniors that can’t do that,” she said, noting that many senior centers in other communities operate small cafes serving breakfast and lunch.
The Indoor Pool Question
One attendee at the Health Department session raised a comparison that drew attention: Frederick County has no public indoor swimming pools, while neighboring counties have multiple facilities.
“Montgomery County has five indoor swimming pools, public, paid for by the government. Anne Arundel County has two. Howard County has one. Baltimore County has one. We have none,” she said.
As a lifelong swimmer and scuba diver, she emphasized the health benefits of aquatic exercise, particularly for seniors with mobility issues.
“A person with arthritis, their knees are going out, their shoulders are going out, their hips are going out. You step in water to your chest and your body can do things in the water that you can’t envision doing on land. It’s like the fountain of youth.”
Observations from the Sessions
The listening sessions used live polling via Poll Everywhere, a digital survey platform accessible via QR code, text message, or web browser.
At the sessions observed, some attendees used their smartphones to participate while others waited for staff to distribute paper copies.
The 20-question survey covered awareness of programs, facility conditions, barriers to participation, program priorities, desired amenities, communication preferences, and an open-ended question inviting additional input.
At the Taney Avenue session, a member of the deaf community raised accessibility concerns, noting that sign language interpretation was unavailable and that hearing loops were absent at most county centers. The attendee advocated for improved accessibility across the system.
Technology Support
Technology support — help with smartphones, computers, tablets, and other devices — appeared as a survey option but generated limited substantive discussion during the sessions.
Given the communication challenges identified as a top concern and the interest expressed in intergenerational technology teaching, this may represent an area worthy of deeper exploration in the study’s final analysis.
When Will the Final Frederick County Senior Services Master Plan Be Released?
The community listening sessions concluded on Friday, January 23, 2026.
Frederick County has now launched an online survey that includes the same questions posed at the in-person sessions, along with all the presentation materials MGT used at the meetings.
MGT will compile the survey data, incorporate findings from their facilities assessments and demographic analysis, and produce a master plan with prioritized recommendations.
Based on information shared at the sessions, the team expects to release the final report in Spring 2026.
The study team will present their findings to county leadership, including County Executive Jessica Fitzwater, who has participated in the process throughout. These recommendations will guide decisions regarding facility investments, programming priorities, and the overall direction of Frederick County senior services for the next decade.
As the Division of Aging board member concluded:
“Our seniors deserve more than we are able to provide. The buildings are the buildings. They’re not going to change overnight. Maybe we can tweak some of the services, improve the access transportation-wise, getting more information to get more people through the door… The time to plan and prepare is indeed now.”
How Can I Take the Frederick County Senior Services Survey?
Residents who did not attend a listening session, or who want to provide additional input, can take the online survey.
Paper copies are also available at any Frederick County 50+ Community Center.
Act Soon: Although the county hasn’t announced a hard deadline, it begins the data aggregation phase in February 2026.
Frederick County officials encourage residents to complete the survey as soon as possible so the team can include their input in the final analysis.
📋 TAKE THE SURVEY NOW
Online Survey:
https://mgtamer.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_blKQA5B72WUBKIu
Division of Aging and Independence
Director: Kitty Devilbiss
Email: DAI@FrederickCountyMD.gov
Phone: 301-600-1234
Web: frederickcountymd.gov/DAI
Study Information:
frederickcountymd.gov/m/newsflash/home/detail/5737
The Senior Soup provides news, resources, and information for older adults and their families in Maryland.
For more coverage of aging services and policy, visit ThesSeniorSoup.com.
Ryan Miner, MBA | Co-Founder and Podcast Host | The Senior Soup
Hi, I'm Ryan!
I co-founded The Senior Soup Soup with Raquel Micit in September 2022. Together, we host The Senior Soup Podcast.
I am a community relations manager for Ennoble Care in Maryland, where I am responsible for marketing our home-based primary care healthcare practice.
I have over 15 years experience in healthcare, senior services, senior care, marketing, public policy, and search engine optimization.
I have a MBA from Mount St. Mary's University and a BA from Duquesne University.