With demographic aging emerging as “one of the most significant social transformations of the twenty-first century” (UN, 2024), the living conditions and well-being of older adults are critical for maintaining social cohesion. Rural areas are important in this regard, as their populations tend to be older and poorer than those of urban centers. Drawing on semistructured interviews with 41 older adults in the Swiss Alpine canton of Valais and in Central Appalachia in the United States (western and southwestern Virginia, as well as southern West Virginia), this paper investigates forms of poverty that develop in later life within mountain regions. Two key issues emerge from this comparison. First, aging in poverty in deindustrialized Central Appalachia or in relatively affluent Swiss Alps lead to different types of community and solidarity relations. Second, there is a common phenomenon of collective ignorance surrounding poverty in later life across the two regions. Overall, the paper demonstrates the analytical value of comparing cases that may initially seem incomparable by providing a better understanding of how global political economic dynamics can shape poorer older adults’ lives and their social integration in rural contexts. The paper concludes with policy recommendations aimed at fostering the inclusion of economically disadvantaged rural older adults.
