Document Type
Research Report
Publication Date
2-2026
Keywords
economic insecurity, elder index, older adults, housing, food, transportation, cost of living
Disciplines
Gerontology | Inequality and Stratification
Abstract
New estimates from the 2025 Elder Index(TM) suggest that over half of older adults living alone, and about one out of four older couples, lack the financial resources required to pay for basic needs. We compared household incomes for adults age 65 and above living in one- and two-person households to the 2025 Elder Index for each state to calculate Economic Insecurity Rates (EIRs), the percentage of independent adults age 65 or older with annual incomes that do not support economic security. National averages suggest that 53% of older adults living alone and 25% of older couples have annual incomes below the Elder Index value, representing increases of 5 percentage points for singles and 4 percentage points for couples since the last time these estimates were produced, in 2022. In every state, more than 43% of older singles and 17% of couples are at risk of being unable to afford basic needs and age in their own communities.
Community Engaged/Serving
Part of the UMass Boston Community-Engaged Teaching, Research, and Service Series. //scholarworks.umb.edu/engage
Recommended Citation
Coyle, Caitlin E.; Ward, Michelle; Roldán, Nidya Velasco; Somerville, Ceara; and Mutchler, Jan, "Living Between the Lines: Economic Insecurity and Older Americans" (2026). Center for Social and Demographic Research on Aging Publications. 109.
https://scholarworks.umb.edu/demographyofaging/109
Comments
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