Document Type

Fact Sheet

Publication Date

3-2026

Keywords

Elder Economic Security Standard Index, Elder Index, income, older adults, affordable housing, health care, Boston

Disciplines

Demography, Population, and Ecology | Gerontology | Public Policy | Social Policy

Abstract

The Elder IndexTM measures of the cost of living independently for older adults aged 65 or older. The Elder Index allows us to identify older people with incomes “in the gap” between the Federal Poverty Guideline (FPL) and what it takes to live with security. Older adults living “in the gap” have incomes too high to qualify for many means-tested public benefits programs, yet too low to achieve intermediate- or long-term economic stability. This fact sheet presents 2025 Elder Index for older adults living in Boston, Massachusetts.

Comments

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