NAHB Analysis Shows Even Geographic Distribution of People 55 or Older
p>According to a National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) analysis of government data, the geographic distribution of people 55 or older is fairly even across the country. The organization says the data reveals insight on housing demand.
"As more baby boomers approach retirement and the average age of the U.S. population increases, many businesses—including home builders—are showing increased interest in designing products that appeal to customers 55 and older," said Paul Emrath, NAHB's vice president of survey and housing policy research. "This research shows that 55+ developments should be possible in every state where population density is sufficient to support new communities of a size that can provide a variety of attractive amenities."
According to the data, 43.9 million households are headed by someone 55 or older, accounting for nearly 38 percent of all U.S. households. Among the 50 states and Washington, D.C., the share of households ranges from 31 to 45 percent. West Virginia tops all states, with 45 percent of its households headed by someone 55 or older, followed closely by Florida at 44 percent, Hawaii and Maine each at 43 percent, and Pennsylvania and Montana each at 42 percent. Utah and Alaska are the only states where less than one-third of the households are 55 or older.
View NAHB's full analysis here.