As Gen X and baby boomers age, they face life alone

Jay Miles lived his 52 years without marriage or children, which matches his creative ambitions as a videographer in Connecticut and, he says, his blend of "independence and 'stubbornness'. But he worries about who will take care of him as he gets older.
Donna Selman, a 55-year-old college professor in Illinois, is especially grateful for being single, she says, because her mother and aunts never had the financial and emotional autonomy she enjoys.
Mary Felder, 65 , raised her children, now adults, in her townhouse in Philadelphia. Her house has plenty of space for one person, but upkeep is expensive on the century-old house.
Mrs. Felder, Mr. Miles and Ms. Selman belong to one of the fastest growing demographic groups in the country: people 50 and older who live alone.
In 1960, only 13 percent of American households had a single occupant. But this figure has steadily increased and today it is approaching 30%. For households headed by someone 50 or older, that figure is 36%.
Nearly 26 million Americans 50 or older now live alone , up from 15 million in 2000. Older people have always been more likely than others to live alone, and now this age group - baby boomers and Gen Xers - makes up a larger share of the population than at any time in the country's history.
More Older Adults Live Alone
Number of 'adults living alone in the United States, by age group
[embedded content]
Source: Current Population Survey, via IPUMS
By Christine Zhang
The trend has also been driven by profound changes attitude towards sex and marriage. People over 50 are now more likely than previous generations to be divorced, separated or never married.
Women in this category have had opportunities for career advancement, home ownership and financial independence that were virtually out of reach for previous generations of older women. More than 60% of older people living alone are women.
"There's this kind of huge, explosive social and demographic change happening," Markus said. Schafer, sociologist. at Baylor University which studies older populations.
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Health Nov 29, 2022 0 53 Add to Reading List

As Gen X and baby boomers age, they face life alone

Jay Miles lived his 52 years without marriage or children, which matches his creative ambitions as a videographer in Connecticut and, he says, his blend of "independence and 'stubbornness'. But he worries about who will take care of him as he gets older.

Donna Selman, a 55-year-old college professor in Illinois, is especially grateful for being single, she says, because her mother and aunts never had the financial and emotional autonomy she enjoys.

Mary Felder, 65 , raised her children, now adults, in her townhouse in Philadelphia. Her house has plenty of space for one person, but upkeep is expensive on the century-old house.

Mrs. Felder, Mr. Miles and Ms. Selman belong to one of the fastest growing demographic groups in the country: people 50 and older who live alone.

In 1960, only 13 percent of American households had a single occupant. But this figure has steadily increased and today it is approaching 30%. For households headed by someone 50 or older, that figure is 36%.

Nearly 26 million Americans 50 or older now live alone , up from 15 million in 2000. Older people have always been more likely than others to live alone, and now this age group - baby boomers and Gen Xers - makes up a larger share of the population than at any time in the country's history.

More Older Adults Live Alone

Number of 'adults living alone in the United States, by age group

[embedded content]

Source: Current Population Survey, via IPUMS

By Christine Zhang

The trend has also been driven by profound changes attitude towards sex and marriage. People over 50 are now more likely than previous generations to be divorced, separated or never married.

Women in this category have had opportunities for career advancement, home ownership and financial independence that were virtually out of reach for previous generations of older women. More than 60% of older people living alone are women.

"There's this kind of huge, explosive social and demographic change happening," Markus said. Schafer, sociologist. at Baylor University which studies older populations.

Image