State Housing Profiles: A Special Analysis of the Census Bureau's American Community Survey

Housing conditions for residents age 50 and older in each U.S. State (including the District of Columbia) are described in this AARP Public Policy Institute Chartbook. This publication is designed to provide housing advocates, policymakers, regulators, and other interested persons with a range of demographic and household measures to help them determine and address the needs in their state for older-resident housing options and programs. The chartbook includes four pages of tables and charts for each state, as well as state rankings for selected measures. Findings are based on the Census Bureau's American Community Survey. Chartbook highlights include:

In 2003-04...

• Around 49 million households were headed by someone 50 or older. Nearly one-third of these households had at least one resident with a disability substantially limiting one or more basic physical activities.
• Owners age 50+ had median housing costs of $616 per month, while renters age 50+ had median housing costs of $628 per month (a difference of only 2 percent). The median cost to own rose between 1990 and 2003-04 by 115 percent, while median cost to rent rose 63 percent. Inflation during that time was 43 percent.
• The median annual property tax for older residents was $1,335, an increase of 101 percent from $664 in 1990.
• In the year leading up to the 2003-04 surveys, nearly a quarter of renters age 50+ and around seven percent of owners age 50+ were living in poverty.

(232 pages)