AARP Hearing Center
The AARP Livability Index Platform: Celebrating 10 Years of Community Data and Insights
What cities and towns have the qualities older adults value, such as a good job market, walkability and affordable housing? AARP’s Livability Index platform evaluates communities based on these criteria and more to come up with its annual list of best places to live.
Using a consistent set of indicators important to people of all ages, including older adults, the index “creates a fair measuring stick to compare locations,” says Rodney Harrell, AARP’s vice president of family, home and community, and one of the creators of the index.
Which places are at the top of the list? Separated into four categories by population size, this year’s No. 1 spots went to: San Francisco; Arlington County, Virginia; Cliffside Park, New Jersey; and Great Neck Plaza, New York.
Check out the rest of the winners by population size:
Very large | Large | Medium | Small
How the ranking works
For each location, the index measures 61 indicators across seven different categories of livability. Here’s a quick breakdown of what’s included in each category:
- Housing: This metric looks at the cost and availability of housing in an area, as well as the variety of housing options for people of all ages and abilities.
- Neighborhood: Neighborhoods are scored based on their walkability, safety, and access to shops, groceries, restaurants, public transportation and a variety of jobs.
- Transportation: The index measures a community’s access to various types of transportation, including public transit, walking, cycling and driving.
- Environment: This category assigns scores based on things like a community’s pollution levels and its plans to address the impacts of extreme weather and natural disasters.
- Health: Health scores are based on whether residents have easy access to quality health care and physical activity, and whether the community fosters healthy behaviors.
- Engagement: Does an area encourage community involvement and diverse social interactions? The answer is measured via metrics like voter participation, nondiscrimination laws, and access to cultural venues, social outlets and high-speed internet.
- Opportunity: The opportunity score (calculated by input from our technical advisory panel and using the Index) determines things like the availability of jobs with living wages, school-district performance and whether the community is multigenerational.
The myth of the perfect place to live
Shannon Guzman, AARP director of housing and livable communities, says there is no such thing as a perfect community.
“All of these communities are on a continuum of livability,” Guzman says. “We score communities on a scale of zero to 100. The average score is 50.”
This is how San Francisco can top the livability index for very large communities for the sixth year in a row, even though the area’s monthly housing costs are three times higher than the U.S. median ($2,693 compared to $943 nationally). San Francisco excels in other metrics, especially health, boasting excellent access to health care, universal access to exercise opportunities and low smoking rates.
“There isn't one size or one type of community that fits all,” Harrell says. “It’s about knowing how well your community will work for you today and into the future.”
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