More seniors age in place and work longer across US metros

The senior population continues to migrate to Sun Belt metros, but the trend has abated as more seniors are deciding to age in place than in previous generations. Top destinations for net in-migration of those 65 and over include many locales in Florida, South Carolina, and Arizona, but others have emerged as retirement hubs. Because more are aging in place and working longer, metros with the fastest growing senior population are those with the highest job growth.

What you will learn:

• Metros that have seen the greatest in-migration of seniors include The Villages, Punta Gorda, Sebastian, and Naples, FL; St. George, UT; and Myrtle Beach, SC. But for most of these metros, senior in-migration fell from higher levels in previous generations. Metros with the steepest senior out-migration include many in the Northeast and Midwest, but these have seen less senior out-migration in recent years than ten or more years ago.
• States that have seen rising in-migration of seniors include South Carolina, South Dakota, Idaho, Maine, and especially Delaware.
• Seniors are likely choosing to age in place in more locales because they are working longer; the labor force participation of those 65 and older has risen sharply since the 1990s.