“Baby Boomers,” defined as people who were born between 1946-1964, are the wealthiest generation to ever retire, as well as the largest. According to U.S. Census Bureau projections, the population of people 65 and older will increase by 36% between 2013-2023 and is expected to outnumber children by 2034 — for the first time in U.S. history.
Interestingly, in the decade since the Great Recession,people aged 50-59 are increasingly bucking tradition and moving to urban areas. As Boomers retire en masse, they are headed for major cities, favoring amenities-loaded condos over large single-family homes with manicured lawns. What is responsible for this change in older adults?
Home Maintenance Considerations
One of the largest factors causing boomers to migrate to cities is home maintenance. Once adult children are out of the home, many people downsize into more manageable houses. Larger suburban homes take a lot of work between routine home maintenance, not to mention larger emergency repairs.
It makes sense then, that people 55 and older accounted for the largest increase in the rental home segment from 2007-2017, with a 38% rise in those older than 55 and a 43% increase in people older than 65. In stark contrast, the increase in rentals in people aged 54 and under in the same time period was less than 10%.
Creature Comforts
Another thing responsible for older adults moving away from the suburbs and into more urban areas is the abundance of amenities large cities can offer them. Exceptionally walkable cities such as those where universities are located tend to cluster upscale condos and apartments near major shopping outlets and public transportation lines, as well as a multitude of options for shopping, dining, cultural experiences, and medical services.
Cities like Lawrence, Kansas and Bloomington, Indiana have taken note of the trend — and the fact that boomers have about 70% of all disposable income in the United States — and have taken steps to lure retirees in, offering recreation opportunities specific to seniors and making public transportation and preventive healthcare more accessible.
This trend of boomers moving back into large cities, while fascinating, makes perfect sense and is expected to continue for the foreseeable future as cities make themselves more and more appealing, as well as accessible.
If you are in the market for a new home or interested in refinancing your current property, be sure to contact your trusted home mortgage professional.
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About the Author:
Babak Moghaddam graduated from University of Southern California in 1985. He entered the mortgage industry as a compliance auditor at the Bank of New York in 1986 and completed his masters in Business Administration two years later. After seventeen years in the traditional mortgage banking world Babak finally transformed this vision into his own practice in 2002 when he formed Charter Pacific Lending Corp, a mortgage company that has provided over $900 Million in residential real estate loans throughout Southern California. Babak and his team do things a little differently than other mortgage providers. They work as financial advisors, because they have come to realize that a mortgage is a very powerful financial tool. And just like any other financial tool, it should be managed as part of the overall financial management plan to reach every home owner’s long and short-term financial goals much faster. You can contact Babak for a free consultation and strategy session at (800) 322-1217 X103.