2025 Snapshot: The Mismatch Between an Aging Population and the Homes and Neighborhoods They Need
New Jersey—along with many other parts of the country—is experiencing a housing shortage, driving up rents and home prices and prompting many households to leave the state in search of cheaper housing elsewhere. The state is also aging, with residents aged 65 and older comprising an increasing share of the total population.
The two trends are converging in ways that should attract the concern of policy makers. A lack of aging-friendly housing options limits the number of places in New Jersey that older residents might call home as they seek to downsize. And the limited supply threatens to drive up costs for older households living on fixed incomes, particularly those who do not own their homes. The options are even more limited in places with walkable neighborhoods – an important consideration given that older people are at higher risk of being killed as pedestrians.
This snapshot report uses data to:
- Document the aging of the population, as people live longer and as the massive Baby Boom generation ages into retirement.
- Illustrate the current state of housing supply and variety in New Jersey, including housing types that are better suited to older residents than the single-family detached house.
- Show how the lack of housing options affects affordability, particularly for renters.
- Make the case that pedestrian-friendliness needs to be a key component of aging-friendly housing and development strategies.
