Boomers on the Horizon: Housing Preferences of the 55+ Market

Boomers on the Horizon presents the results of a housing preferences survey that was sponsored by the National Association of Home Builders and administered nationwide to 890 households whose householder (or head of household) is at least 55 years old. Administered in September, 2000, this survey addresses a wide variety of housing-related preferences: * Community, home size and type, and lot * Rooms * Features and designs * Shopping habits, trade-offs, and opinions and attitudes * Community amenities Margaret Wylde exhaustively presents the survey results but leaves interpretation to the reader. Having waded into the ocean of data, I find that four important insights emerge: * Developers of housing for active seniors must begin to meet the needs of employed seniors. * Developers of housing for active seniors must consider the existing housing stock in a given market. * Developers of seniors housing must understand the limitations of stated preferences in survey data. * Market segmentation in seniors housing must evolve from demographics to customer needs. Professionals in the seniors housing and care industry will notice a glaring absence of data on preferences related to health care services, congregate living, or even age-restricted communities. Nevertheless, Boomers on the Horizon is a must-read for anyone who consults with developers of housing for active seniors.