Elder Index 2025: Living Between the Lines<\/a>\u201d is a national state comparison report. It notes that in the gap, \u201cindividuals are considered vulnerable because they often do not qualify for social safety nets despite lacking enough resources for an adequate lifestyle.\u201d<\/p>\nHaving an adequate lifestyle when you\u2019re a senior citizen is not just about income; location matters a great deal, as well. It\u2019s far more expensive to live in San Francisco, California, than in Dayton, Ohio.<\/p>\n
Unlike the federal poverty line, which is the same regardless of where you live in the contiguous U.S., the Elder Index assesses the cost of essentials on a county-by-county or metro area basis. And it admittedly doesn\u2019t include everything, according to Caitlin Coyle, director of the institute\u2019s Center for Social & Demographic Research on Aging.<\/p>\n
Coyle said the gap is growing and speaks to the \u201cbroader trend of widening economic disparity.\u201d <\/p>\n
Two-person households are somewhat insulated, while the bigger struggles on average belong to single renters, she said. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe Elder Index is a very bare bones, conservative cost-of-living metric. I think of those in the gap as the forgotten middle class. They have too much to qualify for programs like food stamps or Medicaid, yet they are struggling to keep up with the increasing cost of living,\u201d Coyle said.<\/p>\n
The Elder Index<\/p>\n
The center has produced the index for 20 years, but at the end of 2025 it got one of its every-three-year updates, which accounts for cost changes. The costs are also adjusted annually based on the Consumer Price Index. <\/p>\n
Coyle told Deseret News that it\u2019s meant to add to conversations \u201cfrom a policy, research and practical perspective. Often, when we talk about financial insecurity in America, we look at the federal poverty line, which does not account for regional differences or the concept that one is living on a fixed income in later life. The index puts those two \u2018holes\u2019 into context: the geographic difference and the late-life difference.\u201d<\/p>\n
Costs have risen pretty steadily over the last decade, according to a media briefing on the revised index. The researchers said for single homeowners who do not have a mortgage, the index increased by 31%, while for single homeowners with a mortgage it rose 29%, for example. And for single renters, costs rose a striking 47%.<\/p>\n
The index differentiates based on health status \u2014 healthcare is obviously more expensive if health is poor \u2014 whether one rents, owns outright or carries a mortgage, is single or in a couple, as well as on income and location. <\/p>\n
Among the things related to quality of life that the index doesn\u2019t account for are debt, recreation \u2014 which can be as simple as an occasional outing or movie \u2014 or travel to visit grandkids, among many others. It doesn\u2019t account for many social determinants that contribute to a happy life, Coyle said.<\/p>\n
Housing costs, which are skyrocketing in many communities nationwide, including across Utah, are \u201cthe No. 1 driver of the index,\u201d Coyle said. \u201cRenters by far have the highest Elder Index values and are the most exposed to the fragility of the local market,\u201d she said. \u201cWe see a trend: Renters need the most money, followed by people who own their home but still have a mortgage. The most insulated group are people who own their home outright. However, there are still people \u2018in the gap\u2019 in that category.\u201d<\/p>\n
The current index is based on 2024 data, so it could be even worse than it looks because it isn\u2019t responsive in real time. It also doesn\u2019t include dependent care, like an adult child caring for a grandchild or paying for an older person\u2019s nursing home care, she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI would argue the gap is even larger than we can demonstrate.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IYE6FRF24JAMBCBOMAD7Q3NE3Y.JPG\")
John McCarthy looks through the donated food that he received at Hildegarde’s Food Pantry in Salt Lake City on Friday, Oct. 31, 2025. | Laura Seitz, Deseret News A peek at some numbers<\/p>\n
On average, nationally, a single person needs $34,000 a year to live a very basic adequate life. But about 7.7 million single older adults \u2014 more than half of them \u2014 do not have what it takes to meet that low bar. The researchers said that \u201cthe below-the-Elder-Index group is a combination of people who fall below the poverty line, but also 32% who are in the gap.\u201d<\/p>\n
As for older couples, about 1 in 4 who rent their homes have incomes below the Elder Index value of $47,000 a year for a fairly solid financial footing. That\u2019s another 5.4 million people.<\/p>\n
In both cases, good health is assumed. The share with poor health who fail to have enough for an adequate lifestyle is higher. <\/p>\n
The states with the most expensive Elder Index values, assuming renting and good health, are:<\/p>\n
MassachusettsNew YorkCaliforniaHawaiiMarylandNew Jersey<\/p>\n
But there are lots of other ways to measure flourishing and floundering. For instance, the states with the lowest rates of economic insecurity for older singles are:<\/p>\n
OklahomaSouth DakotaIowaWyomingDelaware<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a mix that varies with the situation. Massachusetts has a high cost of living and also high income, so a significant share of older adults live below the Elder Index line because income lags behind high cost of living. Mississippi has lower cost of living but also lower incomes. <\/p>\n
In Wayne County, West Virginia, older people need $2,169 for an adequate income. In Orange County, California, it\u2019s $3,733. The cost drivers are different, too. In Wayne County, rent is $850 a month, compared to $2,400 a month in Orange County.<\/p>\n
Using the index at elderindex.org, anyone can compare up to four counties or metro areas at a time and select housing status and other factors. <\/p>\n
For those who own their home, the biggest cost driver is healthcare.<\/p>\n
A couple in good health needs about $3,000 a month in retirement on average to reach the average adequate, but basic Elder Index line in Utah, Putnam said.<\/p>\n
And good health might change. Or the roof could need replacing. Or…. Even if you own your own home, she said, and a rise in housing costs around you doesn\u2019t affect you directly, it does. Property taxes may go up.<\/p>\n
3 metros, 3 stories<\/p>\n
Deseret News chose three geographically diverse metro areas to compare, based on what\u2019s adequate for older adult couples in good (not poor or excellent) health who have a mortgage. <\/p>\n
In the Boston area, the monthly expenses in the index would require $5,355 compared to $4,027 in the Orlando metro area and $4,362 in the Salt Lake City metro area. The biggest differences are housing and healthcare costs. <\/p>\n
A couple in the Boston metro would need about $64,260 a year, which is 123% of the national average of $52,380. In Orlando, the same couple would need $48,324 a year or 92% of the national average. Salt Lake City metro is pretty much at the national average, at $52,344 a year.<\/p>\n
Single renters in good health have very different results. The Boston area is far more expensive than the other two, at $3,774, compared to Orlando\u2019s $3,080 and Salt Lake City\u2019s $2,857. Housing costs are the main difference. For renters, the Boston area costs are 133% of the national average.<\/p>\n
As the Elder Index website notes, quoting a 2022 New York Times article, \u201cLiving costs and inflation rates vary considerably around the country and that means a Social Security check goes farther in some regions than in others. The Elder Index shows that the average benefit covers 90% of living costs in rural West Virginia but just 38% in San Francisco.\u201d<\/p>\n
Planning for retirement<\/p>\n
The index can help adults approaching retirement see what they\u2019ll need and if they\u2019ve saved enough or have adequate resources. Using Utah as an example, Coyle said, \u201cThe index makes real what people are living every day. Utah may have historically been considered an affordable place to age, but the index shows that is no longer the case due to population growth and development. <\/p>\n
She added, \u201cPeople who are retired now were saving for retirement when the reality was much different than it is in 2026.\u201d<\/p>\n
Still, it\u2019s a \u201crealistic benchmark for what people will need in retirement,\u201d she said. And it provides objective data for a policy conversation. \u201cI hope states and localities use it when setting eligibility criteria for assistance programs. Often requirements are so low that people in the gap don\u2019t qualify for things that would deeply improve their lives,\u201d according to Coyle. <\/p>\n
Aging affects pretty much everyone and Coyle worries about \u201cthe fragility of the gap.\u201d <\/p>\n
\u201cPeople are living in a lot of anxiety and fear about how they are going to keep going if a financial shock like a health event or a natural disaster happens. We want to shed light on the fact that people who have worked their whole lives and \u2018done the right thing\u2019 still aren\u2019t able to make ends meet,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n
Even at that couple level, what they\u2019re bringing in from Social Security is usually not enough to meet the Elder Index. They need more income than that, Putnam said, noting people in the gap may need help: Perhaps an adult child buys the fridge when theirs goes out. And they buy toys for their grandkids at Christmas from a dollar store or they rely heavily on coupons to decide what they eat.<\/p>\n
One vital aspect of a good life that may get missed in or below the gap is the ability to do little things that bring joy like attending a concert or a play.<\/p>\n
Socialization is one of the weak points of the Elder Index, because while it\u2019s good for letting someone figure out which community might be affordable, it doesn\u2019t let you bring your church or your friends or your family along.<\/p>\n
\u201cSometimes the worst thing people can do is move away from their support network,\u201d Putnam said, \u201cbecause they need it for socialization or help. Building new networks takes a lot of effort.\u201d<\/p>\n
Making do<\/p>\n
Putnam describes the federal poverty line as \u201cwell below need.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/ZVJHARPGIFEZNNOGODAVHASDHI.JPG\")
John McCarthy gets food at Hildegarde’s Food Pantry in Salt Lake City on Friday, Oct. 31, 2025. McCarthy keeps only what he needs and gives the rest to his neighbors in his apartment building for low-income seniors. | Laura Seitz, Deseret News <\/p>\n
She bridles at the notion that seniors are hogging resources like housing and jobs. \u201cThat\u2019s a complete misunderstanding of who the older adult population is. It\u2019s really large, really diverse and it does include a lot of really wealthy people. But it also includes in some states 30-40% of people. There\u2019s no way they\u2019re taking all the resources. And the other thing that happens when people think that way is they really forget all the contributions older adults make in terms of supporting their families and their kids and their communities \u2014 and the importance of having age-diverse communities.”<\/p>\n
Putnam said most people haven\u2019t saved a lot for retirement. \u201cA large amount of people\u201d don\u2019t have access to a 401(k) and lots of folks have somewhere between $50,000 and $100,000 saved, she said. \u201cIt\u2019s helpful, but it\u2019s not like that target million dollars or whatever that people are advised to save.\u201d<\/p>\n
McCarthy, the Salt Lake City resident, qualifies for subsidized housing, which takes a third of his income. He lives near downtown, so he gave up driving and walks everywhere, though he\u2019s keenly aware that should his health falter, his world will shrink. \u201cI really don\u2019t know what my future will be like,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n
He has held a number of jobs over the years, in his native California and in Utah, including working with computers, at start-up companies and with an airline that at one time had him train staff on being helpful with people who have disabilities. He\u2019s retired now.<\/p>\n
Food is, for many, the biggest challenge. McCarthy has developed a system to help ensure he has enough to eat. He has learned food pantry schedules for when his resources peter out and he also shops very, very carefully. He said he also tries to pass on food to others in his low-income community who need help.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was probably about 15 years ago that I thought I\u2019d better learn about this because my future is very uncertain with a learning disability,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Because he is at the low end of the gap, McCarthy qualifies for some assistance, like the subsidized housing, though that\u2019s precarious, since program rules can change. He\u2019s seen that in action: With recent changes he was \u201cbounced\u201d off Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. <\/p>\n
He\u2019s had to be resourceful to survive. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Many seniors fall into a gap between struggling and thriving financially.Costs of living vary significantly across different metro…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":609992,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[39],"tags":[28,8793,147,530],"class_list":["post-609991","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-personal-finance","tag-business","tag-news-feed-national","tag-personal-finance","tag-personalfinance"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/609991","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=609991"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/609991\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/609992"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=609991"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=609991"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=609991"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/DKHLQPHBIVBFHCTLMQTCTSQGBE.JPG\")
Hildegarde’s Food Pantry manager Cibell Morales-Brown, dressed as Snow White for Halloween, greets John McCarthy as the pantry opens in Salt Lake City on Friday, Oct. 31, 2025. | Laura Seitz, Deseret News <\/p>\n