• A growing number of Americans are "solo-agers" — they live alone and don't have family to rely on.

• They're much more likely to live in poverty and struggle with their health.

• Advocates warn these older adults will need more support as they age.

Valerie Miller, 68, has lived in the same community in San Bernardino, California, for decades. But as she's gotten older, her connections have dwindled. She lives alone, has never been married, and doesn't have kids.

Many of her friends have moved out of state to retire or be closer to their grandchildren, while others have died. Miller's only remaining family members are a brother and a nephew she rarely talks to. While she works full-time at a truck-permitting company, the role is remote, so she spends most of her time at home by herself. She worries about being priced out of the mobile home park she lives in if she has to stop working.

"It feels like I'm flying without a net," she said. "There's no one to catch me."

Miller is part of a booming population of so-called "solo-agers," or older adults who live alone, are unmarried, and don't have adult children they can rely on. About 28% of people 65 and older — 22.1 million people — live alone and don't have children, according to 2022 US Census data. That share is up from about 10% in 1950. While the share of older women living alone has fallen slightly in the last 30 years, the vast majority of solo-agers are women.

The trend of smaller and more geographically scattered families began with baby boomers and has accelerated since, said Vickie Bajtelsmit, a professor emeritus of finance at Colorado State University who has investigated best practices for solo-agers. That's left many people in their golden years without family close by.

"When I was a kid, most people stayed in the same area where they grew up," said Bajtelsmit, who's a baby boomer. "Our generation, everybody has spread to the winds."

Older Americans who live alone tend to struggle more financially and with their emotional and physical health. About 20% of older people who lived alone were in poverty, compared with 6% of those who lived with others, according to a Pew analysis of 2023 Census data. They also report a lower quality of life. More than half of people over 50 said they don't feel confident about living alone as they get older, a recent AARP survey found.

Miller has struggled with arthritis and vertigo, and said she doesn't have anyone reliable to lean on for support. It's also gotten harder for her to live alone and do physical chores, like home maintenance and yard work.

"I'll get a notice because the trees are too bushy or the weeds are bad, and it's getting to the point where I can't do my gardening," she said.

Housing woes and rising costs

While older people control a disproportionate share of the country's wealth, many are also struggling with the rising cost of living. That includes rising healthcare and long-term care costs. Services like home health aides and assisted living are out of reach for most.

The country isn't prepared for "the explosive growth of solo agers," said Bob Kramer, founder of the National Investment Center for Seniors Housing and Care (NIC). For one thing, developers aren't building enough housing designed for them, he said.

Even just downsizing to an accessible and affordable home can be tricky.

Denise Cariello, 59, has been married and divorced twice and now lives alone in a one-bedroom rental apartment in Irvine, California. The Illinois native moved to California to be closer to her three adult children after getting sick several years ago. She's since taken up part-time work, and she relishes her independence. But she worries she won't be able to afford rising rent in the pricey area.

"I don't really know what the future holds. I don't know if I'd be able to afford to stay in California," she said. "So I try not to think about it too much."

A very small slice of apartments and condos are fully accessible for people with mobility issues. Just 10% of homes have multiple basic accessibility features, like an entry without steps and a bedroom and bathroom on the first floor.

"Most developers don't want to go to the expense, let alone have a unit that looks like it's designed for somebody old," Kramer said. "So you're not going to see grab bars. You're not going to see elevated toilets."

Most new, smaller homes are designed for young people or small families.

"We're not building it for the average single woman who's 72 years old, and she wants a place of companionship, comfort, and safety that she can afford," Kramer said.

The scarcity of housing suitable for older people has accelerated a surge in demand for age-restricted "active adult" communities or independent living.

Barbara White, 72, is among the fortunate baby boomers able to downsize to a more affordable and accessible home in a retirement community. A veteran realtor, White sold her four-bedroom house on Amelia Island in North Florida for about double what she bought it for seven years earlier. She then moved south to a new 55+ community in Brevard County, where she bought a single-story two-bedroom house with cash from her home sale.

White, a widow, lives alone, though she isn't technically a solo-ager. She has two adult sons who also live in Florida. And she likes living independently, and doesn't have any plans for what she'll do if that's no longer possible.

"I like my own time, my own space," she said.

Bajtelsmit worries that not enough solo-agers are planning ahead. Because they often have a weaker support network, she says they should get an earlier start figuring out what they might need help with in the future.

"The big issue is having nobody else to help you once you lose some functioning, so that requires a solo ager to try to make decisions earlier," she said.

That could mean getting rid of possessions and downsizing into a smaller and more accessible home earlier than one might otherwise. It could also include finding professional help with finances or hiring a healthcare proxy or caregivers.

Bajtelsmit recently authored a report for the Society of Actuaries that includes recommendations for how solo-agers should approach everything from paying bills to doing home repairs.

"The way to think about it is, what are things that a family member would normally do for you as you get old?" she said.

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