CNA 2022-25 vFINAL 09202022 MASTER COPY - Flipbook - Page 22
Figure 1: Elder Self-Sufficiency Levels for New York, Steuben County, and Yates County
For a renter couple in good health, Source: UMass-Boston Gerontology Institute
In 2021, the Gerontology Institute completed research based on the 2020 Elder Index about the impact of
gender on income levels.
New estimates from the 2020 Elder Index illustrate the elevated risk of economic insecurity experienced
by older women, especially those living alone. We compare annual household incomes to the Elder Index
for adults aged 65 years or older living in one- and two-person households to calculate the percentage
of older adults with annual incomes that do not support economic security. The gender gap in economic
security is especially high in the Northeast and parts of the Midwest. The relative disadvantage of living
alone compared to living in a coupled household is higher for women than men. Women who are age 85
or older and women of color are at especially high risk of economic insecurity. These findings highlight
the sizable impact of gender inequality throughout the life course on retirement security.39
The Gerontology Institute research indicates that in the United States, 54% of older women living alone,
along with 45% of older men living alone, have annual incomes below the Elder Index, i.e., are
economically insecure. In addition, 24% of older adults living in couple households have annual incomes
below the Elder Index. In New York, about 63% of women living alone are economically insecure,
compared with about 56% of men and 30% of couples, as shown in Table 4 below (with two neighboring
states for comparison). Please note that these three states have the highest levels of elder economic
insecurity in the country.40
39
Mutchler, Jan; Velasco Roldán, Nidya; and Li, Yang, "Late-life Gender Disparities in Economic Security in
the Context of Geography, Race and Ethnicity, and Age: Evidence from the 2020 Elder Index" (2021).
Center for Social and Demographic Research on Aging Publications. 52.
https://scholarworks.umb.edu/demographyofaging/52
40 Mutchler, Jan; Velasco Roldán, Nidya; and Li, Yang, "Late-life Gender Disparities in Economic Security in
the Context of Geography, Race and Ethnicity, and Age: Evidence from the 2020 Elder Index" (2021).Center
for Social and Demographic Research on Aging Publications. 52.
https://scholarworks.umb.edu/demographyofaging/52
Pro Action of Steuben and Yates, Inc. Community Needs Assessment 2022 – 2025
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