Living Below the Line: Economic Insecurity and Older Americans Insecurity in Massachusetts 2016

New estimates from the 2016 Elder Economic Security Standard IndexTM reveal that in Massachusetts, six out of ten older adults living alone, and three out of ten living in two-person households, cannot afford the basic necessities of life such as food, housing in a safe community and health care. The Gerontology Institute compares 2016 household incomes for adults age 65 and above living in one- and two-person households to the 2016 Elder Economic Security Standard IndexTM for Massachusetts to calculate Elder Economic Insecurity Rates (EEIRs), the percentage of independent adults age 65 or older living in households with annual incomes that make them economically insecure. The EEIRs allow state and local governments to better understand and benchmark how many and which older adults are at risk of financial instability. With an EEIR of 61%, Massachusetts ranks near the top among the states in percentage of singles with incomes below the statewide Elder Index value, second only to Mississippi. In every state, more than four out of ten older singles are at risk of being unable to afford basic needs and age in their own homes