Precarious Aging: the Spatial Context of Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Economic Security in Later Life

Many older adults struggle to meet their daily expenses, but persons of color have amplified risk of economic insecurity. In this article, by situating older adults in their geographic locations of residence, we discuss how life-course experiences intersect with aspects of older people’s communities to produce disparities in experiencing precarious financial situations. Race-based risks and disadvantages that accumulate over time yield racial disparities in income among older adults. Taking into account local cost of living reveals substantial disparities in economic security by race. Disparities are far greater in some states than in other