"At 61, Alexander Remus has pared his life down to the essentials. He lives on a modest pension, avoids restaurants, and allows himself just one visit to a movie theater a month "to stay sane." Even his prescriptions for a chronic health condition aren't guaranteed - some months, he skips doses to stretch his budget. The sacrifices are painful, but he said they're the only way to keep up with the cost of living."
"A new poll finds many of the Bay Area's older residents are feeling the pinch. A third of the retired respondents, like Remus, say they are just making ends meet, one in six is struggling to pay the bills, and 6% report being in serious financial trouble. The 2025 poll by Bay Area News Group and Joint Venture Silicon Valley, a regional economic think tank, surveyed 1,743 adults across the core five-county Bay Area in August."
"The Bay Area is a punishing place to grow old on a fixed income. The cost of living is higher than the national average, and the cost of a house is twice that of the national average, according to a 2025 report from the state's Legislative Analyst's Office. "This is a fabulous place to live for the high flyers," said Russell Hancock, president and CEO of Joint Venture Silicon Valley. "But for everyone else, this is a tough place to make it happen.""
A 61-year-old retired highway maintenance worker lives on a modest pension, avoids restaurants, limits movies to one per month, and sometimes skips prescriptions to stretch his budget. One third of retired Bay Area older adults are just making ends meet, one in six struggle to pay bills, and 6% face serious financial trouble. Older adults are California's fastest-growing demographic; by 2030 about 25% of residents will be 60 or older. The Bay Area's high costs—including living expenses above the national average and house prices about twice the national average—prompt widespread cutbacks and delayed purchases.
Read at The Mercury News
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