An 'explosion' of solo-agers are 'flying without a net'

"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."

"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.""

Valerie Miller, 68, lives alone in a San Bernardino mobile home park, works remotely full time, and lacks nearby family or close friends, raising financial and social insecurity. Many older adults have become 'solo-agers' — unmarried, childless, and living alone — with about 28% of people 65 and older (22.1 million) in that category. The share rose from roughly 10% in 1950, and most solo-agers are women. Family dispersion since the baby boom has left many elders without nearby relatives. Older Americans who live alone face higher rates of poverty and worse emotional and physical health.

Read at Business Insider