|
E-mail this page to a friend!
Boomers Want Action-Packed Retirement, Some Want to
Continue Work
Survey Shows Wish List Includes More Activity, More
Amenities, More Friends
June 14, 2005 - As Baby Boomers near retirement
age, many say they anticipate leading active lifestyles well into their
later years, according to the 2005 Del Webb Baby Boomer Survey.
Approximately 50% of Boomers ages 50-59 plan to purchase new homes for
their retirement, where they can enjoy lifestyles that allow them to
remain physically fit and socially active. For some, remaining active
may also include working beyond "retirement" age.
"This is a generation that wants to continue to
rock and roll, not sit around in rocking chairs," says Dave Schreiner,
vice president of active adult business development for Pulte Homes (Del
Webb is a brand of Pulte Homes). "Boomers have been buying homes in Del
Webb active adult communities because they can find the amenities they
want in order to remain active as they age."
Pulte Homes, with its Del Webb brand, is the
nation's leading developer of active adult communities for people aged
55 and over. The first Del Webb survey of the Baby Boomer generation was
conducted in 1996(2). This year's study was conducted by Harris
Interactive(R) on behalf of Pulte Homes to understand Boomers' opinions
of the issues they will be facing in the near future, their thoughts on
active adult communities, home features, lifestyle, dating, friendships
and more.
With America's population of 55-to-75 year-olds
estimated to reach 80 million-plus by 2020, the active adult market
represents one of the fastest- growing segments in the housing industry.
The U.S. Census Bureau predicts that 26 states will double their
populations of people older than 65 by 2030.
Active Lifestyles
Data for the Del Webb Baby Boomer survey was analyzed by various age
subgroups to see if there were any differences in opinion among various
age groups including younger (age 41-49) and older (age 50-59) Boomers.
The majority (59%) of younger Boomers indicate they
intend to buy a new home for their retirement and remain within driving
distance of family members. "Better lifestyle" factors include the
ability to travel, spend more time with family/loved ones or enjoy a
warmer climate. About half (45%) of all respondents who will move expect
to move to another state, with Florida (14%), Arizona (12%), North
Carolina (10%), California (8%), Texas (5%) and Nevada (5%) considered
the most popular.
Age 41-49
-- 59% indicate
they will buy a new home for retirement, with 45% of
those willing to
move saying they would relocate out of state.
-- 60% of those who
will move cite a better community lifestyle as their
most important
reason for moving, followed by a desire for a warmer
climate (45%),
or to be closer to their family (40%).
-- 27% of those who
will move say the maximum distance from family they
would want to
live is one-to-three hours away; however, proximity is
not a concern
for 35%.
-- 25% of those who
will move say they plan to spend $100,000-$199,999 on
a new home.
Age 50-59
-- 48% of those who
will move -- the highest percentage -- indicate they
will move to
another state.
-- 66% of those who
will move indicate that their most important reason
for moving is to
seek a better community lifestyle, followed by warmer
climate (54%)
and being closer to family (42%).
-- 23% of those who
will move say the maximum distance from family they
would want to
live is one-to-three hours away, while proximity to
family is not a
concern for 36%.
-- 30% who will
move plan to spend $100,000-$199,999 on a home.
Active Adult Community Amenities
Of Boomers (ages 41-59) who plan to move and are
interested in a new home at an active adult community (for residents age
55 and older), top amenities they desire in a new community include full
maintenance lawn care, walking trails, and access to swimming and water
fitness programs. Education, social activities and security features are
also important considerations for many.
Age 41-49
-- Top preferred
amenities and programs include walking (81%), full
maintenance lawn
care (80%) and swimming/water-based fitness (73%).
-- Hobbies and
clubs are important for 75%; many want art or photography
courses (56%) or
college courses (55%).
-- 65% would prefer
a gated community.
Age 50-59
-- Top preferred
amenities and programs include walking (79%), full
maintenance lawn
care (77%) and swimming/water-based fitness (68%).
-- 59% want hobbies
and clubs; 41% want art or photography courses; 38%
want college
courses.
-- 61% would prefer
roving security.
Home Features
Younger Boomers were less likely to indicate a
desire to downsize their retirement home. In terms of features, older
respondents had a preference for more practical features, versus luxury
amenities. Many respondents also want more than one bedroom that can be
used for guests or as office space -- although most plan to fully
retire, some will continue working because they enjoy it or want to
remain active.
Age 41-49
-- 36% who will
move plan to downsize their home in retirement.
-- 49% who want
more than one bedroom want an extra bedroom as a guest
room for
visitors, 29% as an office.
-- 24% working
outside the home who will continue working will do so for
enjoyment; 12%
will do so to remain active.
-- 26% who will
move want bathrooms with spa-like amenities.
Age 50-59
-- 49% who will
move plan to downsize.
-- 58% who want
more than one bedroom want an extra bedroom as a guest
room for
visitors, 28% as an office.
-- 26% working
outside the home who will continue working will do so for
enjoyment and
18% will do so to remain active.
-- 20% who will
move want spa-like baths.
Technology, Lifestyle, Dating, Friendships
Younger single Boomers are more likely to be dating
than other age groups. This segment also is more likely to engage in
social online behaviors including e-mailing, visiting chat rooms, dating
and blogging. Older single respondents are interested in dating but may
not be currently doing so. Many keep in touch with their friends and
family via e-mail.
Age 41-49
-- 45% of single
respondents indicate that they sometimes date / would
like to date,
but are not currently dating.
-- 31% of single
respondents are actively dating.
-- 97% of
respondents use e-mail.
Age 50-59
-- 52% of single
respondents indicate that they sometimes date / would
like to date,
but are not currently dating.
-- 14% of single
respondents are actively dating.
-- 94% use e-mail.
Survey Details
The 2005 Del Webb Baby Boomer Survey report can be
found at
http://onlinepressroom.net/pulte/babyboomer . For additional
information please visit
http://www.pulte.com/ or
http://www.delwebb.com/ .
Harris Interactive(R) conducted the online survey
on behalf of Pulte Homes between April 14-20, 2005, among 1,802 adults
aged 41-69 who live in 10 different regions of the U.S.: the Northeast,
Southeast, Florida, Great Lakes, Texas, Rocky Mountains, Arizona,
Nevada, Northern California, and Southern California. The data for this
study were weighted to represent the total population of adults aged
41-69 within these regions for age, race/ethnicity, sex, education,
income, region and propensity to be online. In theory, with probability
samples of this size, one could say with 95 percent certainty that the
overall results have a sampling error of +/- 3 percentage points.
Sampling error for the various sub-sample results is higher and varies.
This online sample was not a probability sample.
Click to More Senior News on the
Front Page
Copyright: SeniorJournal.com |
