Aging in the Right Place: Do You Want Your Neighbours to Think and Act Like You?

Best Place to Retire guides remind us that older people must consider the salience or relevance of many quality-of-life factors when contemplating the pros and cons of moving to alternative retirement destinations.

But as comprehensive as these guides are, they have shortcomings. Notably, they seldom rank these places based on their occupants' population makeup.

But who lives in potential retirement destinations is often on retirees' minds.

They are interested in their residents' income and educational levels, ages (younger or older), and cultural (ethnic, racial, and religious) backgrounds. They want to know if a place is mainly occupied by one population group or another and just how diverse its residents are.

Their interest in this information is understandable. They are thinking about a place's social compatibility.

How easy will it be to make friends or to have casual acquaintances? Will they get along with their neighbors? Will they feel at ease at social gatherings or where they shop, dine, have fun, or conduct personal affairs at their banks or health care clinics? Will they enjoy mingling with others in their parks, recreation areas, or senior centers?

Overall, will they feel a sense of belongingness—and be welcomed, accepted, and valued by those who live in their community or neighborhood? 

Birds of a Feather Flock Together

Consistent with their past social lives, most retirees evaluate locations more favorably when their occupants are similar to themselves. They feel more comfortable and safe when they engage in homophilous social relationships. That is, they want to associate and bond with residents like them.

But to be clear, not all retirees think this way.

Others rate their social scenes more favorably when they occupy places where the residents have more diverse population profiles.

For example, retirees differ in whether they want to live among people their age. On the one hand, they like socializing with other older people because they do not have to be apologetic about their indulgent leisure-oriented lifestyles. They enjoy relating to others with comparable life histories who appreciate the joys and disappointments of getting old. And they do not want neighbors with noisy and inconsiderate children and teenagers.

Yet, other retirees seek a place to live with opportunities to interact with younger people. They feel uplifted—more physically active, inspired, stimulated, and self-fulfilled—when they participate in multigenerational activities and can share their experiences and wisdom with younger folks.

Retirees will similarly disagree about whether they want to live in culturally diverse places.

Many enjoy living in places dotted with eateries and street vendors offering different cuisines where patrons speak other languages. They appreciate those with different spiritual practices. They feel enlightened when conversing with people with customs and world views unlike their own. By embracing tolerance and inclusivity, they have more opportunities to learn about the beliefs and lifestyles of others.

But other retirees shy away from places where such multiculturalism is on display. They are far more comfortable living in a place where the occupants speak their language, have similar ethnic or racial backgrounds, and share their religious beliefs and values.

People Diversity of a Different Kind

Retirees must also now consider how they feel about living near people who differ from them in another way. Canadians and Americans increasingly live in societies occupied by a citizenry holding conflicting political and social opinions.

In the U.S., "stark ideological divides" now characterize the viewpoints of Republican and Democratic voters. "Everybody's right and left, polarized." So firmly do individuals hold these divergent opinions that they result in broken marriages, ruined family relationships, and destroyed friendships.

U.S. neighborhoods often are decidedly liberal or conservative in their political views, with dwellings displaying yard signs communicating unequivocal messaging. Even planned active retirement enclaves are politically divided. In one of the largest and fastest growing leisure-oriented communities in the U.S.—the Villages located in Central Florida—75% of the voters are registered Republicans.

In Canada, a report concludes that the ideological differences between the Liberals and Conservatives have increased by over a hundred percent since 1997. Pundits have characterized Canadian politics as increasingly divisive. However, most of Canada's population still holds more middle positions on the liberal-conservative spectrum.

But in both countries, populations hold controversial views on issues such as abortion policies, the rights of LGBTQ+ persons, the possession of assault weapons, climate change policies, free speech rights, and immigration policies.

People disagree about whether these issues demand attention, on what side of a particular issue they stand, and what solutions are best and feasible.

Now, it is easy for retirees to change TV channels, ignore websites, or stop reading newspapers to "turn off" what they feel are objectionable opinions. However, they cannot easily avoid these discordant views when espoused by those around them.

Consequently, older boomers must question how comfortable they feel about retiring in a place predominantly occupied by people with different values and beliefs about life and country.

Retirees, of course, will again be of two minds.

Some will be uneasy living near others with such different views. They feel anxious and troubled when those around them express bitterness or anger toward them because of their different opinions. It is unclear if they "can act neighborly" to those without a shared understanding of the world.

Yet others will be open to places dominated by populations with different political, religious, or social ideologies and persuasions than themselves. They enjoy stimulating and lively debates. Without such diversity, they fear becoming "more closed off and less open to new ideas and opinions."

It's Not a Perfect World

We must acknowledge that older boomers typically prefer to live with people like themselves—with similar financial means, ages, multicultural characteristics, and political and social positions. But those valuing diversity, equity, and inclusion must not judge their choices too harshly.

Retirees may sympathize with utopian visions of people from all walks of life living side by side harmoniously, with tolerance and mutual respect being the order of the day.

However, continued exposure to the animosity and conflicts associated with today's current events and societal happenings may lead them to conclude that such an ideal world is more elusive than ever.

About the Author

Stephen M. Golant, Ph.D., is a leading national speaker, author, and researcher on the housing, mobility, transportation, and long-term care needs of older adult populations. He is a Fellow of the Gerontological Society of America, a Fulbright Senior Scholar award recipient, and Professor Emeritus at the University of Florida. Golant’s latest book is Aging in The Right Place, published by Health Professions Press. Contact him at [email protected]