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Key takeaways
- A residence preference and a community preference are different survey questions.
- Preference, expected behavior and a paid service purchase are separate measures.
- A business plan needs evidence about the actual service, support and payment arrangements.
What does the preference evidence actually say?
AARP's 2024 survey reports that 75% of adults age 50+ preferred remaining in their current residence as long as possible, while 73% preferred remaining in their community. The survey also found that 44% in that age group expected to move. These are answers to different questions. None is a count of home-care customers. (Sources: report, questionnaire)
The survey combined two kinds of samples: probability and nonprobability. Its weighted results describe preferences. They do not count the people who will buy a service. This definition does not tell a person which home or support would suit their needs. (Source: survey methodology)
Why is a preference not a customer forecast?
Imagine a hypothetical group of 100 respondents with 75 residence preferences and 44 expected moves. These counts are teaching inputs. They are not the actual unweighted survey responses. We do not know how the two groups overlap. Subtracting 44 from 75 does not identify 31 certain home-care customers.
A purchase depends on more than preference. The service, timing, support, payment and choice of provider all matter. The industry outlook guide explains how to test those connections before forecasting a business's growth.
Why it matters in a senior care sale
An owner can explain how the service meets household preferences. The business still needs separate evidence about its work. A buyer should review actual inquiries, service starts, deliverable hours and collections. Those records can help test the business plan. A national survey percentage cannot do that for every older resident in a territory.
The demographics guide helps define the population being considered. Medicare Advantage and other payment arrangements require their own analysis; a housing preference does not establish coverage or a provider's access to payment.
Frequently asked questions
Does aging in place always mean never moving?
The phrase can refer to remaining in a home or community as needs change. A preference to remain does not guarantee that circumstances or choices will stay the same. A survey question about a current residence is also different from a question about the broader community.
What age group does the AARP preference statistic describe?
The 75% residence-preference figure cited here describes adults age 50+ in AARP's weighted 2024 survey results. It is not an age-65+ purchase rate. Keep the survey period, question and population with the percentage when using it in a business discussion.
Can preference and expected-move percentages be subtracted?
Not to infer certain customers. In the hypothetical 100-person illustration, 75 residence preferences and 44 expected moves are answers to different questions. Their overlap is unknown. Subtracting them does not establish 31 people who will remain, require paid care or choose a particular provider.
What should a buyer verify beyond an aging-in-place preference?
Review actual requests, service fit, practical delivery capacity, household support and payment evidence. A preference is useful context, but it does not prove eligibility, affordability, suitable care arrangements or collected business revenue. The individual situation and operating model require their own review.
Sources
Sources are dated to distinguish current guidance from earlier publications. They support the identified facts; the transaction questions and examples are educational analysis.
- AARP: 2024 Home and Community Preferences report (2024). Retrieved September 7, 2026.
- AARP: Home and Community Preferences methodology (2024). Retrieved September 7, 2026.
- AARP: Home and Community Preferences questionnaire by age (2024). Retrieved September 7, 2026.