What percentage of the US population over 70 lives in retirement communities?

1. Why the number is hard to pin down: definitions and data gaps

“Retirement community” is not a uniform Census or federal statistical category; it can mean 55+ active‑adult developments, independent living, assisted living, continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs), or other residential care settings. The official federal retirement statistics in our set focus on program participation or annuitants rather than residential settings, so the Office of Personnel Management data do not provide a population breakdown by congregate senior living arrangements ^[2]. Analyses that do discuss housing mix (for “older adults” broadly) typically come from private compilations and market reports that use differing definitions and age thresholds ^{[1] [4]}.

2. What existing sources say about older adults’ housing mixes

Annuity.org’s 2025 retirement statistics summary reports that in 2021 “independent living” was the most common housing type for older adults at 49.8%, with nursing care at 28.8% and assisted care at 21.4% — but the piece does not say whether those shares refer to the 65+ or 70+ population, nor does it map those categories onto the market label “retirement community” ^[1]. Industry market reports emphasize the growth and dollars in the 55+ community sector (for example, a market‑analysis press release estimates a $661 billion active‑adults community market in 2025), yet that coverage aims at investors and developers and does not translate market size into a clear share of the 70+ population living in retirement communities ^[4].

3. Competing perspectives and implicit agendas in the reporting

Private compilations (Annuity.org, industry market releases) tend to emphasize trends attractive to consumers or investors — e.g., growth of 55+ communities and demand for maintenance‑free living — which can understate heterogeneity among older adults ^{[1] [4]}. Federal sources like the OPM materials center on federal retirees and program metrics rather than dwelling on living arrangements; their narrow mission explains the absence of the direct statistic you asked for ^[2]. Because market reports can be commercially motivated, they may highlight opportunity and demand (an implicit developer/investor agenda) rather than providing neutral population percentages ^[4].

4. What’s missing that would give a clean answer

The single clean number you asked for — percent of U.S. residents aged 70+ who live in retirement communities — would require (a) an agreed definition of “retirement community,” (b) a population survey or administrative dataset that maps housing settings by age, and (c) publication of an age‑specific share (70+) rather than a broad “older adults” bucket. The provided federal and nonprofit sources in this search set do not supply that age‑specific residential breakdown ^{[2] [3]}. Private compilations give useful context but stop short of producing a reproducible 70+ percentage ^{[1] [4]}.

5. Practical next steps if you want a defensible estimate

• Use a precise definition: decide whether “retirement community” includes only licensed assisted living/CCRCs or also 55+ active‑adult neighborhoods. Available reporting shows market distinctions between “active adults (55+)” and licensed care settings ^{[4] [1]}.
• Consult targeted datasets: national surveys that classify living arrangements by fine age bands (e.g., Census American Community Survey or specialized Aging profiles) are likely sources; those are not present in the current result set but are the type of data that would answer your question (not found in current reporting).
• Expect a range: given current reporting patterns, any best‑available answer will likely be an estimate range accompanied by method notes (how “retirement community” was defined and what age group was used) rather than a single universally accepted percentage ^{[1] [4]}.

6. Bottom line for readers

Current reporting in this set does not produce a direct percentage of U.S. residents aged 70+ living in retirement communities; private summaries suggest substantial shares of “older adults” live in independent or congregate care settings but do not isolate 70+ specifically ^[1]. If you want a defensible figure, define “retirement community” precisely and consult age‑specific housing data such as the American Community Survey or specialized aging reports not included in this search set ^{[2] [3]}.