Most households headed by someone age 65 or over are either married couples living by themselves (37 percent) or single individuals (42 percent). With age, however, the share of solo households increases, reaching 58 percent among those 80 and over. As the baby boomers cross into their 80s over the next 20 years, the numbers of single-person households among the oldest age group will grow dramatically, from 4.7 million households in 2018 to an estimated 10.1 million in 2038 (Figure 1). Read the full report.
FIGURE 1: BY 2038, THE NUMBER OF OLDER HOUSEHOLDS AGE 80 AND OVER IS PROJECTED TO REACH 10.1 MILLION

Source: 2018 JCHS Household Projections.