BOOMERS BY THE NuMBERS
78 million
Number of boomers in the united States:
racial makeup:
White only 82.2%
Black only 11.6%
Hispanic (any race) 10.3%
Asian only 4.3%
American Indian/Alaskan Native 0.9%
Two or more races 0.9%
Boomers’ education:
High school graduate 29.8%
Some college 28.9%
Bachelor’s degree or higher 28.8%
Not graduated from high school 12.5%
employment status in 2006:
Employed 74.1%
Not in labor force 22.4%
unemployed 3.3%
5 states with
the most
boomers:
n California
n Texas
n New York
n Florida
n Pennsylvania
relationshipstatus:
Married 65.6%
Divorced 17%
Never married 11.7%
Separated 3%
Widowed 2.7%
Source: u.S. Census 2006
more, more, more
First encounters with boomers as they
inquire about their parents should be
seen as much more than a right-now
sales opportunity, says James Pusateri,
senior vice president of sales and
marketing for Tampa, Florida-based
horizon Bay retirement Living. “It’s
never too early to think about the boom-
ers,” he says. “Resell the value of retire-
ment living and assisted living and help
them understand that through their
parents. You can’t provide such services
in the home by yourself and also have
the wide range of opportunities for so-
cialization and activities.”
The company is developing a new
prototype that balances the needs
and wants of boomers and current
seniors—Horizon Bay at Hyde Park,
a Mediterranean-style six-story com-
munity in south Tampa. Featuring 136
independent and assisted living units,
it’s scheduled to open next year. While
two floors (64 apartments) are currently
dedicated to immediate assisted living
move-ins, the company has taken the
proactive step of licensing all its inde-
pendent living apartments for assisted
living as well. There will be no differ-
ence in size or quality between apart-
ments, all of which will feature nine-
foot ceilings, full kitchens with granite
countertops, walk-in closets, ceramic
tile, and high-end carpeting.
Wireless Internet will be available
throughout the building, a café will
serve up fancy coffee drinks, and a
fifth-floor sky lounge accessible to all
residents will offer sweeping views of
Tampa Bay, a bar, multiple flat-screen
tool to get you to a life where dreams
come true and you can be everything
you can be.”
Other strategies include teaching a
class at a local community college fo-
cused on taking charge of health, well-
ness, and finances to maximize quality
of life during retirement, or giving pub-
lic presentations about your residence
that invite boomers in for a look around.
And don’t forget that some of your best
advice may come from within your own
executive team, many of whom are
boomers themselves, Dychtwald adds.
Outliving retirement money 12%
MIDDLE BOOMER RETIREMENT CONCERNS
Providing for spouse’s/partner’s/own long-term care 13%
Source: MetLife Study of Boomers in the Middle (age 52-58)
Being able to afford health care 25%
Staying productive and useful 18%
Having to work full- or part-time 15%
Having a comprehensive financial plan 9%
