Boomers
eager to relive college days
In one of the first surveys of its kind, 233
respondents age 55 -75 say they like the idea of living on a college
campus in their retirement years.
58% said they’d like to live on or near a small college town campus.
62% would be “very interested” in taking courses together with
traditional college students. 46% say they’d prefer to own their
residence in a college-affiliated community.
The survey, conducted by Campus Continuum of Newton, Mass.,
is designed to gauge the level of interest in the concept of
living in “a community of active life-long learners
affiliated with an academic institution.” Survey results are
helping the firm determine sites for campus communities
which it will build and operate.
Campus Continuum Managing Director Gerard Badler says, “In 20
years, there will be 70 million people over age 65 in the U.S. and
retirement lifestyles will be radically different from today.” He
says there are only about 20 closely integrated campus-based
communities across the country. But Badler, who has spent the past
few years crisscrossing the country meeting with college
administrators and boards, says the idea is gaining popularity.
Among other survey highlights from respondents:
While 58% said they’d prefer a small college town, 37% prefer
a suburban area; 28% prefer a city. (Note: Respondents were
allowed to choose more than one location preference).
Responders are willing to move further distances from their
current location than is typically reported in other retirement
relocation surveys. 46% are willing to move more than 100 miles to
their preferred college destination; 27% would move more than 500
miles.
More than 1/3 expressed interest in retiring to a university
with which they had no prior affiliation (as an alum, faculty
member, donor, etc.).
45% say the maximum desirable distance of the community from
the main campus is 2 miles; 25% indicate 2-5 miles; 22% indicate 5 –
10 miles is OK. Only 2% insist that the project be located
directly on campus.
64% are very interested in volunteering on campus (tutoring,
mentoring, part-time lecturing, museum guide).
52% are very interested in volunteering off campus
(elementary schools, libraries, hospitals).
Asked, “At what age would you seriously consider moving into
a college retirement community” the most frequent responses were 61
– 65 (32%), 66-70 (23%), and 56 – 60 (16%).
58% of respondents have a Masters degree or higher level of
education.