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Seniors in NYC are feeling lonely and struggling to pay bills, new survey says
By
Karen Yi
Published Jul 29, 2025
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By
Karen Yi
Published Jul 29, 2025
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New York’s oldest residents are finding it hard to pay their bills, buy healthy food or leave their home — and they are dealing with feelings of loneliness, anxiety and depression, a new city survey found.
The Department for the Aging surveyed 8,600 New Yorkers who are 60 and over and their caregivers this year, as poverty rates among seniors surge and city officials brace for deep cuts by the Trump administration that will push thousands off Medicaid and SNAP.
“These numbers are going to get [even more] devastating,” said Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez, commissioner for the Department for the Aging. “If older adults find themselves financially challenged now, they're going to be financially totally compromised if these cuts go through.”
Cortés-Vázquez said she hopes the findings will help inform future policy, such as growing the city’s workforce development programs for older adults and boosting older adult centers that provide activities and community.
Here are five takeaways from the report.
4 in 10 seniors struggle to pay bills
More than 40% of adults aged 60 years or older who were surveyed reported struggling to pay at least one recurring bill, primarily for rent or mortgage, food or credit card payments.
30% say they can’t pay for healthy food
Nearly a third of older adults said they either had a hard time or couldn’t afford to buy healthy food because it was too expensive.
More than 1 in 4 seniors don’t have stable housing
More than 25% of older adults reported that they lacked housing or were concerned about losing their housing in the future.
17% feel very lonely
The survey found 22% of older adults aren’t socializing as much as they would like and 17% reported high levels of loneliness.
30% of caregivers are caring for both an older adult and a minor
Caregivers who were caring for someone 60 years or older were also included in the survey. About 30% of caregivers under the age of 60 said they were caring for both an older adult and a child. More than half of them spent more than 15 hours a week as caregivers and 86% worked full-time jobs.
“When we're finding that at least 40% are assisting on a day-to-day basis, not on a weekly or every two weeks, but on a day-to-day basis, what is the impact of that caregiving responsibility on both the care receiver and the care recipient?” Cortés-Vázquez said.
“What are the daily life activities that they need support around, because that means somebody's income is being compromised because they're in a caregiving role.”
Tagged
economy
new york city
Karen Yi
Karen Yi covers homelessness and poverty. She joined the WNYC and Gothamist newsroom in 2020. Before that, Karen covered Newark for the Star-Ledger and spent almost a decade working for newspapers in New Jersey and Florida. She grew up in Miami and has a dog named Cashew. Got a tip? Email [email protected] or Signal 917-589-1460.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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