Demographic Profile of Senior in Wayne County, Michigan

Looking further at housing tenure, Table 26 allows one to determine the impact of seniors
on the region’s housing market by showing the share of owner- and renter-occupied
housing that is headed by persons 55 years and over. As a way of illustrating the
information that can be derived from this table, let us look at Sector 6 as an example.
Sector 6 lies on the near northwest side of Detroit, with the Lodge Fwy. And the City of
Highland Park forming its eastern boundary and I-94 on its southern boundary.
Householders 65 years of age and above account for 48 percent of the owner-occupied
housing and 14 percent of the rentals. When you add in the 55-64 years cohort the rates
increase to 63 and 24 percent, respectively. Such shares indicate that the senior
population represents a significant investment in this sector – one that a city in need of a
strong owner-occupancy housing stock needs to support. Sector 2 provides a stark
contrast. The data presented earlier demonstrated that Sector 2 experienced the largest
loss of seniors. The tenure rates support this trend, as persons 65 years and over
represent only 14.6 percent of the owners and 5 percent of the renters. Adding in the 55-
64 years cohort only increases these rates to 21 and 11 percent, respectively.
Table 26. Population 55+ By Tenure by Sector, 2000
Sectors
Percent of Total Owner Units
Percent of Total Renter Units
55-64 years 65-74 years 75-84 years 85+ years 55-64 years 65-74 years 75-84 years 85+ years
1 16.5 16.2 12.3 3.2 7.7 4.5 2.6 0.6
2 12.2 7.7 5.4 1.6 6.6 2.9 1.3 0.3
3 14.8 15.1 11.7 3.3 9.5 8.0 5.6 2.2
4 17.6 17.6 14.7 4.9 11.6 10.1 7.1 2.5
5 13.8 15.2 12.7 3.3 8.1 5.6 3.1 0.8
6 14.7 22.4 19.9 5.6 9.6 7.3 5.1 1.6
7 15.4 13.2 9.7 2.2 7.7 4.1 2.2 0.5
8 16.5 8.9 4.8 1.1 7.3 4.7 2.6 0.7
9 20.9 15.6 7.1 1.3 8.4 6.3 3.7 1.2
10 19.8 20.5 12.4 2.3 10.0 6.0 3.7 1.1
11 14.3 15.0 15.0 4.2 10.5 9.3 6.2 2.4
12 14.7 13.7 12.8 3.8 8.3 6.8 6.4 3.1
Disability Status
The 2000 Census included “disability questions” that were asked in the following
manner:
16. Does this person have any of the following long-lasting conditions:
a. Blindness, deafness, or a severe vision or hearing impairment?
b. A condition that substantially limits one or more basic physical activities such as walking, climbing
stairs, reaching, lifting, or carrying? Yes No
17. Because of a physical, mental, or emotional condition lasting 6 months or more, does this person
have any difficulty in doing any of the following activities:
a. Learning, remembering, or concentrating? Yes No
b. Dressing, bathing, or getting around inside the home? Yes No
c. (Answer if this person is 16 years old or over.) Going outside the home alone to shop or visit a doctor’s
office? Yes No
d. (Answer if this person is 16 years old or over.) Working at a job or business? Yes No
A Demographic Profile of Seniors in PSA 1-A 23