Aging in Hingham - Town of Hingham Massachusetts

from 4,575 to 5,139 (an increase of 12%), a considerably lower rate than the 22% increase forMassachusetts. Using surrounding communities as a comparison, it is evident that thepercentage growth for the population aged 60 and over was substantially greater in Hingham thanin all of the comparison communities listed in Table 3. Some, but not all, of this growth was nodoubt a result of the buildup of Linden Ponds, which opened in 2004 and includes approximately1,200 seniors. Over the next ten years, the aging of the Boomer cohort will continue to swell thesize of the 60+ population in Hingham and throughout the Commonwealth.Results from the 2010 Census highlight the racial homogeneity of Hingham relative to the stateas a whole. For all ages combined, 95% of Hingham residents report their race as White, and donot report Hispanic ethnicity. In comparison, 76% of the Commonwealth residents report non-Hispanic and White backgrounds (see DP-1, U.S. Census 2010). In Hingham as well as inMassachusetts, the majority of seniors are women (59% in Hingham and 57% in Massachusetts).This is largely due to the greater longevity of women than of men.The senior population represents a substantial presence in Hingham, with 46% of its nearly 8,500households including at least one person aged 60 and over (ACS, 2007-2011). Among allhouseholds in Hingham, 77% are owned or rented by a resident who is aged 45 or over (seeFigure 2). Rental units are slightly more commonly headed by someone under age 45, but withinowner-occupied housing 37% of the householders are aged 45-59, and 40% are aged 60 andover. (A “householder” is the person reported as the head of household, typically the person inwhose name the home is owned or rented.) This suggests that issues relating to aging servicesand community amenities valued by older residents may be particularly salient to homeowners inHingham. Homeownership is very common among Hingham residents, with 80% of all householdsliving in homes that they own or are purchasing (see Figure 3). Nearly 9 out of 10 householdersaged 45-59 own a home, as do 74% of the householders aged 60 and over. Homeownership iscommonly reported even among seniors living alone. More than half of residents aged 65 andover and who live alone own their homes. Many of these individuals—the majority of whom areolder women—may need help with home repairs and other supports in order to remaincomfortable and safe in their homes, as well as to protect their investments.19