Retirement Housing Preferences & Trade-Off Priorities Survey

Thanks for taking a few minutes to share your thoughts on retirement housing! Your responses are completely confidential and anonymized. There are no right answers — we want to understand what matters most to you when weighing options. About 6-8 minutes.

Which best describes where you are in planning a move to retirement housing?

• Just starting to explore options
• Actively researching communities
• Touring or shortlisting specific places
• Ready to decide within the next few months
• Already decided or in the moving process

For each set, pick the feature that matters most to you and the one that matters least when choosing a retirement housing community.

• Monthly cost and fees
• Proximity to family and friends
• On-site healthcare or nursing access
• Size and privacy of living space
• Maintenance-free living (no yard work or repairs)
• Social activities and community events
• Walkability to shops, dining, and services
• Safety and security features
• Pet-friendly policies

Imagine you have 100 points to split across these priorities based on how much weight each should carry in your decision. Allocate all 100 points however feels right.

• Monthly cost and affordability
• Location and proximity to family
• Living space and privacy
• Healthcare and support services
• Social and recreational amenities

Now think about the monthly fee for a retirement housing community that fully meets your needs (rent plus standard services).

• At what monthly fee would this community feel so inexpensive that you'd question the quality of care and amenities?
• At what monthly fee would this community feel like a bargain — great value for the money?
• At what monthly fee would you start to feel this community is expensive, though you'd still consider it?
• At what monthly fee would this community be so expensive that you would not consider it at all?

How important is each of the following services when you picture your ideal retirement housing community?

How likely are you to move into some form of retirement or senior housing within the next 12 months?

Which type of retirement housing are you currently leaning toward, if any?

• Independent living community
• Assisted living community
• Continuing care retirement community (CCRC)
• Age-restricted (55+) single-family home
• Multigenerational home with family
• Staying in current home with modifications
• Not sure yet

Explore the real trade-off between cost and the feature the respondent ranked most important in the prioritization exercise. If healthcare access or proximity to family topped their list, ask what monthly fee increase they'd tolerate to secure it and what they'd cut from their budget to make it fit. If they're 'not sure yet' on housing type, probe what specific information or experience (a tour, a cost breakdown, a conversation with a resident) would help them decide.

What is your current living situation?

• Own home outright
• Own home with a mortgage
• Rent
• Live with family
• Other
• Prefer not to say

Which age range do you fall into?

• Under 55
• 55-64
• 65-74
• 75-84
• 85 or older
• Prefer not to say

What is your approximate annual household income?

• Under $50,000
• $50,000-$99,999
• $100,000-$149,999
• $150,000-$199,999
• $200,000 or more
• Prefer not to say

Thank you for sharing your priorities! Your answers will feed into a report that helps housing providers design communities and pricing that actually match what people like you value.