As a record 4.2 million Americans are expected to turn 65 this year, many are expressing a strong preference to remain in their homes as they age—a lifestyle known as “aging in place,” K2 Radio reports.
However, a new study from Seniorly highlights that this preference may come with increased risks, particularly in certain states, including Wyoming.
The report, based on data from the CDC, CMS, US Census Bureau, and the Department of Housing and Urban Development, ranks Wyoming as the 12th most dangerous state for aging in place. The study evaluated all 50 states and the District of Columbia across ten factors, including the availability and quality of home health care, weather safety, emergency room wait times, smart home technology use, fatal car crash rates among seniors, and financial stability.
Wyoming’s lower ranking is attributed to several key challenges. The state has no home health agencies with a 4.5 or 5-star rating from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), placing it near the bottom nationally. In addition, Wyoming experiences 24.9 fatal car crashes involving seniors per 100,000 drivers—ranking 47th—and has relatively low adoption of smart home technology, with just 17.8% of residents using internet-connected household devices (46th overall).
Despite its lower score, Wyoming is not alone. States that ranked lower in the study tended to share similar weaknesses, such as limited access to high-quality home health aides and higher rates of senior-related vehicle fatalities. Florida, commonly viewed as a popular retirement destination, ranked as the most dangerous state for aging in place, due in part to a high ratio of seniors per available health aide and poor weather safety.
On the other end of the spectrum, Utah ranked as the safest state, bolstered by low social isolation rates, high smart home technology use, and relatively stable weather conditions. Other states in the top ten included North Dakota, New Jersey, and Idaho.
