Cognitive Aging in the Context of the Housing Crisis: Trends and Evidence From the Health and Retirement Study

The 21st Century has witnessed a global housing crisis, which is also occurring in the context of population aging. We hypothesized that housing instability may expose older adults to greater risk factors for onset of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD). Using the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), a population-based study of older US adults, we analyzed whether changes to older adults' housing patterns were associated with earlier onset of accelerated cognitive decline consistent with ADRD. We first replicated results showing that renting is becoming more common over time in older adults, while homeownership is becoming less common both in subsequent years and among later-born cohorts. Next, using non-linear multivariate analyses we found, in separate analyses, that renting, moving more frequently, living with non-partner others, and greater housing stress were all associated with earlier onset of accelerated cognitive decline indicative of ADRD. Given the growing population of older adults, this study suggests that the housing crisis may also cause worsened cognitive health in old age. More research is warranted to determine whether other markers of housing affordability or quality might be associated with accelerated cognitive decline in older adults.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s42650-026-00108-z.