What Elders Need vs. What They Have in San Francisco County

This chart compares the basic cost of living, as quantified by the Elder Standard Index, to three common sources of income for retired elders age 65 or older. The gap between what elders need to cover their basic living expenses in San Francisco County, as shown by the Elder Standard Index lines in black, and the income they have, as shown by the green bar charts, illustrates the degree of economic instability that too many elders experience. To view the detailed numerical data behind this visual, click here.

It's  not just "poor" elders who are struggling in San Francisco County:

• The average Social Security payment of $12,176 is not enough to live on, and yet, one out of three seniors in California relies exclusively on Social Security to cover their basic costs.
• Women—even those few fortunate enough to have a pension in addition to Social Security—struggle to meet their basic expenses in San Francisco County.  Annual median retirement income for women living alone falls $10,000 below the Elder Standard Index for women who rent, and $20,000 below for women who are paying off their mortgage.
• Men, with a pension in addition to Social Security and other sources of unearned income, are not doing much better than women in San Francisco. They also cannot meet their basic expenses if they rent or are paying off a mortgage.
• Public supports are supposed to help close the gap between seniors' income and their expenses, but many elders fall through the cracks:  access to these supports is based on an unrealistically low assessment of what it costs to live:  the $10,210 Federal Poverty Line.
• SSI, the program designed to help the most vulnerable population—the blind, aged, and disabled—puts these individuals hovering right above the FPL, but far below what it really costs to make ends meet, according to the Elder Index.
  

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