Number of elderly Airbnb hosts jumps 60 percent in NYC
To make money and stay social after retirement, older New Yorkers are turning to Airbnb. According to a report by the company, the population of senior citizens hosting visitors through the website continues to grow faster than any other demographic in both New York State and City. The Daily News reports that in NYC, the number of elderly Airbnb hosts jumped 60 percent in the last year. Specifically, the Bronx saw a 120 percent leap and Queens a 199 percent increase. While this shows a clear boost, senior citizens still only make up about four percent of the city’s total listings, or about 1,043, up from 649 the year before.
More than 3,100 seniors serve as hosts across New York state, a 75 percent increase between years 2015 and 2016. In total, these listings make more than $20 million in supplemental income for hosts, with each renting their homes for an average of 37 nights and bringing in $7,000.
Plus, senior citizens seem to be the perfect host. Platform-wide, the demographic receives some of the best ratings on the site, with 78 percent of elderly hosts getting a five-star rating from their guests. As 6sqft covered last month, the population of the city, like much of the U.S., is getting older. Currently, more than 1.1 million adults over 65, nearly 13 percent of the city’s total population, live in the five boroughs, a number which is expected to rise to over 1.4 million by 2040. With this increase in senior citizens and a possible decrease in social services and affordable housing options for them, turning to Airbnb may be the next best thing to support aging New Yorkers.
[Via NYDN]
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