ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Seniors of the boomer generation are moving into seniors housing communities at a record rate, according to a new report published by the National Investment Center for Seniors Housing & Care (NIC).
According to NIC MAP data from the Annapolis, Maryland-based organization, the seniors housing occupancy rate in the United States increased 0.8 percentage points to 88.1 percent in the second quarter of 2025, up from 87.3 in the first quarter.
Occupancy of independent living units saw a strong increase of 0.8 percentage points to 89.7 percent, a slightly larger increase than that of the occupancy rate for assisted living properties, which grew by 0.7 percentage points. This marks the third consecutive quarter in which occupancy rate gains in the independent living subsector were strong than gains across assisted living.
Active adult communities were 92.3 percent occupied in the second quarter.
“The youngest Baby Boomers have turned 60 and the oldest are approaching 80, so this group is starting to make decisions about how and where they want to age,” says Caroline Clapp, senior principal at NIC. “Baby Boomers appear to prioritize mental, physical and social wellness, and they’re choosing to move into independent living and active adult communities because that lifestyle is baked into the experience.”
Occupied seniors housing units totaled 625,800 in the second quarter of 2025, up from 619,800 in the first quarter.
Rental rates have also increased, with rates at independent living communities going up roughly 4.3 percent year over year. Assisted living communities saw a smaller rental rate increase of approximately 4 percent year over year.