Inflation and housing costs are squeezing senior homeowners, Longbridge survey finds

Inflation and housing costs are weighing heavily on senior homeowners, with fewer than one in three expecting their finances to improve over the next year, according to newly released survey data from Longbridge Financial. The findings come from the inaugural 2026 Longbridge Financial Home Equity Confidence Index, a national survey of 2,021 U.S. homeowners ages 55 and older conducted by Morning Consult between March 26 and April 5, 2026. Only 28% of respondents said they expect to be better off financially in the next year, while 44% expect their situation to stay about the same and 23% expect to be worse off. Another 5% are unsure. Those expecting improvement outnumber those expecting worsening conditions by only 5 percentage points. Inflation and the rising cost of living emerged as the top worry, cited by 67% of respondents. That is 24 percentage points higher than those who cited healthcare costs, which came in second at 43%. Housing-related expenses also figure prominently in older homeowners’ concerns. Property taxes and home maintenance costs are each cited by 38% of respondents, while 26% cite homeowners insurance as a major concern. Overall, nine in 10 homeowners surveyed ...