Philly is one of the worst big cities for aging in place. Local experts aren’t surprised.

People who want to stay in their homes as they get older are in for a challenge if they live in Philadelphia.

That’s according to a ranking of the country’s 100 largest cities by home improvement professionals at Today’s Homeowner. Philly came in at No. 96.

Philadelphia’s higher costs of living, lower retirement incomes, and rowhouse tradition dragged the city down in the ranking. Like the Mid-Atlantic region as a whole, Philadelphia doesn’t have a lot of the one-story homes that make aging in place easier.

Pittsburgh came in as the fourth-best city to age in place, according to Today’s Homeowner’s analysis of three categories: finances, health and environment, and community. It was the only city in the tri-state area to crack the top 30.

» READ MORE: What aging homeowners should consider when navigating their next move and decades of memories

The country is aging, and Philadelphia has a growing older adult population. Roughly one in seven Philadelphians — more than 230,000 people — were 65 or older in 2022, according to the Census Bureau’s latest published data. The Pennsylvania Department of Aging is working on a Master Plan for Older Adults to improve services for residents across the state and help them access support to age in place if they want.

In the Today’s Homeowner ranking, Philadelphia scored highest for its walkability, coming in at No. 12, and safety from natural disasters. The city ranked low compared with other cities in its share of home health and personal care aides and health-care establishments, and income.

» READ MORE: Lancaster ranked as the best place in the country to retire

“I’m actually not that surprised to see us so low” in the ranking, said Karen Buck, executive director of the Philadelphia nonprofit SeniorLAW Center. “There’s a lot of great supports and organizations and leadership in Philadelphia that are focused on the needs of older Philadelphians, but there’s just so much that’s needed. ...Income is a huge issue in aging in place.”

Najja R. Orr, president and chief executive officer of the nonprofit Philadelphia Corporation for Aging, said research like the Today’s Homeowner report helps organizations that serve older residents advocate for resources and make sure their services align with people’s needs.

“There’s a lot of people doing a lot of great work,” he said. “I’m thinking, ‘OK, it’s time to roll up our sleeves and do even more.’”

“Aging in place is not always the best option for everyone, because your home may not be suitable for it,” Buck said. “Many, many, many [homeowners] are living in rowhomes, which are clearly not the best for aging in place.”

The city’s rowhouses often have steep stairs outside and inside. Doorways and hallways are tight and don’t fit wheelchairs and other mobility aids. Bedrooms are on upper floors. Houses often lack adequate air conditioning. And Philadelphia is an old city with old houses, which are expensive to maintain, repair, and adapt for residents’ changing needs as they age.

» READ MORE: From elevators to roll-in showers, it takes a lot to make a Philly rowhouse wheelchair-accessible

“You can’t age in place if your home is not habitable, not secure, not safe, not accessible,” Buck said. “You can’t age in place if you’ve hired a contractor to fix your leaking roof and then he’s left with all your money and left you with a gaping hole. Of if you’re a tenant and your landlord is unscrupulous and doesn’t keep your home habitable. And we see this every day, from homeowners and tenants.”

The city and nonprofits offer programs that can help residents repair and modify their homes. For example, the Philadelphia Corporation for Aging’s Senior Housing Assistance Repair Program installs aids such as grab bars, bathtub benches, and ramps, and connects people with assistance for larger renovations.

The organization also has been working with the city to give air conditioners to older residents living in the city’s heat islands.

“Our goal is to keep people in their homes and in their communities as long as possible,” Orr said.

» READ MORE: Repairing all the homes in the Philly area would cost at least $3.7 billion

Living in a home that’s affordable is key.

“There’s an alarming, alarming lack of affordable housing, a lack of senior housing, low-income senior housing, in Philadelphia,” Buck said.

To try to keep more seniors in their homes, Pennsylvania this month expanded its Property Tax/Rent Rebate program to include thousands more older Pennsylvanians.

Orr said he was surprised how low the city scored in some aspects of Today’s Homeowner’s ranking, but “I just know how much the need is in Philadelphia.”

Many older Philadelphians need help to get enough to eat, Orr said. About 22% of Philadelphians live in poverty. The median income for households headed by Philadelphians age 65 or older was less than $34,000 in 2021. That ranks the city 92nd out of 100 in this metric, according to Today’s Homeowner’s analysis.

» READ MORE: Low incomes make Philadelphia homes less affordable, Pew study finds

“Part of the challenge is that folks, including a lot of major funders in our community, don’t recognize that poverty dramatically and devastatingly affects older people, too,” not just families with children, Buck said. “Many can’t work or won’t be hired to work and can’t increase their income, so they’re stuck living on low fixed incomes.”

The majority of older Philadelphians with low incomes “live primarily, if not exclusively, on Social Security,” Buck said. “Senior poverty — in our city, in our communities, in our country — is rampant and it’s shameful. We really need to do more.”

The average Social Security income for Philadelphians age 65 or older was about $19,400 in 2021, according to the Census Bureau.

» READ MORE: What happened to Philadelphia City Council’s plan to lift 100,000 people out of poverty by 2024?

If aging at home is possible, it can be the more affordable option compared with costly nursing homes and assisted living communities.

This spring, the surgeon general of the United States declared loneliness, which increases the risk of premature death, a public health epidemic.

The ranking by Today’s Homeowner took into account community metrics such as the number of entertainment and restaurant establishments, walkability, and the older adult population. Philadelphia ranked 43rd for the percentage of its residents who are seniors.

» READ MORE: Seniors in Philly are aging in place with the help of community ‘villages’

Orr said the Philadelphia Corporation for Aging tries to prevent social isolation by helping older Philadelphians stay connected to their communities through volunteer opportunities, senior employment programs, and programs that support health and wellness.

Buck said that the city’s network of senior centers and adult day programs is great, but that the city needs a better transportation system for older Philadelphians to get to these resources and navigate their communities.

Overall in Philadelphia, “I think we have good bones,” Buck said. “We just need more investment.”