Adults-Only Communities

Social Networks in Adults-Only Communities

In terms of social networks, adults-only communities are unusual in that they are intentionally designed to facilitate social networking for a particular and narrow demographic—older adults who are often retired from the paid workforce, not responsible for minor children, financially successful, and in pursuit of recreational activities and new social connections. Moreover, this networking occurs in an all-encompassing environment in which people reside, socialize, and recreate together. The homogeneity and density of social actors with so many commonalities (or ties) in terms of traits, life circumstance, and common interests are key draws to this kind of community. The ease and speed with which older adults can develop a new network of peer relationships is seemingly unparalleled. Residents by definition have the time, the means, and the inclination to engage in numerous novel [Page 6]interactions and develop a continuum of new social connections, an especially attractive characteristic in a culture with increased isolation. Adult-only communities also make an ideal laboratory for the study of social network creation, development, and evolution.

Lucrative Marketing or Discrimination?

In the 1980s, real estate developers expanded their market for adults-only communities by looking beyond retirees. Given the decline in the birthrate, the increasing number of people choosing not to have children, and large numbers of empty nesters, many middle-aged adults in their prime earning years were not looking to upgrade to larger homes with bigger yards. Developers then enticed them into newly formed, active-adult communities by offering higher-end housing finishes and, again, a community of like-minded others—meaning those without the responsibilities of childrearing and with the interest and means to engage in adult leisure activities.

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