Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Number of "users" in Senior Cohousing

[Sharon Villines (sharon]

Unless you are unusual, I think using the numbers from senior communities of 
whatever persuasion would be the best guide. And I second the caution that the 
ability to include people younger than your cut-off is quite probably related 
to other requirements that will mean that only households with at least one 
member over 55 or 60 will be living in the unit. Other requirements will 
preclude children under a certain age from living there more than a month or 
two at a time.

Averages in senior communities are probably the best predictor unless there is 
something about your project that is unique.  After 25 years in Takoma Village 
Cohousing,  I moved to Riderwood Senior Village last May, and I just received 
the latest resident numbers.

Riderwood is one of a network of 20 senior communities in 11 states owned or 
managed by Erickson Senior Living — a total of 30,000 residents. Riderwood, if 
not the largest, is the almost largest senior living community in the US. As of 
November 2025:

2,487 residents — 1639 women and 848 men. Staff is harder to count since so 
many are part-time college students. The general statement is that Riderwood is 
a community of about 3,000 people.

Aged 60-74    6.8%
Aged 75-84  43.7%
Aged 95-99    6.0%
Aged 100+     1.5%

87.6% in 1,767 Independent Living Apartments
8.5% in Assisted Living
2.7% in Skilled Nursing
1.3% in Memory Care

In 2012, Riderwood began combining apartments to reach a “right-size” mix of 
70% two-bedroom units and 30% one-bedroom units. Some have terraces, balconies, 
etc. “Independent Living Apartments” are like cohousing. Full but smaller 
kitchens.

This year, Riderwood achieved a record-high occupancy rate of 97.3% after a low 
of 91.2% during the pandemic. There has been pressure on the memory care unit, 
and some floors of the independent living buildings have been converted. The 
idea was to build another building, not on the same campus, but the resounding 
response was "NO! We came here so we could be together." 

One of the attractions of Riderwood is that couples can plan on both being in 
the same place as they age, particularly when one is 10-20 years younger. One 
of my friends here is in her 70s, and her husband is in his 90s. Neither can 
predict the future except that they can still be together. Another couple had 
planned to move to assisted living together this year, but one needed skilled 
nursing. Because this is a continuing care residence, they are still near each 
other. 

Not only near each other, but also near friends in the same environment with 
the same cultural events and activities. Same restaurants, libraries, exercise 
rooms, staff, etc. It is very busy here. Cohousing was a good preparation. 
Riderwood is cohousing times 100. There are five neighborhoods, each with a 
common house and 4 residential buildings.

In 25 years at Takoma Village there was no way to predict whether a 4-bedroom 
or a 1-bedroom with a den would have 1 or 2 residents or more. The difference 
here is the same. Some two-bedrooms have 2 people, and some have 1. Same for 
one bedrooms.

Sharon
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Sharon Villines
Riderwood Village, Silver Spring MD
Following 25 years in Takoma Village, Washington DC