NIC: Senior Housing Occupancy Climbs Again

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The National Investment Center for Seniors Housing and Care, Annapolis, Md., found senior housing occupancy hit 89.9% in Q2, up from 89.5% in Q1.

This marks the 20th consecutive quarter of increasing occupancy rates. NIC predicts that overall senior housing occupancy is expected to surpass 90% by the end of this year.

The number of occupied senior housing units increased by 3,700 to a total of 639,650, compared with 635,962 in Q1. But, year-over-year inventory growth was just 0.4% in Q2, and construction continues to stall. Just 16,000 units are under construction in the quarter.

“High occupancy rates and static construction mean fewer new housing options for older adults,” said Lisa McCracken, NIC’s head of research and analytics. “As a result, many operators are considering how to expand services within existing properties, such as wellness programming partnerships or recreational opportunities, to meet the needs of existing and prospective residents.”

Occupancy is above 90% in 15 of the 31 primary markets tracked by the study. Boston, at 93.3%, San Francisco, at 92.7%, and Baltimore, at 91.8%, have the highest occupancy rates. Miami, at 86.2%, Atlanta, at 86.5%, and San Antonio, at 87%, have the lowest.

The occupancy rate for active adult properties grew 1.4 percentage points to 92.6%, up 0.3 percentage point from a year earlier. There were 1,000 units added in the first half of 2026 across 880 active adult rental properties, totaling nearly 130,000 units across the U.S.