New Study Finds 403,000 North Atlanta Homes Unprepared for Aging Population

An estimated 403,000 homes across Gwinnett and Forsyth County do not meet the basic structural definition of an aging-ready home, according to a community research report published by Simone Feldman Designs.

The study draws on data from the U.S. Census Bureau, the Atlanta Regional Commission, AARP, Harvard's Joint Center for Housing Studies, and the Emory University Injury Prevention Center. It presents a locally specific analysis of aging-in-place readiness across the two-county corridor.

The findings arrive as Gwinnett County's senior population is projected to grow substantially by 2040. The release also notes that Georgia ranked 48th out of 50 states as a place to age in place in a 2025 Seniorly study.

The report connects aging-in-place readiness to home safety, fall prevention, housing age, and renovation planning. In 2022, 61,573 Georgians aged 65 and older visited an emergency room for fall-related injuries, and 779 died from fall-related injuries.

Much of the region's vulnerability is structural. Approximately 226,000 homes across Gwinnett and Forsyth counties were built before 2000, before universal design principles became common in mainstream residential construction.