Age Variation in the Relationship between Community Socioeconomic Status and Adult Health

Research demonstrating that socioeconomic status (SES) differentials in health are smaller at older ages often considers only individual SES measures (e.g., income, education) but not community SES measures (e.g., community poverty rate), although the gerontological literature suggests that community context may be particularly salient in the lives of older adults. This study uses two national surveys of adults, each matched with census data about respondents’ communities, to examine whether the association between community SES and individual health is stronger at consecutively older age groups. The association between community SES and health is nonexistent or weak during younger adulthood, stronger through middle ages, strongest at ages 60 to 69, and weak again at ages 70 and older. At ages 60 to 69, community SES effects are stronger than or comparable to individual SES effects. Community SES should be considered an important dimension of SES when exploring the impact of SES on health over the life course.