Living Arrangements of Minority Elders

We used 1990 census data to examine differences in the current living arrangements of minority elderly. We found that differences among the minority populations in age, sex, and marital status account for only a small part of the observed differences in living arrangements. However, while minority groups as a whole differ substantially from the White population, national ethnic patterns within groups appear to be relatively small. Hispanic ethnic groups vary little once differences in marriage patterns are taken into account, although differences are greater within the Asian population.