NORCs: Naturally Occuring Retirement Communities

A NORC describes a place in which half of the residents are over 60 and have decided to spend their last years in their home.

1 minute read

July 3, 2001, 1:00 PM PDT

By Chris Steins @planetizen


"More than 5,000 NORCs, of all socioeconomic stripes, are scattered across the U.S. As such, they are something of a throwback to America before nursing homes, and a window onto the future as the Baby Boom edges, independent minded, toward retirement.Since the early 1990s, with swelling numbers of citizens living into their 80s and 90s, experts on aging have pushed across the U.S. to formally recognize NORCs and provide tax and philanthropic dollars for medical and social services. New York City, for example, has awarded grants of up to $200,000 to 28 officially designated NORCs, covering 46,000 people in about 720 apartment buildings."

Thanks to Chris Steins

Tuesday, July 3, 2001 in Wall St. Journal

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Use Code 25for25 at checkout for 25% off an annual plan!

Redlining map of Oakland and Berkeley.

Rethinking Redlining

For decades we have blamed 100-year-old maps for the patterns of spatial racial inequity that persist in American cities today. An esteemed researcher says: we’ve got it all wrong.

May 15, 2025 - Alan Mallach

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

May 14, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Front of Walmart store with sign.

Walmart Announces Nationwide EV Charging Network

The company plans to install electric car chargers at most of its stores by 2030.

May 7, 2025 - Inc.

Aerial view of Albuquerque, New Mexico at sunset.

New State Study Suggests Homelessness Far Undercounted in New Mexico

An analysis of hospital visit records provided a more accurate count than the annual point-in-time count used by most agencies.

1 hour ago - Source NM

Close-up on white bike helmet lying on pavement with blurred red bike on its side in background abd black car visible behind it.

Michigan Bills Would Stiffen Penalties for Deadly Crashes

Proposed state legislation would close a ‘legal gap’ that lets drivers who kill get away with few repercussions.

2 hours ago - Wood TV 8

Muni bus on red painted bus-only lane in downtown San Francisco, California.

Report: Bus Ridership Back to 86 Percent of Pre-Covid Levels

Transit ridership around the country was up by 85 percent in all modes in 2024.

3 hours ago - Mass Transit