Laguna Woods, CA, Oct. 06, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Nearly one million older Texans live alone, according to a joint report released today by SeniorThrive and property intelligence provider TovoData.

SeniorThrive Study Finds Nearly One Million Older Texans Live Alone, Maps Home Risks Across 254 Counties

The SeniorThrive Aging-Alone Index: Texas Edition, powered by TovoData.

The Texas Edition launches the Aging-Alone Index, a state-by-state series. It analyzes all 254 Texas counties, pairing U.S. Census Bureau demographic files with parcel, deed, and tax assessor records covering 14.6 million Texas parcels and 45 million deed records (with 247 counties providing clear land-use reporting) to cross-reference living alone with the physical condition of homes and the availability of care facilities.

According to the analysis, 981,431 Texans aged 65 and older live alone, representing 24.2 percent of the state’s 65-and-older population (U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2019-2023 5-Year Estimates, Table B09020).

“When an older adult lives alone, the home itself becomes one of the biggest factors in their safety and independence,” said Brian Fluhr, Founder and Chief Thriving Officer of SeniorThrive. “A minor hazard like a steep threshold or poorly lit staircase can turn a manageable living situation into a sudden health crisis. By identifying these physical home risks early, we can intervene and make critical adaptations before an injury occurs.”

What the Deed Records Show

The report also examines deed records across Texas, including 483,141 Transfer on Death deed records: filings in which an owner names who inherits the home without probate. The count includes records filed before the 2015 law that created the deed.

“Public property records show senior vulnerability at a county level that surveys can’t reach,” said Drew Warmington, CEO of TovoData. “Cross-referencing 14.6 million Texas parcel records and 45 million deed records with Census data, we found that in 232 of the 247 counties with clear land-use reporting, not one parcel is coded as a nursing or retirement home. Four metro counties hold 79 percent of those that are.”

Where Care Shows Up in the Property Record

Across all 254 Texas counties analyzed, 247 have clear institutional land-use reporting. Among those, 232 record zero parcels coded as nursing or retirement homes in county assessor land-use data. This reflects county assessor land-use classification codes rather than a comprehensive state directory, meaning counties with zero coded care-facility parcels may still contain facilities operating under alternate tax or land-use designations. Four metro counties (Harris, Bexar, Dallas, and Travis) hold 79 percent of all parcels explicitly coded for care facilities in Texas property records.

The Aging-Alone Index Ranking

The index scores each county on three signals: the share of seniors living alone (Census), the share of homes carrying a senior property-tax exemption, and how demanding the homes are, measured by multi-story homes, homes in poor or unsound condition, and homes built before 1980 (TovoData). Signals are scaled across Texas counties and weighted 40/30/30 on a 0 to 100 scale; scores rank counties against each other. Among the 24 counties with complete data across every layer, the 15 highest-scoring are:

  1. Wichita County (45.6)
  2. Jefferson County (43.8)
  3. Potter County (43.5)
  4. Bee County (42.9)
  5. Dallas County (42.4)
  6. Gregg County (41.8)
  7. Bexar County (37.4)
  8. Galveston County (34.8)
  9. Tarrant County (32.6)
  10. Concho County (32.3)
  11. Travis County (32.2)
  12. Lubbock County (31.1)
  13. Hardin County (30.9)
  14. Brazoria County (30.9)
  15. El Paso County (30.9)

Data Availability for Newsrooms

The complete methodology and downloadable county-level datasets are available to reporters and researchers at The Aging-Alone Index: Texas Edition. County data files can be accessed directly from the report:

TovoData provides multi-sourced U.S. real estate, tax, and mortgage data covering essentially all U.S. residential properties. Learn more at tovodata.com.

About SeniorThrive LLC

SeniorThrive is the proactive platform for families with older parents. It starts with the home. Home is where Mom and Dad want to be. It is also where the risk grows as they age. SeniorThrive gives families one plan to fix and maintain the home, support the person, and keep the whole family connected, so older adults stay in control and stay in the home they love. Founded in 2023 and based in Southern California, SeniorThrive was named a VC Select company in the 2026 FamTech.org Startup Showcase. Older adults and families can try SeniorThrive for free. Founder and Chief Thriving Officer: Brian Fluhr. Learn more at SeniorThrive.com.

Press Inquiries

Brian Fluhr
brian [at] seniorthrive.com
https://seniorthrive.com
Laguna Woods, CA 92637


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