This fact sheet compares the California Elder Index™ (CEI) and federal poverty level (FPL) guidelines to highlight two key points. First, it shows how the FPL fails to provide an accurate measure of the income needed for California's older adults to achieve economic security. Second, it identifies the number and demographics of older adults who fall into the “CEI income gap” — those whose incomes exceed the FPL but are below the CEI (previously referred to as the “hidden poor”).  

Findings: As economic insecurity among older adults in California increased between 2015 and 2023, the distribution of economic insecurity was shifting. The proportion of older adults living in the CEI low-income gap was redistributed to those with incomes below the CEI and FPL and those living in the CEI middle-income gap. These trends were consistent across all family types, though certain groups were more vulnerable than others, especially single older adults living alone who were women, Latino, Black or African American, or Asian, ages 75 and older, and renters.