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Abstract

Social isolation and loneliness among older adults is recognized as a public health crisis, with living alone being the strongest demographic predictor of loneliness. This paper examines whether Social Security eligibility at age 62—the earliest age at which Americans can claim retirement benefits—affects the probability of living alone. Using American Community Survey microdata from 2016–2022 and a regression discontinuity design, I find that Social Security eligibility decreases the probability of living alone by 0.67 percentage points (95% CI: $-1.26$ to $-0.08$). This effect is concentrated among unmarried individuals ($-2.93$ pp, $p < 0.001$) and men ($-1.11$ pp, $p = 0.01$). A strong first stage confirms that Social Security income receipt increases by 13.4 percentage points at the eligibility threshold. These findings suggest that income security programs may facilitate household consolidation and potentially reduce social isolation among older adults. \vspace{1em} Keywords: Social Security, living alone, loneliness, regression discontinuity, retirement JEL Codes: H55, J14, J26, I38