Lowcountry Seniors Are Worth
$2 Billion to Tri–County Area

New Research by Trident United Way Unveiled

Gene Lundgrin came to Summerville from Kansas in 2001, bringing along with him a pension, Social Security and the desire to make whatever community he lives in a great place to be.

At 72, Gene is a whirlwind of volunteerism, teaching Sunday school, helping at the American Legion and building 17 houses for Charleston Habitat for Humanity. Gene is a gold mine for our community, a net economic and civic contributor.

New Trident United Way research shows that Gene is much more the norm than the exception in the Lowcountry. Among its findings, residents 65 years old and older in Berkeley, Charleston and Dorchester counties contribute $1.97 billion to our economy, the equivalent of our largest area employers. Spending by seniors in our three counties produces for 21,388 jobs.

Moreover, local seniors volunteer in our community at nearly twice the national average (43% vs. 23%). Their volunteerism is worth $73 million to the Lowcountry, according to standard valuations of skilled, semi-skilled and unskilled labor.

There are 41,895 senior households in the tri-county area, with average adjusted income of $30,553. While seniors comprise a disproportionate share of households, they are vastly under-represented in rush hour traffic flow. Most area seniors do not work full-time.

The research was conducted over a one-month period by Trident United Way and the Riley Institute for Urban Affairs and Policy Studies at the College of Charleston. The full results can be seen at http://www.tuw.org/Downloads/TUW-SeniorValuationAnalysis.pdf

These results could have wide-ranging effects on policy-making in our area. Local leaders could be marketing more aggressively to seniors from outside the region. Municipalities could be mobilizing seniors for community improvement projects. Activist groups could more aggressively target seniors to lead their campaigns.