Retirees’ Amenity Preferences Shift Away from Golf, Toward Dogs

Recent survey data from John Burns Real Estate Consulting shows that a new decade of retirees prefers dog parks and gardening over golf and pickleball.

The firm surveyed almost 3,000 registered homebuyers born in the 1940s (Achievers) and more than 5,200 born in the 1950s (Innovators). They found that amenity preferences between the two decades has shifted slightly.

Fifty-six percent of the Innovator group wanted to see a dog park in or near their living facility, making it the group’s most requested amenity. Meanwhile, the top amenity for the older Achiever group remained easy access to golf cart trails (53 percent). Only 47 percent of the Innovator group had a desire for such trails, ranking them behind both dog parks and organic gardens.

Pickleball has also lost some popularity among the younger Innovator group; 30 percent of Achievers requested a pickleball court, while only 22 percent of Innovators did the same.

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