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Beavercreek survey shows strong senior support, recommends housing and connectivity improvements
Summary
City staff and a third-party evaluator presented results of an AARP-based age-friendly survey showing high overall satisfaction but widespread concern about housing costs, and offered four recommendations to guide an action plan for seniors' services, mobility and health access.
City officials on Monday heard results of an age-friendly community needs assessment that surveyed Beavercreek residents in September and October 2025 and will be used to develop an action plan for senior services and accessibility. Colin Carville, the city planner, said the city and Beavercreek Township each received $20,000 in grant funding to commission the study and that any remaining funds will support the action plan.
"You can be very confident in these results," said Elizabeth Hafford of Measurement Resources Company, the third-party evaluator, summarizing an 89% completion rate and an average response time of about 13 minutes. Hafford said the study intentionally oversampled older residents to capture the needs of the aging population.
Key findings included that about half of respondents described Beavercreek as a "great" place to live and about 72% expect to remain in town over the next 10 years. At the same time, respondents repeatedly cited rising housing costs and property taxes as factors that could push people to move away. The survey found that only about 20% of respondents reported using the senior center but that the center is highly valued, with many respondents urging the city to preserve evening and weekend hours.
The study also identified priorities for parks, bike paths and sidewalks: 84% of respondents rated parks and bike paths as moderately to very important, while only a minority said current pedestrian and bicycle connections worked "very well." Hafford highlighted the need to improve connection points — crosswalks, lighting and curb ramps — rather than building entirely new networks.
Hafford offered four recommendations: encourage new housing that includes single-story or accessible units and programs to improve home accessibility; expand affordable and free community activities and extend senior-center hours; prioritize improvements to key pedestrian and bicycle access points and advertise special transportation services for seniors and people with disabilities; and invest in access to preventive and health services at community facilities while maintaining emergency-response capacity.
Council members asked for supplemental analysis, including ZIP-code cross-tabs and any regression tests cited in the appendix. Staff said they would provide additional information on request. The next step is developing a local action plan that draws on the report’s findings and public input.
