The American population continues to mature with an impending 'aging tsunami' just a few years away. Public transportation provides freedom to much of the aging population who would otherwise be forced to give up their lifestyles. Critics of publicly funded transportation argue that many of the aging population would be better off relocating to larger communities where desired services are more readily available (Cox and O'Toole, 2004). Public transportation proponents believe that it is more desirable for aging Americans in rural areas to remain in their homes and utilize public transportation (APTA, 2008).

The objective of this research was to quantify the cost of living at home and riding transit in North Dakota versus relocating to an assisted living facility. Special attention was paid to three different living situations including homeowners with and without mortgages as well as apartment dwellers.

Overall, simulation results indicated that the cost of assisted living was almost always higher than the other three alternatives. Homeowners without mortgages had the lowest costs followed by apartment dwellers and homeowners with mortgages. Although cost is important, every senior's situation is unique and other factors such as amenities and safety may contribute more to quality of life and peace of mind for them and their families.