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It is hot and humid during the summer in Guangzhou. Based on the difference in the urban and rural indoor environments where Guangzhou elderly live, the study seeks to explore the indoor environment of 116 urban and rural elderly in Guangzhou through a questionnaire survey. The investigation is conducted on the summer indoor environment by measuring and comparing five typical urban households and five typical rural households of 65+ elderly individuals. The temperature, relative humidity, and CO2, CO, PM2.5, VOC concentrations in the living room, bedroom, and bathroom of each house were measured. The study shows that rural households in Guangzhou mainly avoid summer heat using fans. Meanwhile, only about one-third of households use air conditioners. At the same time, all the urban residents use air conditioners, and most of them also use fans. Additionally, the average indoor air temperature in rural households in Guangzhou is 0.8 ° C lower than that of urban households. Further, the average relative humidity is 21.6% higher than that of urban households. The indoor CO2 concentration of households with poor ventilation is relatively high. The concentrations of CO and PM2.5 in all measured urban and rural households are lower than the national standards' limited values. The indoor and outdoor PM2.5 concentrations and total indoor VOCs in urban households are generally higher than those in rural households. According to the research findings, Guangzhou rural elderly housing should be strengthened to prevent excessive moisture. Further, urban elderly housing conditions should be enhanced concerning ventilation, and the elderly should be encouraged to use ecological and sustainable furniture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]