Objective To investigate the current status of social frailty among older adults in urban and rural areas, to analyze influencing factors, and to provide references for the development of targeted intervention strategies.Methods From July 2023 to September 2024, a multi-stage stratified cluster random sampling method was employed to select 1,826 older adults from 13 rural communities and 9 urban communities in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.Data were collected through questionnaires on demographic characteristics, physiological health, mental health, and social support, along with physical measurements to assess physical functional status.The study aimed to investigate the prevalence and influencing factors of social frailty among older adults in both urban and rural settings.Results The prevalence of social frailty among older adults in Xinjiang was 62.3%, with rural older adults showing a higher rate of 76.0% compared to 45.0% among urban counterparts.Gender, education level, monthly family income, depression, nutritional status, and physical capacity were identified as influencing factors for social frailty in urban older adults (all P＜0.05).Among the rural older adults, smoking status, sources of income, swallowing function, and multimorbidity were significant influencing factors (all P＜0.05).Conclusion The prevalence of social frailty among older adults in Xinjiang is relatively high, with rural older adults exhibiting a higher rate than their urban counterparts.The main influencing factors differ between urban and rural older adults populations.Healthcare professionals should implement targeted interventions to effectively reduce the incidence of social frailty, improve quality of life, and promote healthy aging.