Assisted Living Facilities in Gaston County, North Carolina

CaringScore for Gaston County, NC

CaringScore was designed to help millions of Americans find the best places to retire, age in place, or receive eldercare. The CaringScore for assisted living facilities in Gaston was based on more than 50 factors in three key categories: health, cost, and livability. By compiling and analyzing this data, Caring.com is able to rate the quality of life you or a loved one might expect should you choose assisted living facilities in Gaston.

A CaringScore can range from 1 (worst) to 10 (best), and provides a quick way to compare cities, counties, and even specific zip codes. With a CaringScore of 4.5, Gaston is on par with the national average for those seeking assisted living facilities.

The charts below highlight a few of the factors we used to calculate the CaringScore for Gaston. Choose a category score to learn more.

Physicians Per Capita

Cost of Healthcare Index

Sunny Days Per Year

HealthScore for Gaston County, NC

HealthScore, a component of the overall CaringScore for assisted living facilities in Gaston, rates a region on a scale of 1 (less healthful) to 10 (more healthful). It's specifically tailored to anyone looking for assisted living facilities. The HealthScore for Gaston is based on the availability of healthcare resources, air and water quality, the overall health of the local population, and other key factors. With a HealthScore of 4.7, Gaston is on par with the national average for those seeking assisted living facilities.

Easy access to physicians -- especially geriatricians and other key specialists -- is important to older adults. At just 177.2 physicians per capita, Gaston trails the national average by 19.6 percent. Gaston trails the national average in geriatricians per capita by 61.5 percent, with 0.5, and scores 20.0 percent below the national average in specialists per capita, with 15.6. These medical specialists include cardiologists, oncologists, and orthopedists. The average life expectancy from birth in Gaston is 75.1 years -- 3.6 percent lower than most of the country. Air quality in Gaston -- one factor in gauging the healthfulness of a region -- is 10.8 percent below average, and water quality -- another key measure of Gaston's environmental health -- is 9.1 percent above average.

Doctors Per Capita	Gaston County, NC	Nat'l Avg
Physicians	177.2	220.5
Geriatricians	0.5	1.3
Cardiologists	6.6	7.7
Oncologists	2.8	3.5
Orthopedists	5.7	7

Average Life Expectancy

CostScore for Gaston County, NC

CostScore, part of the overall CaringScore for assisted living facilities in Gaston, rates the cost of living for older adults on a scale of 1 (more expensive) to 10 (less expensive). It's specifically tailored to people looking for assisted living facilities. The CostScore for Gaston is based on data such as the average monthly cost of assisted living facilities in the region, the cost of housing and healthcare, regional tax rates, and other key factors. With a CostScore of 5, Gaston is on par with the national average for assisted living facilities.

The average monthly cost for assisted living facilities in Gaston is $3,690 , which is 13.2 percent more expensive than the rest of the country. Overall, the cost of living for Gaston indexes at 7.0 percent lower than the national average. Average healthcare costs are 3.0 percent cheaper than the national average, and the cost of housing is 28.0 percent less expensive than average.

Cost of Living	Gaston County, NC
Aggregate Index	93
Healthcare Index	97
Housing Index	72
Food Index	101
Utilities Index	102
Transportation Index	94

Assisted Living Facilities Avg Monthly Cost (US$)

LivabilityScore for Gaston County, NC

LivabilityScore makes up part of the overall CaringScore for assisted living facilities in Gaston. On a scale of 1 (less livable) to 10 (more livable), it's a rating of the quality of life in a region, specifically tailored to those looking for assisted living facilities. The LivabilityScore for Gaston is based on weather, crime rates, economic factors, average age of the population, and other key demographics. With a LivabilityScore of 3.3, Gaston rates below average for assisted living facilities.

Weather is an important factor in choosing the best place for assisted living facilities. The sun shines an average of 214 days each year in Gaston, 4.4 percent more sunny days than the rest of the U.S. sees. With an average temperature of 32°F in January, winters tend to be milder in Gaston than in other parts of the country, and summers are often hotter than other places, averaging 90°F in July.

Local crime rates are another important indicator. The violent crime rate in Gaston is 50.0 percent higher than the national average, and the property crime rate is 75.0 percent higher than average. At $44,419 per year, the population of Gaston earns a lower than average median household income. Gaston has an unemployment rate of 11.10 percent, roughly 22.0 percent higher than the national average. And about 13.46 percent of the population in Gaston is of retirement age -- 65 or older -- which matches the national average.

Sunny Days Per Year

Avg Temperature (°F)

Property Crime Index

Amenities Per Capita	Gaston	Nat'l Avg
Parks	2.1	136.1
Libraries	4.9	18.8
Places of Worship	153.4	220.5
Public Transit	141	110.4
Grocery Stores	81.6	97.7
Pharmacies	12.1	13.8

Percent of Population Over Age 65