Continuing Care Retirement Communities in Columbia, Pennsylvania

CaringScore for Columbia, PA

CaringScore was designed to help millions of Americans find the best places to retire, age in place, or receive eldercare. The CaringScore for continuing care retirement communities in Columbia 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 continuing care retirement communities in Columbia.

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 5.2, Columbia is on par with the national average for those seeking continuing care retirement communities.

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

Physicians Per Capita

Cost of Healthcare Index

Sunny Days Per Year

HealthScore for Columbia, PA

HealthScore, a component of the overall CaringScore for continuing care retirement communities in Columbia, rates a region on a scale of 1 (less healthful) to 10 (more healthful). It's specifically tailored to anyone looking for continuing care retirement communities. The HealthScore for Columbia 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 5.1, Columbia is on par with the national average for those seeking continuing care retirement communities.

Easy access to physicians -- especially geriatricians and other key specialists -- is important to older adults. At just 179.2 physicians per capita, Columbia trails the national average by 18.7 percent. Columbia scores 53.8 percent better than the national average in geriatricians per capita, with 2, and closely matches the national average in specialists per capita, with 19.3. These medical specialists include cardiologists, oncologists, and orthopedists. The average life expectancy from birth in Columbia is 79.1 years -- 1.5 percent higher than most of the country. The average life expectancy from birth in Columbia is 79.1 years -- 1.5 percent higher than most of the country. and water quality -- another key measure of Columbia's environmental health -- trails the national average by 63.6 percent.

Doctors Per Capita	Columbia, PA	Nat'l Avg
Physicians	179.2	220.5
Geriatricians	2	1.3
Cardiologists	6.3	7.7
Oncologists	3.5	3.5
Orthopedists	7.5	7

Average Life Expectancy

CostScore for Columbia, PA

CostScore, part of the overall CaringScore for continuing care retirement communities in Columbia, 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 continuing care retirement communities. The CostScore for Columbia is based on data such as the average monthly cost of continuing care retirement communities in the region, cost of living indices such as housing and healthcare, regional tax rates, and other key factors. With a CostScore of 5.7, the costs associated with continuing care retirement communities in Columbia are generally less expensive than the national average.

Because of the broad range of housing, service, and healthcare options available at continuing care retirement communities, no average monthly cost data is available for Columbia. The entry fee or purchase price for an independent living community can range from $50,000 to $500,000 or more, and typically requires an additional monthly service fee of $1,000 to $3,000 on average. The cost of living indices below provide the best proxy for comparing costs of continuing care retirement communities in Columbia to the rest of the country. Overall, the cost of living for Columbia indexes at 9.0 percent lower than the national average. Average healthcare costs index at 100 of 10, roughly the same as the national average, and the cost of housing is 37.0 percent less expensive than average.

Cost of Living	Columbia, PA
Aggregate Index	91
Healthcare Index	100
Housing Index	63
Food Index	105
Utilities Index	103
Transportation Index	101

Cost of Healthcare Index

LivabilityScore for Columbia, PA

LivabilityScore makes up part of the overall CaringScore for continuing care retirement communities in Columbia. 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 continuing care retirement communities. The LivabilityScore for Columbia is based on weather, crime rates, economic factors, average age of the population, and other key demographics. With a LivabilityScore of 4.5, Columbia is on par with the national average for continuing care retirement communities.

Weather is an important factor in choosing the best place for continuing care retirement communities. The sun shines an average of 201 days each year in Columbia, which is about average in the U.S. With an average temperature of 20°F in January, winters in Columbia tend to be similar to other parts of the country, and summers often mirror nationwide seasonal trends, averaging 86°F in July.

Local crime rates are another important indicator. The violent crime rate index in Columbia is 4 out of 10, which is about average, and the property crime rate index is 4 of 10, which is in line with the national average. At $40,590 per year, the population of Columbia earns a lower than average median household income. Columbia has an unemployment rate of 6.80 percent, roughly 25.3 percent lower than the national average. And about 16.98 percent of the population in Columbia is of retirement age -- 65 or older -- which exceeds the national average by 29.0 percent.

Sunny Days Per Year

Avg Temperature (°F)

Property Crime Index

Amenities Per Capita	Columbia	"Nat'l Avg"
Parks	0.1	136.1
Libraries	3.6	18.8
Places of Worship	140.7	220.5
Public Transit	10.2	110.4
Grocery Stores	100.6	97.7
Pharmacies	0	13.8

Percent of Population Over Age 65