Continuing Care Retirement Communities in Polk County, Iowa

CaringScore for Polk County, IA

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 Polk 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 Polk.

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 7, Polk rates above average for those seeking continuing care retirement communities.

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

Physicians Per Capita

Cost of Healthcare Index

Sunny Days Per Year

HealthScore for Polk County, IA

HealthScore, a component of the overall CaringScore for continuing care retirement communities in Polk, 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 Polk 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 7.1, Polk rates above average for those seeking continuing care retirement communities.

Easy access to physicians -- especially geriatricians and other key specialists -- is important to older adults seeking continuing care retirement communities. At 279.3 physicians per capita, Polk scores 26.7 percent better than the national average. Polk scores about average in geriatricians per capita, with 1.4, and scores 34.9 percent better than the national average in specialists per capita, with 26.3. These medical specialists include cardiologists, oncologists, and orthopedists. The average life expectancy from birth in Polk is 78.9 years -- 1.3 percent higher than most of the country. Air quality in Polk -- one factor in gauging the healthfulness of a region -- is 21.7 percent below average, and water quality -- another key measure of Polk's environmental health -- is 9.1 percent above average.

Doctors Per Capita	Polk County, IA	Nat'l Avg
Physicians	279.3	220.5
Geriatricians	1.4	1.3
Cardiologists	11.3	7.7
Oncologists	4.6	3.5
Orthopedists	9	7

Average Life Expectancy

CostScore for Polk County, IA

CostScore, part of the overall CaringScore for continuing care retirement communities in Polk, 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 Polk 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 7.6, the costs associated with continuing care retirement communities in Polk 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 Polk. 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 Polk to the rest of the country. Overall, the cost of living for Polk indexes at 10.0 percent lower than the national average. Average healthcare costs are 13.0 percent cheaper than the national average, and the cost of housing is 14.0 percent less expensive than average.

Cost of Living	Polk County, IA
Aggregate Index	90
Healthcare Index	87
Housing Index	86
Food Index	94
Utilities Index	91
Transportation Index	99

Cost of Healthcare Index

LivabilityScore for Polk County, IA

LivabilityScore makes up part of the overall CaringScore for continuing care retirement communities in Polk. 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 Polk is based on weather, crime rates, economic factors, average age of the population, and other key demographics. With a LivabilityScore of 5.8, Polk rates above 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 202 days each year in Polk, which is about average in the U.S. With an average temperature of 12°F in January, winters tend to be colder in Polk than in 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 in Polk is 25.0 percent lower than the national average, and the property crime rate index is 4 of 10, which is in line with the national average. At $57,495 per year, the population of Polk earns a better than average median household income. Polk has an unemployment rate of 6.70 percent, roughly 26.4 percent lower than the national average. And about 11.47 percent of the population in Polk is of retirement age -- 65 or older -- which trails the national average by 12.8 percent.

Sunny Days Per Year

Avg Temperature (°F)

Property Crime Index

Amenities Per Capita	Polk	Nat'l Avg
Parks	3.7	136.1
Libraries	4.2	18.8
Places of Worship	76.9	220.5
Public Transit	157.5	110.4
Grocery Stores	76.1	97.7
Pharmacies	15.4	13.8

Percent of Population Over Age 65