Continuing Care Retirement Communities in Waterloo, Iowa

CaringScore for Waterloo, 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 Waterloo 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 Waterloo.

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 5.8, Waterloo 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 Waterloo. Choose a category score to learn more.

Physicians Per Capita

Cost of Healthcare Index

Sunny Days Per Year

HealthScore for Waterloo, IA

HealthScore, a component of the overall CaringScore for continuing care retirement communities in Waterloo, 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 Waterloo 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 6.1, Waterloo 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 221.4 physicians per capita, Waterloo closely matches the national average. Waterloo trails the national average in geriatricians per capita by 100.0 percent, with 0, and closely matches the national average in specialists per capita, with 18.7. These medical specialists include cardiologists, oncologists, and orthopedists. The average life expectancy from birth in Waterloo is 78.9 years -- 1.3 percent higher than most of the country. Air quality in Waterloo -- one factor in gauging the healthfulness of a region -- is 44.6 percent below average, and water quality -- another key measure of Waterloo's environmental health -- is 9.1 percent above average.

Doctors Per Capita	Waterloo, IA	Nat'l Avg
Physicians	221.4	220.5
Geriatricians	0	1.3
Cardiologists	7	7.7
Oncologists	3.9	3.5
Orthopedists	7.8	7

Average Life Expectancy

CostScore for Waterloo, IA

CostScore, part of the overall CaringScore for continuing care retirement communities in Waterloo, 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 Waterloo 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, the costs associated with continuing care retirement communities in Waterloo 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 Waterloo. 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 Waterloo to the rest of the country. Overall, the cost of living for Waterloo indexes at 17.0 percent lower than the national average. Average healthcare costs are 5.0 percent cheaper than the national average, and the cost of housing is 49.0 percent less expensive than average.

Cost of Living	Waterloo, IA
Aggregate Index	83
Healthcare Index	95
Housing Index	51
Food Index	94
Utilities Index	89
Transportation Index	103

Cost of Healthcare Index

LivabilityScore for Waterloo, IA

LivabilityScore makes up part of the overall CaringScore for continuing care retirement communities in Waterloo. 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 Waterloo is based on weather, crime rates, economic factors, average age of the population, and other key demographics. With a LivabilityScore of 3.6, Waterloo rates below 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 194 days each year in Waterloo, 5.4 percent fewer sunny days than the rest of the U.S. sees. With an average temperature of 9°F in January, winters tend to be colder in Waterloo than in other parts of the country, and summers often mirror nationwide seasonal trends, averaging 87°F in July.

Local crime rates are another important indicator. The violent crime rate in Waterloo is 50.0 percent higher than the national average, and the property crime rate is 50.0 percent higher than average. At $40,569 per year, the population of Waterloo earns a lower than average median household income. Waterloo has an unemployment rate of 7.90 percent, roughly 13.2 percent lower than the national average. And about 15.15 percent of the population in Waterloo is of retirement age -- 65 or older -- which exceeds the national average by 15.1 percent.

Sunny Days Per Year

Avg Temperature (°F)

Property Crime Index

Amenities Per Capita	Waterloo	Nat'l Avg
Parks	4.4	136.1
Libraries	4.7	18.8
Places of Worship	105.5	220.5
Public Transit	33.7	110.4
Grocery Stores	85.2	97.7
Pharmacies	15	13.8

Percent of Population Over Age 65