Continuing Care Retirement Communities in West Des Moines, Iowa

CaringScore for West Des Moines, 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 West Des Moines 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 West Des Moines.

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 6.9, West Des Moines 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 West Des Moines. Choose a category score to learn more.

Physicians Per Capita

Cost of Healthcare Index

Sunny Days Per Year

HealthScore for West Des Moines, IA

HealthScore, a component of the overall CaringScore for continuing care retirement communities in West Des Moines, 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 West Des Moines 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, West Des Moines 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, West Des Moines scores 26.7 percent better than the national average. West Des Moines 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 West Des Moines is 78.9 years -- 1.3 percent higher than most of the country. Air quality in West Des Moines -- one factor in gauging the healthfulness of a region -- is 21.7 percent below average, and water quality -- another key measure of West Des Moines's environmental health -- is 9.1 percent above average.

Doctors Per Capita	West Des Moines, 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 West Des Moines, IA

CostScore, part of the overall CaringScore for continuing care retirement communities in West Des Moines, 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 West Des Moines 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 7.2, the costs associated with continuing care retirement communities in West Des Moines 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 West Des Moines. 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 West Des Moines to the rest of the country. Overall, the cost of living for West Des Moines is roughly equal to the national average. Average healthcare costs are 13.0 percent cheaper than the national average, and the cost of housing index is 108 of 10, which mirrors the rest of the country.

Cost of Living	West Des Moines, IA
Aggregate Index	97
Healthcare Index	87
Housing Index	108
Food Index	94
Utilities Index	91
Transportation Index	99

Cost of Healthcare Index

LivabilityScore for West Des Moines, IA

LivabilityScore makes up part of the overall CaringScore for continuing care retirement communities in West Des Moines. 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 West Des Moines is based on weather, crime rates, economic factors, average age of the population, and other key demographics. With a LivabilityScore of 6, West Des Moines 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 200 days each year in West Des Moines, which is about average in the U.S. With an average temperature of 12°F in January, winters tend to be colder in West Des Moines 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 West Des Moines 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 $63,834 per year, the population of West Des Moines earns a better than average median household income. West Des Moines has an unemployment rate of 4.60 percent, roughly 49.5 percent lower than the national average. And about 9.87 percent of the population in West Des Moines is of retirement age -- 65 or older -- which trails the national average by 25.0 percent.

Sunny Days Per Year

Avg Temperature (°F)

Property Crime Index

Amenities Per Capita	West Des Moines	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	52.6	97.7
Pharmacies	14	13.8

Percent of Population Over Age 65