Retirement Communities in Agawam, Massachusetts

CaringScore for Agawam, MA

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

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 5.4, Agawam is on par with the national average for those seeking retirement communities.

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

Physicians Per Capita

Cost of Healthcare Index

Sunny Days Per Year

HealthScore for Agawam, MA

HealthScore, a component of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Agawam, rates a region on a scale of 1 (less healthful) to 10 (more healthful). It's specifically tailored to anyone looking for retirement communities. The HealthScore for Agawam 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 6.2, Agawam rates above average for those seeking retirement communities.

Easy access to physicians -- especially geriatricians and other key specialists -- is important to older adults seeking retirement communities. At 221.5 physicians per capita, Agawam closely matches the national average. Agawam scores 69.2 percent better than the national average in geriatricians per capita, with 2.2, and closely matches the national average in specialists per capita, with 21.1. These medical specialists include cardiologists, oncologists, and orthopedists. The average life expectancy from birth in Agawam is 77.9 years -- on par with the rest of the country. Air quality in Agawam -- one factor in gauging the healthfulness of a region -- is 79.5 percent below average, and water quality -- another key measure of Agawam's environmental health -- is 23.6 percent above average.

Doctors Per Capita	Agawam, MA	Nat'l Avg
Physicians	221.5	220.5
Geriatricians	2.2	1.3
Cardiologists	7.8	7.7
Oncologists	3.9	3.5
Orthopedists	7.2	7

Average Life Expectancy

CostScore for Agawam, MA

CostScore, part of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Agawam, 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 retirement communities. The CostScore for Agawam is based on data such as the average monthly cost of retirement communities in the region, the cost of housing and healthcare, regional tax rates, and other key factors. With a CostScore of 3.4, the costs associated with retirement communities in Agawam are generally more expensive than the national average.

Because of the broad range of housing, service, and healthcare options available at retirement communities, no average monthly cost data is available for Agawam. 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 retirement communities in Agawam to the rest of the country. Overall, the cost of living for Agawam indexes at 14.0 percent higher than the national average. Average healthcare costs are 16.0 percent more expensive than the national average, and the cost of housing is 26.0 percent more expensive than average.

Cost of Living	Agawam, MA
Aggregate Index	114
Healthcare Index	116
Housing Index	126
Food Index	113
Utilities Index	122
Transportation Index	99

Cost of Healthcare Index

LivabilityScore for Agawam, MA

LivabilityScore makes up part of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Agawam. 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 retirement communities. The LivabilityScore for Agawam is based on weather, crime rates, economic factors, average age of the population, and other key demographics. With a LivabilityScore of 6.9, Agawam rates above average for retirement communities.

Weather is an important factor in choosing the best place for retirement communities. The sun shines an average of 188 days each year in Agawam, 8.3 percent fewer sunny days than the rest of the U.S. sees. With an average temperature of 19°F in January, winters in Agawam tend to be similar to other parts of the country, and summers are often more temperate than other places, averaging 85°F in July.

Local crime rates are another important indicator. The violent crime rate in Agawam is 25.0 percent lower than the national average, and the property crime rate is 50.0 percent lower than average. At $62,445 per year, the population of Agawam earns a better than average median household income. Agawam has an unemployment rate of 8.40 percent, roughly 7.7 percent lower than the national average. And about 17.35 percent of the population in Agawam is of retirement age -- 65 or older -- which exceeds the national average by 31.8 percent.

Sunny Days Per Year

Avg Temperature (°F)

Property Crime Index

Amenities Per Capita	Agawam	Nat'l Avg
Parks	1.6	136.1
Libraries	7.7	18.8
Places of Worship	54.1	220.5
Public Transit	79.8	110.4
Grocery Stores	61.6	97.7
Pharmacies	10.9	13.8

Percent of Population Over Age 65