Retirement Communities in Alachua County, Florida

CaringScore for Alachua County, FL

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 Alachua 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 Alachua.

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 6.5, Alachua rates above average for those seeking retirement communities.

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

Physicians Per Capita

Cost of Healthcare Index

Sunny Days Per Year

HealthScore for Alachua County, FL

HealthScore, a component of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Alachua, 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 Alachua 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 9.1, Alachua 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 501.3 physicians per capita, Alachua scores 127.3 percent better than the national average. Alachua scores 207.7 percent better than the national average in geriatricians per capita, with 4, and scores 130.3 percent better than the national average in specialists per capita, with 44.9. These medical specialists include cardiologists, oncologists, and orthopedists. The average life expectancy from birth in Alachua is 77.5 years -- 0.5 percent lower than most of the country. Air quality in Alachua -- one factor in gauging the healthfulness of a region -- is 4.8 percent above average, and water quality -- another key measure of Alachua's environmental health -- trails the national average by 18.2 percent.

Doctors Per Capita	Alachua County, FL	Nat'l Avg
Physicians	501.3	220.5
Geriatricians	4	1.3
Cardiologists	17.9	7.7
Oncologists	9.9	3.5
Orthopedists	13.1	7

Average Life Expectancy

CostScore for Alachua County, FL

CostScore, part of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Alachua, 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 Alachua 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 5.4, Alachua is on par with the national average for retirement communities.

Because of the broad range of housing, service, and healthcare options available at retirement communities, no average monthly cost data is available for Alachua. 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 Alachua to the rest of the country. Overall, the cost of living for Alachua is roughly equal to the national average. Average healthcare costs are 2.0 percent cheaper than the national average, and the cost of housing index is 99 of 10, which mirrors the rest of the country.

Cost of Living	Alachua County, FL
Aggregate Index	101
Healthcare Index	98
Housing Index	99
Food Index	110
Utilities Index	98
Transportation Index	104

Cost of Healthcare Index

LivabilityScore for Alachua County, FL

LivabilityScore makes up part of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Alachua. 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 Alachua is based on weather, crime rates, economic factors, average age of the population, and other key demographics. With a LivabilityScore of 4, Alachua rates below average for retirement communities.

Weather is an important factor in choosing the best place for retirement communities. The sun shines an average of 222 days each year in Alachua, 8.3 percent more sunny days than the rest of the U.S. sees. With an average temperature of 43°F in January, winters tend to be milder in Alachua than in other parts of the country, and summers are often hotter than other places, averaging 92°F in July.

Local crime rates are another important indicator. The violent crime rate in Alachua is 50.0 percent higher than the national average, and the property crime rate is 50.0 percent higher than average. At $40,860 per year, the population of Alachua earns a lower than average median household income. Alachua has an unemployment rate of 7.40 percent, roughly 18.7 percent lower than the national average. And about 11.00 percent of the population in Alachua is of retirement age -- 65 or older -- which trails the national average by 16.4 percent.

Sunny Days Per Year

Avg Temperature (°F)

Property Crime Index

Amenities Per Capita	Alachua	Nat'l Avg
Parks	15.3	136.1
Libraries	5.2	18.8
Places of Worship	89	220.5
Public Transit	144.7	110.4
Grocery Stores	80.9	97.7
Pharmacies	16.1	13.8

Percent of Population Over Age 65