Retirement Communities in Alameda County, California

CaringScore for Alameda County, CA

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 Alameda 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 Alameda.

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 4.8, Alameda 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 Alameda. Choose a category score to learn more.

Physicians Per Capita

Cost of Healthcare Index

Sunny Days Per Year

HealthScore for Alameda County, CA

HealthScore, a component of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Alameda, 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 Alameda 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 5.5, Alameda is on par with the national 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 247.1 physicians per capita, Alameda scores 12.1 percent better than the national average. Alameda scores about average in geriatricians per capita, with 1.4, and scores 17.9 percent below the national average in specialists per capita, with 16. These medical specialists include cardiologists, oncologists, and orthopedists. The average life expectancy from birth in Alameda is 80 years -- 2.7 percent higher than most of the country. Air quality in Alameda -- one factor in gauging the healthfulness of a region -- is 56.6 percent below average, and water quality -- another key measure of Alameda's environmental health -- trails the national average by 41.8 percent.

Doctors Per Capita	Alameda County, CA	Nat'l Avg
Physicians	247.1	220.5
Geriatricians	1.4	1.3
Cardiologists	5.2	7.7
Oncologists	3.2	3.5
Orthopedists	6.3	7

Average Life Expectancy

CostScore for Alameda County, CA

CostScore, part of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Alameda, 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 Alameda 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 2.4, the costs associated with retirement communities in Alameda 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 Alameda. 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 Alameda to the rest of the country. Overall, the cost of living for Alameda indexes at 56.0 percent higher than the national average. Average healthcare costs are 18.0 percent more expensive than the national average, and the cost of housing is 167.0 percent more expensive than average.

Cost of Living	Alameda County, CA
Aggregate Index	156
Healthcare Index	118
Housing Index	267
Food Index	113
Utilities Index	96
Transportation Index	108

Cost of Healthcare Index

LivabilityScore for Alameda County, CA

LivabilityScore makes up part of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Alameda. 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 Alameda is based on weather, crime rates, economic factors, average age of the population, and other key demographics. With a LivabilityScore of 6.8, Alameda 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 260 days each year in Alameda, 26.8 percent more sunny days than the rest of the U.S. sees. With an average temperature of 42°F in January, winters tend to be milder in Alameda than in other parts of the country, and summers are often more temperate than other places, averaging 74°F in July.

Local crime rates are another important indicator. The violent crime rate in Alameda is 25.0 percent higher than the national average, and the property crime rate is 25.0 percent higher than average. At $71,685 per year, the population of Alameda earns a better than average median household income. Alameda has an unemployment rate of 10.80 percent, roughly 18.7 percent higher than the national average. And about 11.38 percent of the population in Alameda is of retirement age -- 65 or older -- which trails the national average by 13.5 percent.

Sunny Days Per Year

Avg Temperature (°F)

Property Crime Index

Amenities Per Capita	Alameda	Nat'l Avg
Parks	3.2	136.1
Libraries	3.1	18.8
Places of Worship	51.4	220.5
Public Transit	6781.9	110.4
Grocery Stores	112.6	97.7
Pharmacies	9.8	13.8

Percent of Population Over Age 65