Retirement Communities in Amherst, Massachusetts

CaringScore for Amherst, 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 Amherst 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 Amherst.

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 5.5, Amherst 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 Amherst. Choose a category score to learn more.

Physicians Per Capita

Cost of Healthcare Index

Sunny Days Per Year

HealthScore for Amherst, MA

HealthScore, a component of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Amherst, 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 Amherst 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 7.6, Amherst 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 344.4 physicians per capita, Amherst scores 56.2 percent better than the national average. Amherst trails the national average in geriatricians per capita by 53.8 percent, with 0.6, and closely matches the national average in specialists per capita, with 19.3. These medical specialists include cardiologists, oncologists, and orthopedists. The average life expectancy from birth in Amherst is 79.7 years -- 2.3 percent higher than most of the country. Air quality in Amherst -- one factor in gauging the healthfulness of a region -- is 88.0 percent below average, and water quality -- another key measure of Amherst's environmental health -- is about average.

Doctors Per Capita	Amherst, MA	Nat'l Avg
Physicians	344.4	220.5
Geriatricians	0.6	1.3
Cardiologists	7.1	7.7
Oncologists	5.1	3.5
Orthopedists	6.4	7

Average Life Expectancy

CostScore for Amherst, MA

CostScore, part of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Amherst, 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 Amherst 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, the costs associated with retirement communities in Amherst 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 Amherst. 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 Amherst to the rest of the country. Overall, the cost of living for Amherst indexes at 25.0 percent higher than the national average. Average healthcare costs are 17.0 percent more expensive than the national average, and the cost of housing is 65.0 percent more expensive than average.

Cost of Living	Amherst, MA
Aggregate Index	125
Healthcare Index	117
Housing Index	165
Food Index	115
Utilities Index	122
Transportation Index	102

Cost of Healthcare Index

LivabilityScore for Amherst, MA

LivabilityScore makes up part of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Amherst. 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 Amherst is based on weather, crime rates, economic factors, average age of the population, and other key demographics. With a LivabilityScore of 5.7, Amherst 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 190 days each year in Amherst, 7.3 percent fewer sunny days than the rest of the U.S. sees. With an average temperature of 14°F in January, winters tend to be colder in Amherst than in other parts of the country, and summers are often more temperate than other places, averaging 83°F in July.

Local crime rates are another important indicator. The violent crime rate index in Amherst is 4 out of 10, which is about average, and the property crime rate is 75.0 percent lower than average. At $59,448 per year, the population of Amherst earns a better than average median household income. Amherst has an unemployment rate of 3.40 percent, roughly 62.6 percent lower than the national average. And about 7.44 percent of the population in Amherst is of retirement age -- 65 or older -- which trails the national average by 43.5 percent.

Sunny Days Per Year

Avg Temperature (°F)

Property Crime Index

Amenities Per Capita	Amherst	Nat'l Avg
Parks	5.4	136.1
Libraries	15.7	18.8
Places of Worship	62.4	220.5
Public Transit	79.8	110.4
Grocery Stores	68.9	97.7
Pharmacies	5.5	13.8

Percent of Population Over Age 65