Retirement Communities in Appleton, Wisconsin

CaringScore for Appleton, WI

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 Appleton 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 Appleton.

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, Appleton 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 Appleton. Choose a category score to learn more.

Physicians Per Capita

Cost of Healthcare Index

Sunny Days Per Year

HealthScore for Appleton, WI

HealthScore, a component of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Appleton, 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 Appleton 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 6.5, Appleton 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 207.2 physicians per capita, Appleton closely matches the national average. Appleton trails the national average in geriatricians per capita by 53.8 percent, with 0.6, and scores 31.3 percent better than the national average in specialists per capita, with 25.6. These medical specialists include cardiologists, oncologists, and orthopedists. The average life expectancy from birth in Appleton is 80.1 years -- 2.8 percent higher than most of the country. Air quality in Appleton -- one factor in gauging the healthfulness of a region -- is 24.1 percent below average, and water quality -- another key measure of Appleton's environmental health -- trails the national average by 27.3 percent.

Doctors Per Capita	Appleton, WI	Nat'l Avg
Physicians	207.2	220.5
Geriatricians	0.6	1.3
Cardiologists	10.2	7.7
Oncologists	3.4	3.5
Orthopedists	11.4	7

Average Life Expectancy

CostScore for Appleton, WI

CostScore, part of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Appleton, 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 Appleton 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 4.8, Appleton 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 Appleton. 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 Appleton to the rest of the country. Overall, the cost of living for Appleton indexes at 5.0 percent lower than the national average. Average healthcare costs are 9.0 percent more expensive than the national average, and the cost of housing is 20.0 percent less expensive than average.

Cost of Living	Appleton, WI
Aggregate Index	95
Healthcare Index	109
Housing Index	80
Food Index	86
Utilities Index	108
Transportation Index	106

Cost of Healthcare Index

LivabilityScore for Appleton, WI

LivabilityScore makes up part of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Appleton. 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 Appleton is based on weather, crime rates, economic factors, average age of the population, and other key demographics. With a LivabilityScore of 4.9, Appleton is on par with the national average for retirement communities.

Weather is an important factor in choosing the best place for retirement communities. The sun shines an average of 189 days each year in Appleton, 7.8 percent fewer sunny days than the rest of the U.S. sees. With an average temperature of 8°F in January, winters tend to be colder in Appleton than in other parts of the country, and summers are often more temperate than other places, averaging 82°F in July.

Local crime rates are another important indicator. The violent crime rate index in Appleton is 4 out of 10, which is about average, and the property crime rate is 25.0 percent higher than average. At $52,868 per year, the population of Appleton earns a median household income on par with the national average. Appleton has an unemployment rate of 9.10 percent, roughly equal to the national average. And about 11.79 percent of the population in Appleton is of retirement age -- 65 or older -- which trails the national average by 10.4 percent.

Sunny Days Per Year

Avg Temperature (°F)

Property Crime Index

Amenities Per Capita	Appleton	Nat'l Avg
Parks	1.2	136.1
Libraries	5.1	18.8
Places of Worship	73.3	220.5
Public Transit	6.4	110.4
Grocery Stores	141.3	97.7
Pharmacies	18.6	13.8

Percent of Population Over Age 65