Retirement Communities in Bay County, Florida

CaringScore for Bay 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 Bay 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 Bay.

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 5.8, Bay rates above average for those seeking retirement communities.

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

Physicians Per Capita

Cost of Healthcare Index

Sunny Days Per Year

HealthScore for Bay County, FL

HealthScore, a component of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Bay, 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 Bay 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 6.4, Bay 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 208.9 physicians per capita, Bay closely matches the national average. Bay scores 38.5 percent better than the national average in geriatricians per capita, with 1.8, and closely matches the national average in specialists per capita, with 20.8. These medical specialists include cardiologists, oncologists, and orthopedists. The average life expectancy from birth in Bay is 76.5 years -- 1.8 percent lower than most of the country. Air quality in Bay -- one factor in gauging the healthfulness of a region -- is 21.7 percent below average, and water quality -- another key measure of Bay's environmental health -- is 81.8 percent above average.

Doctors Per Capita	Bay County, FL	Nat'l Avg
Physicians	208.9	220.5
Geriatricians	1.8	1.3
Cardiologists	5.4	7.7
Oncologists	3.6	3.5
Orthopedists	10.1	7

Average Life Expectancy

CostScore for Bay County, FL

CostScore, part of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Bay, 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 Bay is based on data such as the average monthly cost of retirement communities in the region, cost of living indices such as housing and healthcare, regional tax rates, and other key factors. With a CostScore of 6.4, the costs associated with retirement communities in Bay are generally less 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 Bay. 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 Bay to the rest of the country. Overall, the cost of living for Bay is roughly equal to the national average. Average healthcare costs are 4.0 percent cheaper than the national average, and the cost of housing is 13.0 percent less expensive than average.

Cost of Living	Bay County, FL
Aggregate Index	96
Healthcare Index	96
Housing Index	87
Food Index	98
Utilities Index	97
Transportation Index	103

Cost of Healthcare Index

LivabilityScore for Bay County, FL

LivabilityScore makes up part of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Bay. 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 Bay is based on weather, crime rates, economic factors, average age of the population, and other key demographics. With a LivabilityScore of 4.1, Bay 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 241 days each year in Bay, 17.6 percent more sunny days than the rest of the U.S. sees. With an average temperature of 40°F in January, winters tend to be milder in Bay than in other parts of the country, and summers are often hotter than other places, averaging 90°F in July.

Local crime rates are another important indicator. The violent crime rate in Bay is 25.0 percent higher than the national average, and the property crime rate is 50.0 percent higher than average. At $48,515 per year, the population of Bay earns a lower than average median household income. Bay has an unemployment rate of 10.30 percent, roughly 13.2 percent higher than the national average. And about 15.23 percent of the population in Bay is of retirement age -- 65 or older -- which exceeds the national average by 15.7 percent.

Sunny Days Per Year

Avg Temperature (°F)

Property Crime Index

Amenities Per Capita	Bay	Nat'l Avg
Parks	7.8	136.1
Libraries	3	18.8
Places of Worship	99.2	220.5
Public Transit	71.4	110.4
Grocery Stores	101.6	97.7
Pharmacies	17.8	13.8

Percent of Population Over Age 65