Retirement Communities in Belfast, Maine

CaringScore for Belfast, ME

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 Belfast 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 Belfast.

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 5.6, Belfast rates above average for those seeking retirement communities.

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

Physicians Per Capita

Cost of Healthcare Index

Sunny Days Per Year

HealthScore for Belfast, ME

HealthScore, a component of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Belfast, 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 Belfast 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 6.6, Belfast rates above average for those seeking retirement communities.

Easy access to physicians -- especially geriatricians and other key specialists -- is important to older adults. At just 186.9 physicians per capita, Belfast trails the national average by 15.2 percent. Belfast trails the national average in geriatricians per capita by 100.0 percent, with 0, and scores 32.8 percent below the national average in specialists per capita, with 13.1. These medical specialists include cardiologists, oncologists, and orthopedists. The average life expectancy from birth in Belfast is 78.2 years -- on par with the rest of the country. Air quality in Belfast -- one factor in gauging the healthfulness of a region -- is 8.4 percent above average, and water quality -- another key measure of Belfast's environmental health -- is 16.4 percent above average.

Doctors Per Capita	Belfast, ME	Nat'l Avg
Physicians	186.9	220.5
Geriatricians	0	1.3
Cardiologists	5.2	7.7
Oncologists	0	3.5
Orthopedists	7.8	7

Average Life Expectancy

CostScore for Belfast, ME

CostScore, part of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Belfast, 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 Belfast 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, the costs associated with retirement communities in Belfast 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 Belfast. 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 Belfast to the rest of the country. Overall, the cost of living for Belfast is roughly equal to the national average. Average healthcare costs are 15.0 percent more expensive than the national average, and the cost of housing index is 90 of 10, which mirrors the rest of the country.

Cost of Living	Belfast, ME
Aggregate Index	102
Healthcare Index	115
Housing Index	90
Food Index	99
Utilities Index	101
Transportation Index	111

Cost of Healthcare Index

LivabilityScore for Belfast, ME

LivabilityScore makes up part of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Belfast. 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 Belfast is based on weather, crime rates, economic factors, average age of the population, and other key demographics. With a LivabilityScore of 6.2, Belfast 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 201 days each year in Belfast, which is about average in the U.S. With an average temperature of 11°F in January, winters tend to be colder in Belfast than in other parts of the country, and summers are often more temperate than other places, averaging 80°F in July.

Local crime rates are another important indicator. The violent crime rate in Belfast is 50.0 percent lower than the national average, and the property crime rate is 25.0 percent higher than average. At $44,582 per year, the population of Belfast earns a lower than average median household income. Belfast has an unemployment rate of 10.20 percent, roughly 12.1 percent higher than the national average. And about 22.30 percent of the population in Belfast is of retirement age -- 65 or older -- which exceeds the national average by 69.5 percent.

Sunny Days Per Year

Avg Temperature (°F)

Property Crime Index

Amenities Per Capita	Belfast	Nat'l Avg
Parks	43.8	136.1
Libraries	28.4	18.8
Places of Worship	104.7	220.5
Public Transit	0	110.4
Grocery Stores	146.5	97.7
Pharmacies	44	13.8

Percent of Population Over Age 65