Retirement Communities in Bethesda, Maryland

CaringScore for Bethesda, MD

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 Bethesda 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 Bethesda.

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 6.4, Bethesda rates above average for those seeking retirement communities.

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

Physicians Per Capita

Cost of Healthcare Index

Sunny Days Per Year

HealthScore for Bethesda, MD

HealthScore, a component of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Bethesda, 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 Bethesda 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 10, Bethesda 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 563.6 physicians per capita, Bethesda scores 155.6 percent better than the national average. Bethesda scores 69.2 percent better than the national average in geriatricians per capita, with 2.2, and scores 153.8 percent better than the national average in specialists per capita, with 49.5. These medical specialists include cardiologists, oncologists, and orthopedists. The average life expectancy from birth in Bethesda is 82.7 years -- 6.2 percent higher than most of the country. Air quality in Bethesda -- one factor in gauging the healthfulness of a region -- is 48.2 percent below average, and water quality -- another key measure of Bethesda's environmental health -- trails the national average by 9.1 percent.

Doctors Per Capita	Bethesda, MD	Nat'l Avg
Physicians	563.6	220.5
Geriatricians	2.2	1.3
Cardiologists	19.6	7.7
Oncologists	14.3	3.5
Orthopedists	13.4	7

Average Life Expectancy

CostScore for Bethesda, MD

CostScore, part of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Bethesda, 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 Bethesda 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 3.2, the costs associated with retirement communities in Bethesda 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 Bethesda. 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 Bethesda to the rest of the country. Overall, the cost of living for Bethesda indexes at 95.0 percent higher than the national average. Average healthcare costs are 3.0 percent more expensive than the national average, and the cost of housing is 324.0 percent more expensive than average.

Cost of Living	Bethesda, MD
Aggregate Index	195
Healthcare Index	103
Housing Index	424
Food Index	108
Utilities Index	119
Transportation Index	110

Cost of Healthcare Index

LivabilityScore for Bethesda, MD

LivabilityScore makes up part of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Bethesda. 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 Bethesda is based on weather, crime rates, economic factors, average age of the population, and other key demographics. With a LivabilityScore of 5.3, Bethesda 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 197 days each year in Bethesda, 3.9 percent fewer sunny days than the rest of the U.S. sees. With an average temperature of 24°F in January, winters tend to be milder in Bethesda than in other parts of the country, and summers are often hotter than other places, averaging 89°F in July.

Local crime rates are another important indicator. The violent crime rate in Bethesda is 25.0 percent higher than the national average, and the property crime rate is 25.0 percent higher than average. At $131,093 per year, the population of Bethesda earns a better than average median household income. Bethesda has an unemployment rate of 5.00 percent, roughly 45.1 percent lower than the national average. And about 18.04 percent of the population in Bethesda is of retirement age -- 65 or older -- which exceeds the national average by 37.1 percent.

Sunny Days Per Year

Avg Temperature (°F)

Property Crime Index

Amenities Per Capita	Bethesda	Nat'l Avg
Parks	6.8	136.1
Libraries	2.4	18.8
Places of Worship	62.5	220.5
Public Transit	188.9	110.4
Grocery Stores	110.7	97.7
Pharmacies	22.5	13.8

Percent of Population Over Age 65