Retirement Communities in Bluffton, South Carolina

CaringScore for Bluffton, SC

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 Bluffton 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 Bluffton.

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

Physicians Per Capita

Cost of Healthcare Index

Sunny Days Per Year

HealthScore for Bluffton, SC

HealthScore, a component of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Bluffton, 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 Bluffton 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 7.2, Bluffton 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 255.7 physicians per capita, Bluffton scores 16.0 percent better than the national average. Bluffton trails the national average in geriatricians per capita by 53.8 percent, with 0.6, and scores 28.2 percent better than the national average in specialists per capita, with 25. These medical specialists include cardiologists, oncologists, and orthopedists. The average life expectancy from birth in Bluffton is 80.7 years -- 3.6 percent higher than most of the country. Air quality in Bluffton -- one factor in gauging the healthfulness of a region -- is 25.3 percent below average, and water quality -- another key measure of Bluffton's environmental health -- is 9.1 percent above average.

Doctors Per Capita	Bluffton, SC	Nat'l Avg
Physicians	255.7	220.5
Geriatricians	0.6	1.3
Cardiologists	8.3	7.7
Oncologists	3.2	3.5
Orthopedists	12.8	7

Average Life Expectancy

CostScore for Bluffton, SC

CostScore, part of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Bluffton, 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 Bluffton 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 4.6, Bluffton 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 Bluffton. 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 Bluffton to the rest of the country. Overall, the cost of living for Bluffton is roughly equal to the national average. Average healthcare costs are 3.0 percent more expensive than the national average, and the cost of housing index is 96 of 10, which mirrors the rest of the country.

Cost of Living	Bluffton, SC
Aggregate Index	105
Healthcare Index	103
Housing Index	96
Food Index	110
Utilities Index	106
Transportation Index	101

Cost of Healthcare Index

LivabilityScore for Bluffton, SC

LivabilityScore makes up part of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Bluffton. 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 Bluffton is based on weather, crime rates, economic factors, average age of the population, and other key demographics. With a LivabilityScore of 3.8, Bluffton 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 217 days each year in Bluffton, 5.9 percent more sunny days than the rest of the U.S. sees. With an average temperature of 39°F in January, winters tend to be milder in Bluffton 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 Bluffton is 100.0 percent higher than the national average, and the property crime rate is 150.0 percent higher than average. At $50,128 per year, the population of Bluffton earns a median household income on par with the national average. Bluffton has an unemployment rate of 7.80 percent, roughly 14.3 percent lower than the national average. And about 4.86 percent of the population in Bluffton is of retirement age -- 65 or older -- which trails the national average by 63.1 percent.

Sunny Days Per Year

Avg Temperature (°F)

Property Crime Index

Amenities Per Capita	Bluffton	Nat'l Avg
Parks	2.8	136.1
Libraries	3.3	18.8
Places of Worship	62	220.5
Public Transit	0	110.4
Grocery Stores	1160	97.7
Pharmacies	290	13.8

Percent of Population Over Age 65