Retirement Communities in Boston, Massachusetts

CaringScore for Boston, MA

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 Boston 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 Boston.

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 5.4, Boston 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 Boston. Choose a category score to learn more.

Physicians Per Capita

Cost of Healthcare Index

Sunny Days Per Year

HealthScore for Boston, MA

HealthScore, a component of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Boston, 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 Boston 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 9.5, Boston 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 661.1 physicians per capita, Boston scores 199.8 percent better than the national average. Boston scores 230.8 percent better than the national average in geriatricians per capita, with 4.3, and scores 242.6 percent better than the national average in specialists per capita, with 66.8. These medical specialists include cardiologists, oncologists, and orthopedists. The average life expectancy from birth in Boston is 78.9 years -- 1.3 percent higher than most of the country. Air quality in Boston -- one factor in gauging the healthfulness of a region -- is 68.7 percent below average, and water quality -- another key measure of Boston's environmental health -- trails the national average by 98.2 percent.

Doctors Per Capita	Boston, MA	Nat'l Avg
Physicians	661.1	220.5
Geriatricians	4.3	1.3
Cardiologists	30.3	7.7
Oncologists	18.7	3.5
Orthopedists	13.6	7

Average Life Expectancy

CostScore for Boston, MA

CostScore, part of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Boston, 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 Boston 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 2.3, the costs associated with retirement communities in Boston 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 Boston. 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 Boston to the rest of the country. Overall, the cost of living for Boston indexes at 54.0 percent higher than the national average. Average healthcare costs are 25.0 percent more expensive than the national average, and the cost of housing is 118.0 percent more expensive than average.

Cost of Living	Boston, MA
Aggregate Index	154
Healthcare Index	125
Housing Index	218
Food Index	121
Utilities Index	149
Transportation Index	109

Cost of Healthcare Index

LivabilityScore for Boston, MA

LivabilityScore makes up part of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Boston. 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 Boston is based on weather, crime rates, economic factors, average age of the population, and other key demographics. With a LivabilityScore of 3.1, Boston 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 200 days each year in Boston, which is about average in the U.S. With an average temperature of 19°F in January, winters in Boston tend to be similar to other parts of the country, and summers are often more temperate than other places, averaging 84°F in July.

Local crime rates are another important indicator. The violent crime rate in Boston is 100.0 percent higher than the national average, and the property crime rate is 50.0 percent higher than average. At $52,803 per year, the population of Boston earns a median household income on par with the national average. Boston has an unemployment rate of 6.80 percent, roughly 25.3 percent lower than the national average. And about 10.38 percent of the population in Boston is of retirement age -- 65 or older -- which trails the national average by 21.1 percent.

Sunny Days Per Year

Avg Temperature (°F)

Property Crime Index

Amenities Per Capita	Boston	Nat'l Avg
Parks	0.7	136.1
Libraries	4.5	18.8
Places of Worship	49.7	220.5
Public Transit	292.8	110.4
Grocery Stores	76.1	97.7
Pharmacies	5.9	13.8

Percent of Population Over Age 65