Retirement Communities in Chelsea, Massachusetts

CaringScore for Chelsea, 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 Chelsea 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 Chelsea.

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 5.3, Chelsea 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 Chelsea. Choose a category score to learn more.

Physicians Per Capita

Cost of Healthcare Index

Sunny Days Per Year

HealthScore for Chelsea, MA

HealthScore, a component of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Chelsea, 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 Chelsea 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, Chelsea 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, Chelsea scores 199.8 percent better than the national average. Chelsea 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 Chelsea is 78.9 years -- 1.3 percent higher than most of the country. Air quality in Chelsea -- one factor in gauging the healthfulness of a region -- is 68.7 percent below average, and water quality -- another key measure of Chelsea's environmental health -- trails the national average by 98.2 percent.

Doctors Per Capita	Chelsea, 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 Chelsea, MA

CostScore, part of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Chelsea, 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 Chelsea 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 2.5, the costs associated with retirement communities in Chelsea 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 Chelsea. 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 Chelsea to the rest of the country. Overall, the cost of living for Chelsea indexes at 40.0 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 68.0 percent more expensive than average.

Cost of Living	Chelsea, MA
Aggregate Index	140
Healthcare Index	125
Housing Index	168
Food Index	121
Utilities Index	149
Transportation Index	109

Cost of Healthcare Index

LivabilityScore for Chelsea, MA

LivabilityScore makes up part of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Chelsea. 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 Chelsea is based on weather, crime rates, economic factors, average age of the population, and other key demographics. With a LivabilityScore of 2.6, Chelsea 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 202 days each year in Chelsea, which is about average in the U.S. With an average temperature of 22°F in January, winters in Chelsea tend to be similar to other parts of the country, and summers are often more temperate than other places, averaging 82°F in July.

Local crime rates are another important indicator. The violent crime rate in Chelsea is 150.0 percent higher than the national average, and the property crime rate is 50.0 percent higher than average. At $38,730 per year, the population of Chelsea earns a lower than average median household income. Chelsea has an unemployment rate of 10.30 percent, roughly 13.2 percent higher than the national average. And about 10.57 percent of the population in Chelsea is of retirement age -- 65 or older -- which trails the national average by 19.7 percent.

Sunny Days Per Year

Avg Temperature (°F)

Property Crime Index

Amenities Per Capita	Chelsea	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	149.5	97.7
Pharmacies	7.5	13.8

Percent of Population Over Age 65