Retirement Communities in Chesapeake, Virginia

CaringScore for Chesapeake, VA

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 Chesapeake 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 Chesapeake.

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 5.1, Chesapeake 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 Chesapeake. Choose a category score to learn more.

Physicians Per Capita

Cost of Healthcare Index

Sunny Days Per Year

HealthScore for Chesapeake, VA

HealthScore, a component of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Chesapeake, 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 Chesapeake 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, Chesapeake 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 235.5 physicians per capita, Chesapeake closely matches the national average. Chesapeake trails the national average in geriatricians per capita by 30.8 percent, with 0.9, and closely matches the national average in specialists per capita, with 18.1. These medical specialists include cardiologists, oncologists, and orthopedists. The average life expectancy from birth in Chesapeake is 77.2 years -- 0.9 percent lower than most of the country. Air quality in Chesapeake -- one factor in gauging the healthfulness of a region -- is 27.7 percent below average, and water quality -- another key measure of Chesapeake's environmental health -- is about average.

Doctors Per Capita	Chesapeake, VA	Nat'l Avg
Physicians	235.5	220.5
Geriatricians	0.9	1.3
Cardiologists	6.8	7.7
Oncologists	4.1	3.5
Orthopedists	6.3	7

Average Life Expectancy

CostScore for Chesapeake, VA

CostScore, part of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Chesapeake, 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 Chesapeake 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, Chesapeake 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 Chesapeake. 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 Chesapeake to the rest of the country. Overall, the cost of living for Chesapeake indexes at 14.0 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 44.0 percent more expensive than average.

Cost of Living	Chesapeake, VA
Aggregate Index	114
Healthcare Index	103
Housing Index	144
Food Index	103
Utilities Index	111
Transportation Index	99

Cost of Healthcare Index

LivabilityScore for Chesapeake, VA

LivabilityScore makes up part of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Chesapeake. 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 Chesapeake is based on weather, crime rates, economic factors, average age of the population, and other key demographics. With a LivabilityScore of 4.3, Chesapeake 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 211 days each year in Chesapeake, 2.9 percent more sunny days than the rest of the U.S. sees. With an average temperature of 32°F in January, winters tend to be milder in Chesapeake than in other parts of the country, and summers often mirror nationwide seasonal trends, averaging 87°F in July.

Local crime rates are another important indicator. The violent crime rate in Chesapeake is 25.0 percent higher than the national average, and the property crime rate is 25.0 percent higher than average. At $67,570 per year, the population of Chesapeake earns a better than average median household income. Chesapeake has an unemployment rate of 6.30 percent, roughly 30.8 percent lower than the national average. And about 10.57 percent of the population in Chesapeake 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	Chesapeake	Nat'l Avg
Parks	0.8	136.1
Libraries	4.1	18.8
Places of Worship	58.2	220.5
Public Transit	140.9	110.4
Grocery Stores	45.4	97.7
Pharmacies	6.8	13.8

Percent of Population Over Age 65