Retirement Communities in Contra Costa County, California

CaringScore for Contra Costa County, CA

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 Contra Costa 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 Contra Costa.

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 4.7, Contra Costa 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 Contra Costa. Choose a category score to learn more.

Physicians Per Capita

Cost of Healthcare Index

Sunny Days Per Year

HealthScore for Contra Costa County, CA

HealthScore, a component of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Contra Costa, 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 Contra Costa 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 5.8, Contra Costa 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 232.6 physicians per capita, Contra Costa closely matches the national average. Contra Costa scores about average in geriatricians per capita, with 1.2, and closely matches the national average in specialists per capita, with 18.2. These medical specialists include cardiologists, oncologists, and orthopedists. The average life expectancy from birth in Contra Costa is 80.4 years -- 3.2 percent higher than most of the country. Air quality in Contra Costa -- one factor in gauging the healthfulness of a region -- is 69.9 percent below average, and water quality -- another key measure of Contra Costa's environmental health -- trails the national average by 36.4 percent.

Doctors Per Capita	Contra Costa County, CA	Nat'l Avg
Physicians	232.6	220.5
Geriatricians	1.2	1.3
Cardiologists	5.8	7.7
Oncologists	3.3	3.5
Orthopedists	7.9	7

Average Life Expectancy

CostScore for Contra Costa County, CA

CostScore, part of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Contra Costa, 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 Contra Costa 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 Contra Costa 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 Contra Costa. 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 Contra Costa to the rest of the country. Overall, the cost of living for Contra Costa indexes at 52.0 percent higher than the national average. Average healthcare costs are 20.0 percent more expensive than the national average, and the cost of housing is 154.0 percent more expensive than average.

Cost of Living	Contra Costa County, CA
Aggregate Index	152
Healthcare Index	120
Housing Index	254
Food Index	113
Utilities Index	99
Transportation Index	109

Cost of Healthcare Index

LivabilityScore for Contra Costa County, CA

LivabilityScore makes up part of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Contra Costa. 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 Contra Costa is based on weather, crime rates, economic factors, average age of the population, and other key demographics. With a LivabilityScore of 6.2, Contra Costa rates above average for retirement communities.

Weather is an important factor in choosing the best place for retirement communities. The sun shines an average of 260 days each year in Contra Costa, 26.8 percent more sunny days than the rest of the U.S. sees. With an average temperature of 38°F in January, winters tend to be milder in Contra Costa than in other parts of the country, and summers are often more temperate than other places, averaging 83°F in July.

Local crime rates are another important indicator. The violent crime rate in Contra Costa is 25.0 percent higher than the national average, and the property crime rate is 25.0 percent higher than average. At $80,915 per year, the population of Contra Costa earns a better than average median household income. Contra Costa has an unemployment rate of 11.20 percent, roughly 23.1 percent higher than the national average. And about 12.56 percent of the population in Contra Costa is of retirement age -- 65 or older -- which matches the national average.

Sunny Days Per Year

Avg Temperature (°F)

Property Crime Index

Amenities Per Capita	Contra Costa	Nat'l Avg
Parks	7.1	136.1
Libraries	2.8	18.8
Places of Worship	50.3	220.5
Public Transit	6781.9	110.4
Grocery Stores	84.8	97.7
Pharmacies	8.8	13.8

Percent of Population Over Age 65