Retirement Communities in Dekalb County, Georgia

CaringScore for Dekalb County, GA

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 Dekalb 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 Dekalb.

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

Physicians Per Capita

Cost of Healthcare Index

Sunny Days Per Year

HealthScore for Dekalb County, GA

HealthScore, a component of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Dekalb, 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 Dekalb 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 6.8, Dekalb 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 284.2 physicians per capita, Dekalb scores 28.9 percent better than the national average. Dekalb scores 123.1 percent better than the national average in geriatricians per capita, with 2.9, and scores 36.4 percent better than the national average in specialists per capita, with 26.6. These medical specialists include cardiologists, oncologists, and orthopedists. The average life expectancy from birth in Dekalb is 78.7 years -- 1.0 percent higher than most of the country. Air quality in Dekalb -- one factor in gauging the healthfulness of a region -- is 91.6 percent below average, and water quality -- another key measure of Dekalb's environmental health -- trails the national average by 41.8 percent.

Doctors Per Capita	Dekalb County, GA	Nat'l Avg
Physicians	284.2	220.5
Geriatricians	2.9	1.3
Cardiologists	10.9	7.7
Oncologists	7	3.5
Orthopedists	5.7	7

Average Life Expectancy

CostScore for Dekalb County, GA

CostScore, part of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Dekalb, 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 Dekalb 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 5.3, Dekalb 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 Dekalb. 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 Dekalb to the rest of the country. Overall, the cost of living for Dekalb is roughly equal to the national average. Average healthcare costs are 4.0 percent more expensive than the national average, and the cost of housing index is 103 of 10, which mirrors the rest of the country.

Cost of Living	Dekalb County, GA
Aggregate Index	99
Healthcare Index	104
Housing Index	103
Food Index	99
Utilities Index	87
Transportation Index	99

Cost of Healthcare Index

LivabilityScore for Dekalb County, GA

LivabilityScore makes up part of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Dekalb. 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 Dekalb is based on weather, crime rates, economic factors, average age of the population, and other key demographics. With a LivabilityScore of 3.6, Dekalb 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 Dekalb, 5.9 percent more sunny days than the rest of the U.S. sees. With an average temperature of 31°F in January, winters tend to be milder in Dekalb than in other parts of the country, and summers are often hotter than other places, averaging 88°F in July.

Local crime rates are another important indicator. The violent crime rate in Dekalb is 75.0 percent higher than the national average, and the property crime rate is 50.0 percent higher than average. At $55,738 per year, the population of Dekalb earns a median household income on par with the national average. Dekalb has an unemployment rate of 10.00 percent, roughly 9.9 percent higher than the national average. And about 9.28 percent of the population in Dekalb is of retirement age -- 65 or older -- which trails the national average by 29.5 percent.

Sunny Days Per Year

Avg Temperature (°F)

Property Crime Index

Amenities Per Capita	Dekalb	Nat'l Avg
Parks	1.1	136.1
Libraries	3.3	18.8
Places of Worship	49	220.5
Public Transit	569.6	110.4
Grocery Stores	93.2	97.7
Pharmacies	12.5	13.8

Percent of Population Over Age 65