Retirement Communities in Delaware County, Pennsylvania

CaringScore for Delaware County, PA

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 Delaware 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 Delaware.

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

Physicians Per Capita

Cost of Healthcare Index

Sunny Days Per Year

HealthScore for Delaware County, PA

HealthScore, a component of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Delaware, 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 Delaware 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 7, Delaware 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 341.4 physicians per capita, Delaware scores 54.8 percent better than the national average. Delaware scores 53.8 percent better than the national average in geriatricians per capita, with 2, and scores 78.5 percent better than the national average in specialists per capita, with 34.8. These medical specialists include cardiologists, oncologists, and orthopedists. The average life expectancy from birth in Delaware is 77.5 years -- 0.5 percent lower than most of the country. Air quality in Delaware -- one factor in gauging the healthfulness of a region -- is 75.9 percent below average, and water quality -- another key measure of Delaware's environmental health -- trails the national average by 90.9 percent.

Doctors Per Capita	Delaware County, PA	Nat'l Avg
Physicians	341.4	220.5
Geriatricians	2	1.3
Cardiologists	16.6	7.7
Oncologists	6.7	3.5
Orthopedists	9.6	7

Average Life Expectancy

CostScore for Delaware County, PA

CostScore, part of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Delaware, 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 Delaware 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 3.4, the costs associated with retirement communities in Delaware 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 Delaware. 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 Delaware to the rest of the country. Overall, the cost of living for Delaware indexes at 20.0 percent higher than the national average. Average healthcare costs are 4.0 percent more expensive than the national average, and the cost of housing is 23.0 percent more expensive than average.

Cost of Living	Delaware County, PA
Aggregate Index	120
Healthcare Index	104
Housing Index	123
Food Index	125
Utilities Index	133
Transportation Index	108

Cost of Healthcare Index

LivabilityScore for Delaware County, PA

LivabilityScore makes up part of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Delaware. 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 Delaware is based on weather, crime rates, economic factors, average age of the population, and other key demographics. With a LivabilityScore of 5, Delaware is on par with the national average for retirement communities.

Weather is an important factor in choosing the best place for retirement communities. The sun shines an average of 204 days each year in Delaware, which is about average in the U.S. With an average temperature of 25°F in January, winters tend to be milder in Delaware 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 Delaware is 25.0 percent higher than the national average, and the property crime rate index is 4 of 10, which is in line with the national average. At $63,300 per year, the population of Delaware earns a better than average median household income. Delaware has an unemployment rate of 7.80 percent, roughly 14.3 percent lower than the national average. And about 14.50 percent of the population in Delaware is of retirement age -- 65 or older -- which exceeds the national average by 10.2 percent.

Sunny Days Per Year

Avg Temperature (°F)

Property Crime Index

Amenities Per Capita	Delaware	Nat'l Avg
Parks	0.9	136.1
Libraries	5.1	18.8
Places of Worship	60.1	220.5
Public Transit	330.8	110.4
Grocery Stores	76	97.7
Pharmacies	17.3	13.8

Percent of Population Over Age 65