Retirement Communities in Des Moines, Washington

CaringScore for Des Moines, WA

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 Des Moines 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 Des Moines.

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, Des Moines 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 Des Moines. Choose a category score to learn more.

Physicians Per Capita

Cost of Healthcare Index

Sunny Days Per Year

HealthScore for Des Moines, WA

HealthScore, a component of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Des Moines, 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 Des Moines 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 8, Des Moines 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 334.8 physicians per capita, Des Moines scores 51.8 percent better than the national average. Des Moines scores 61.5 percent better than the national average in geriatricians per capita, with 2.1, and scores 45.1 percent better than the national average in specialists per capita, with 28.3. These medical specialists include cardiologists, oncologists, and orthopedists. The average life expectancy from birth in Des Moines is 80.7 years -- 3.6 percent higher than most of the country. Air quality in Des Moines -- one factor in gauging the healthfulness of a region -- is 56.6 percent below average, and water quality -- another key measure of Des Moines's environmental health -- is 9.1 percent above average.

Doctors Per Capita	Des Moines, WA	Nat'l Avg
Physicians	334.8	220.5
Geriatricians	2.1	1.3
Cardiologists	9	7.7
Oncologists	6.5	3.5
Orthopedists	10.7	7

Average Life Expectancy

CostScore for Des Moines, WA

CostScore, part of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Des Moines, 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 Des Moines 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 3.1, the costs associated with retirement communities in Des Moines 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 Des Moines. 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 Des Moines to the rest of the country. Overall, the cost of living for Des Moines indexes at 26.0 percent higher than the national average. Average healthcare costs are 16.0 percent more expensive than the national average, and the cost of housing is 61.0 percent more expensive than average.

Cost of Living	Des Moines, WA
Aggregate Index	126
Healthcare Index	116
Housing Index	161
Food Index	110
Utilities Index	89
Transportation Index	114

Cost of Healthcare Index

LivabilityScore for Des Moines, WA

LivabilityScore makes up part of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Des Moines. 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 Des Moines is based on weather, crime rates, economic factors, average age of the population, and other key demographics. With a LivabilityScore of 3.9, Des Moines 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 152 days each year in Des Moines, 25.9 percent fewer sunny days than the rest of the U.S. sees. With an average temperature of 34°F in January, winters tend to be milder in Des Moines than in other parts of the country, and summers are often more temperate than other places, averaging 78°F in July.

Local crime rates are another important indicator. The violent crime rate in Des Moines is 50.0 percent higher than the national average, and the property crime rate is 25.0 percent higher than average. At $60,806 per year, the population of Des Moines earns a better than average median household income. Des Moines has an unemployment rate of 10.20 percent, roughly 12.1 percent higher than the national average. And about 15.52 percent of the population in Des Moines is of retirement age -- 65 or older -- which exceeds the national average by 17.9 percent.

Sunny Days Per Year

Avg Temperature (°F)

Property Crime Index

Amenities Per Capita	Des Moines	Nat'l Avg
Parks	3.2	136.1
Libraries	4	18.8
Places of Worship	63.2	220.5
Public Transit	707.3	110.4
Grocery Stores	34.1	97.7
Pharmacies	3.4	13.8

Percent of Population Over Age 65