Retirement Communities in Des Plaines, Illinois

CaringScore for Des Plaines, IL

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 Plaines 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 Plaines.

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 4.9, Des Plaines 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 Plaines. Choose a category score to learn more.

Physicians Per Capita

Cost of Healthcare Index

Sunny Days Per Year

HealthScore for Des Plaines, IL

HealthScore, a component of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Des Plaines, 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 Plaines 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 5.9, Des Plaines 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 255.4 physicians per capita, Des Plaines scores 15.8 percent better than the national average. Des Plaines scores 38.5 percent better than the national average in geriatricians per capita, with 1.8, and closely matches the national average in specialists per capita, with 22.2. These medical specialists include cardiologists, oncologists, and orthopedists. The average life expectancy from birth in Des Plaines is 78 years -- on par with the rest of the country. Air quality in Des Plaines -- one factor in gauging the healthfulness of a region -- is 91.6 percent below average, and water quality -- another key measure of Des Plaines's environmental health -- trails the national average by 43.6 percent.

Doctors Per Capita	Des Plaines, IL	Nat'l Avg
Physicians	255.4	220.5
Geriatricians	1.8	1.3
Cardiologists	9.5	7.7
Oncologists	4.7	3.5
Orthopedists	6.1	7

Average Life Expectancy

CostScore for Des Plaines, IL

CostScore, part of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Des Plaines, 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 Plaines 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 3.5, the costs associated with retirement communities in Des Plaines 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 Plaines. 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 Plaines to the rest of the country. Overall, the cost of living for Des Plaines indexes at 21.0 percent higher than the national average. Average healthcare costs are 6.0 percent more expensive than the national average, and the cost of housing is 54.0 percent more expensive than average.

Cost of Living	Des Plaines, IL
Aggregate Index	121
Healthcare Index	106
Housing Index	154
Food Index	114
Utilities Index	95
Transportation Index	119

Cost of Healthcare Index

LivabilityScore for Des Plaines, IL

LivabilityScore makes up part of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Des Plaines. 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 Plaines is based on weather, crime rates, economic factors, average age of the population, and other key demographics. With a LivabilityScore of 5.3, Des Plaines 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 187 days each year in Des Plaines, 8.8 percent fewer sunny days than the rest of the U.S. sees. With an average temperature of 12°F in January, winters tend to be colder in Des Plaines than in other parts of the country, and summers often mirror nationwide seasonal trends, averaging 86°F in July.

Local crime rates are another important indicator. The violent crime rate in Des Plaines is 25.0 percent lower than the national average, and the property crime rate index is 4 of 10, which is in line with the national average. At $63,385 per year, the population of Des Plaines earns a better than average median household income. Des Plaines has an unemployment rate of 8.70 percent, roughly equal to the national average. And about 16.95 percent of the population in Des Plaines is of retirement age -- 65 or older -- which exceeds the national average by 28.8 percent.

Sunny Days Per Year

Avg Temperature (°F)

Property Crime Index

Amenities Per Capita	Des Plaines	Nat'l Avg
Parks	0.9	136.1
Libraries	3.6	18.8
Places of Worship	43.6	220.5
Public Transit	1334.5	110.4
Grocery Stores	93.4	97.7
Pharmacies	15.3	13.8

Percent of Population Over Age 65