Retirement Communities in Dover, New Jersey

CaringScore for Dover, NJ

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 Dover 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 Dover.

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

Physicians Per Capita

Cost of Healthcare Index

Sunny Days Per Year

HealthScore for Dover, NJ

HealthScore, a component of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Dover, 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 Dover 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 7.5, Dover 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 324.9 physicians per capita, Dover scores 47.3 percent better than the national average. Dover scores about average in geriatricians per capita, with 1.4, and scores 66.2 percent better than the national average in specialists per capita, with 32.4. These medical specialists include cardiologists, oncologists, and orthopedists. The average life expectancy from birth in Dover is 80.9 years -- 3.9 percent higher than most of the country. Air quality in Dover -- one factor in gauging the healthfulness of a region -- is 57.8 percent below average, and water quality -- another key measure of Dover's environmental health -- trails the national average by 50.9 percent.

Doctors Per Capita	Dover, NJ	Nat'l Avg
Physicians	324.9	220.5
Geriatricians	1.4	1.3
Cardiologists	15.7	7.7
Oncologists	5.7	3.5
Orthopedists	9.6	7

Average Life Expectancy

CostScore for Dover, NJ

CostScore, part of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Dover, 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 Dover 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 2.9, the costs associated with retirement communities in Dover 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 Dover. 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 Dover to the rest of the country. Overall, the cost of living for Dover indexes at 31.0 percent higher than the national average. Average healthcare costs are 5.0 percent more expensive than the national average, and the cost of housing is 65.0 percent more expensive than average.

Cost of Living	Dover, NJ
Aggregate Index	131
Healthcare Index	105
Housing Index	165
Food Index	110
Utilities Index	137
Transportation Index	105

Cost of Healthcare Index

LivabilityScore for Dover, NJ

LivabilityScore makes up part of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Dover. 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 Dover is based on weather, crime rates, economic factors, average age of the population, and other key demographics. With a LivabilityScore of 4.9, Dover 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 202 days each year in Dover, which is about average in the U.S. With an average temperature of 18°F in January, winters in Dover tend to be similar to other parts of the country, and summers are often more temperate than other places, averaging 85°F in July.

Local crime rates are another important indicator. The violent crime rate in Dover is 25.0 percent higher than the national average, and the property crime rate is 25.0 percent lower than average. At $65,798 per year, the population of Dover earns a better than average median household income. Dover has an unemployment rate of 10.20 percent, roughly 12.1 percent higher than the national average. And about 11.70 percent of the population in Dover is of retirement age -- 65 or older -- which trails the national average by 11.1 percent.

Sunny Days Per Year

Avg Temperature (°F)

Property Crime Index

Amenities Per Capita	Dover	Nat'l Avg
Parks	3.1	136.1
Libraries	7.5	18.8
Places of Worship	55.7	220.5
Public Transit	5195.7	110.4
Grocery Stores	169.2	97.7
Pharmacies	10.9	13.8

Percent of Population Over Age 65