Retirement Communities in Durham, New Hampshire

CaringScore for Durham, NH

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 Durham 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 Durham.

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 4.5, Durham 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 Durham. Choose a category score to learn more.

Physicians Per Capita

Cost of Healthcare Index

Sunny Days Per Year

HealthScore for Durham, NH

HealthScore, a component of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Durham, 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 Durham 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 5.6, Durham 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 196.7 physicians per capita, Durham closely matches the national average. Durham scores 84.6 percent better than the national average in geriatricians per capita, with 2.4, and scores 16.4 percent below the national average in specialists per capita, with 16.3. These medical specialists include cardiologists, oncologists, and orthopedists. The average life expectancy from birth in Durham is 78.8 years -- 1.2 percent higher than most of the country. Air quality in Durham -- one factor in gauging the healthfulness of a region -- is average, and water quality -- another key measure of Durham's environmental health -- trails the national average by 63.6 percent.

Doctors Per Capita	Durham, NH	Nat'l Avg
Physicians	196.7	220.5
Geriatricians	2.4	1.3
Cardiologists	5.7	7.7
Oncologists	3.3	3.5
Orthopedists	4.9	7

Average Life Expectancy

CostScore for Durham, NH

CostScore, part of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Durham, 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 Durham 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, the costs associated with retirement communities in Durham 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 Durham. 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 Durham to the rest of the country. Overall, the cost of living for Durham indexes at 33.0 percent higher than the national average. Average healthcare costs are 14.0 percent more expensive than the national average, and the cost of housing is 78.0 percent more expensive than average.

Cost of Living	Durham, NH
Aggregate Index	133
Healthcare Index	114
Housing Index	178
Food Index	102
Utilities Index	127
Transportation Index	102

Cost of Healthcare Index

LivabilityScore for Durham, NH

LivabilityScore makes up part of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Durham. 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 Durham is based on weather, crime rates, economic factors, average age of the population, and other key demographics. With a LivabilityScore of 4.8, Durham 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 199 days each year in Durham, 2.9 percent fewer sunny days than the rest of the U.S. sees. With an average temperature of 13°F in January, winters tend to be colder in Durham than in other parts of the country, and summers are often more temperate than other places, averaging 83°F in July.

Local crime rates are another important indicator. The violent crime rate index in Durham is 4 out of 10, which is about average, and the property crime rate index is 4 of 10, which is in line with the national average. At $43,148 per year, the population of Durham earns a lower than average median household income. Durham has an unemployment rate of 4.50 percent, roughly 50.5 percent lower than the national average. And about 5.21 percent of the population in Durham is of retirement age -- 65 or older -- which trails the national average by 60.4 percent.

Sunny Days Per Year

Avg Temperature (°F)

Property Crime Index

Amenities Per Capita	Durham	Nat'l Avg
Parks	0	136.1
Libraries	11.4	18.8
Places of Worship	58.8	220.5
Public Transit	37.7	110.4
Grocery Stores	50.9	97.7
Pharmacies	0	13.8

Percent of Population Over Age 65