Retirement Communities in Durham, North Carolina

CaringScore for Durham, NC

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.

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 6.6, Durham rates above 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, NC

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 9.5, 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 522 physicians per capita, Durham scores 136.7 percent better than the national average. Durham scores 323.1 percent better than the national average in geriatricians per capita, with 5.5, and scores 199.5 percent better than the national average in specialists per capita, with 58.4. These medical specialists include cardiologists, oncologists, and orthopedists. The average life expectancy from birth in Durham is 77.3 years -- 0.8 percent lower than most of the country. Air quality in Durham -- one factor in gauging the healthfulness of a region -- is 41.0 percent below average, and water quality -- another key measure of Durham's environmental health -- is 43.6 percent above average.

Doctors Per Capita	Durham, NC	Nat'l Avg
Physicians	522	220.5
Geriatricians	5.5	1.3
Cardiologists	24.2	7.7
Oncologists	11	3.5
Orthopedists	17.6	7

Average Life Expectancy

CostScore for Durham, NC

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 5.4, Durham is on par with the national average for retirement communities.

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 is roughly equal to the national average. Average healthcare costs index at 99 of 10, roughly the same as the national average, and the cost of housing index is 103 of 10, which mirrors the rest of the country.

Cost of Living	Durham, NC
Aggregate Index	100
Healthcare Index	99
Housing Index	103
Food Index	95
Utilities Index	102
Transportation Index	102

Cost of Healthcare Index

LivabilityScore for Durham, NC

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 3.8, Durham 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 220 days each year in Durham, 7.3 percent more sunny days than the rest of the U.S. sees. With an average temperature of 29°F in January, winters tend to be milder in Durham than in other parts of the country, and summers are often hotter than other places, averaging 89°F in July.

Local crime rates are another important indicator. The violent crime rate in Durham is 50.0 percent higher than the national average, and the property crime rate is 50.0 percent higher than average. At $47,285 per year, the population of Durham earns a lower than average median household income. Durham has an unemployment rate of 6.80 percent, roughly 25.3 percent lower than the national average. And about 9.27 percent of the population in Durham is of retirement age -- 65 or older -- which trails the national average by 29.6 percent.

Sunny Days Per Year

Avg Temperature (°F)

Property Crime Index

Amenities Per Capita	Durham	Nat'l Avg
Parks	2.6	136.1
Libraries	3.4	18.8
Places of Worship	86	220.5
Public Transit	453.1	110.4
Grocery Stores	95.5	97.7
Pharmacies	15	13.8

Percent of Population Over Age 65