Retirement Communities in East Chicago, Indiana

CaringScore for East Chicago, IN

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 East Chicago 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 East Chicago.

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 5.1, East Chicago 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 East Chicago. Choose a category score to learn more.

Physicians Per Capita

Cost of Healthcare Index

Sunny Days Per Year

HealthScore for East Chicago, IN

HealthScore, a component of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in East Chicago, 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 East Chicago 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 4.5, East Chicago is on par with the national average for those seeking retirement communities.

Easy access to physicians -- especially geriatricians and other key specialists -- is important to older adults. At just 187.4 physicians per capita, East Chicago trails the national average by 15.0 percent. East Chicago trails the national average in geriatricians per capita by 38.5 percent, with 0.8, and closely matches the national average in specialists per capita, with 20.2. These medical specialists include cardiologists, oncologists, and orthopedists. The average life expectancy from birth in East Chicago is 75.7 years -- 2.8 percent lower than most of the country. Air quality in East Chicago -- one factor in gauging the healthfulness of a region -- is 81.9 percent below average, and water quality -- another key measure of East Chicago's environmental health -- trails the national average by 45.5 percent.

Doctors Per Capita	East Chicago, IN	Nat'l Avg
Physicians	187.4	220.5
Geriatricians	0.8	1.3
Cardiologists	9.9	7.7
Oncologists	2.8	3.5
Orthopedists	6.7	7

Average Life Expectancy

CostScore for East Chicago, IN

CostScore, part of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in East Chicago, 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 East Chicago is based on data such as the average monthly cost of retirement communities in the region, cost of living indices such as housing and healthcare, regional tax rates, and other key factors. With a CostScore of 7.7, the costs associated with retirement communities in East Chicago are generally less 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 East Chicago. 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 East Chicago to the rest of the country. Overall, the cost of living for East Chicago indexes at 20.0 percent lower than the national average. Average healthcare costs are 3.0 percent cheaper than the national average, and the cost of housing is 54.0 percent less expensive than average.

Cost of Living	East Chicago, IN
Aggregate Index	80
Healthcare Index	97
Housing Index	46
Food Index	89
Utilities Index	90
Transportation Index	96

Cost of Healthcare Index

LivabilityScore for East Chicago, IN

LivabilityScore makes up part of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in East Chicago. 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 East Chicago is based on weather, crime rates, economic factors, average age of the population, and other key demographics. With a LivabilityScore of 2.5, East Chicago 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 186 days each year in East Chicago, 9.3 percent fewer sunny days than the rest of the U.S. sees. With an average temperature of 16°F in January, winters tend to be colder in East Chicago than in other parts of the country, and summers are often more temperate than other places, averaging 84°F in July.

Local crime rates are another important indicator. The violent crime rate in East Chicago is 75.0 percent higher than the national average, and the property crime rate is 100.0 percent higher than average. At $29,590 per year, the population of East Chicago earns a lower than average median household income. East Chicago has an unemployment rate of 12.70 percent, roughly 39.6 percent higher than the national average. And about 11.93 percent of the population in East Chicago is of retirement age -- 65 or older -- which matches the national average.

Sunny Days Per Year

Avg Temperature (°F)

Property Crime Index

Amenities Per Capita	East Chicago	Nat'l Avg
Parks	1.6	136.1
Libraries	7.7	18.8
Places of Worship	71.4	220.5
Public Transit	1334.5	110.4
Grocery Stores	91.5	97.7
Pharmacies	10.2	13.8

Percent of Population Over Age 65