Retirement Communities in Elgin, Illinois

CaringScore for Elgin, 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 Elgin 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 Elgin.

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

Physicians Per Capita

Cost of Healthcare Index

Sunny Days Per Year

HealthScore for Elgin, IL

HealthScore, a component of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Elgin, 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 Elgin 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, Elgin 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 132.5 physicians per capita, Elgin trails the national average by 39.9 percent. Elgin trails the national average in geriatricians per capita by 84.6 percent, with 0.2, and scores 45.1 percent below the national average in specialists per capita, with 10.7. These medical specialists include cardiologists, oncologists, and orthopedists. The average life expectancy from birth in Elgin is 79.2 years -- 1.7 percent higher than most of the country. Air quality in Elgin -- one factor in gauging the healthfulness of a region -- is 44.6 percent below average, and water quality -- another key measure of Elgin's environmental health -- is 9.1 percent above average.

Doctors Per Capita	Elgin, IL	Nat'l Avg
Physicians	132.5	220.5
Geriatricians	0.2	1.3
Cardiologists	5.3	7.7
Oncologists	1.1	3.5
Orthopedists	4	7

Average Life Expectancy

CostScore for Elgin, IL

CostScore, part of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Elgin, 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 Elgin 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 4.1, the costs associated with retirement communities in Elgin 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 Elgin. 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 Elgin to the rest of the country. Overall, the cost of living for Elgin indexes at 9.0 percent higher than the national average. Average healthcare costs are 4.0 percent more expensive than the national average, and the cost of housing index is 110 of 10, which mirrors the rest of the country.

Cost of Living	Elgin, IL
Aggregate Index	109
Healthcare Index	104
Housing Index	110
Food Index	113
Utilities Index	97
Transportation Index	118

Cost of Healthcare Index

LivabilityScore for Elgin, IL

LivabilityScore makes up part of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Elgin. 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 Elgin is based on weather, crime rates, economic factors, average age of the population, and other key demographics. With a LivabilityScore of 4.3, Elgin 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 190 days each year in Elgin, 7.3 percent fewer sunny days than the rest of the U.S. sees. With an average temperature of 11°F in January, winters tend to be colder in Elgin 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 Elgin 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 $62,391 per year, the population of Elgin earns a better than average median household income. Elgin has an unemployment rate of 12.80 percent, roughly 40.7 percent higher than the national average. And about 8.46 percent of the population in Elgin is of retirement age -- 65 or older -- which trails the national average by 35.7 percent.

Sunny Days Per Year

Avg Temperature (°F)

Property Crime Index

Amenities Per Capita	Elgin	Nat'l Avg
Parks	1.9	136.1
Libraries	2.9	18.8
Places of Worship	58.4	220.5
Public Transit	1334.5	110.4
Grocery Stores	46.3	97.7
Pharmacies	10.6	13.8

Percent of Population Over Age 65