Retirement Communities in Fitchburg, Massachusetts

CaringScore for Fitchburg, MA

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 Fitchburg 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 Fitchburg.

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 4.9, Fitchburg 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 Fitchburg. Choose a category score to learn more.

Physicians Per Capita

Cost of Healthcare Index

Sunny Days Per Year

HealthScore for Fitchburg, MA

HealthScore, a component of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Fitchburg, 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 Fitchburg 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 6.4, Fitchburg 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 245.5 physicians per capita, Fitchburg scores 11.3 percent better than the national average. Fitchburg scores 69.2 percent better than the national average in geriatricians per capita, with 2.2, and scores 16.9 percent better than the national average in specialists per capita, with 22.8. These medical specialists include cardiologists, oncologists, and orthopedists. The average life expectancy from birth in Fitchburg is 78.8 years -- 1.2 percent higher than most of the country. Air quality in Fitchburg -- one factor in gauging the healthfulness of a region -- is 54.2 percent below average, and water quality -- another key measure of Fitchburg's environmental health -- is about average.

Doctors Per Capita	Fitchburg, MA	Nat'l Avg
Physicians	245.5	220.5
Geriatricians	2.2	1.3
Cardiologists	10.2	7.7
Oncologists	3.7	3.5
Orthopedists	6.7	7

Average Life Expectancy

CostScore for Fitchburg, MA

CostScore, part of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Fitchburg, 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 Fitchburg 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, the costs associated with retirement communities in Fitchburg 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 Fitchburg. 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 Fitchburg to the rest of the country. Overall, the cost of living for Fitchburg indexes at 8.0 percent higher than the national average. Average healthcare costs are 12.0 percent more expensive than the national average, and the cost of housing index is 112 of 10, which mirrors the rest of the country.

Cost of Living	Fitchburg, MA
Aggregate Index	108
Healthcare Index	112
Housing Index	112
Food Index	100
Utilities Index	138
Transportation Index	101

Cost of Healthcare Index

LivabilityScore for Fitchburg, MA

LivabilityScore makes up part of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Fitchburg. 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 Fitchburg is based on weather, crime rates, economic factors, average age of the population, and other key demographics. With a LivabilityScore of 3.7, Fitchburg 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 198 days each year in Fitchburg, 3.4 percent fewer sunny days than the rest of the U.S. sees. With an average temperature of 14°F in January, winters tend to be colder in Fitchburg 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 Fitchburg is 25.0 percent higher than the national average, and the property crime rate is 25.0 percent higher than average. At $48,195 per year, the population of Fitchburg earns a lower than average median household income. Fitchburg has an unemployment rate of 12.00 percent, roughly 31.9 percent higher than the national average. And about 13.44 percent of the population in Fitchburg 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	Fitchburg	Nat'l Avg
Parks	7.3	136.1
Libraries	8.5	18.8
Places of Worship	70.8	220.5
Public Transit	33.3	110.4
Grocery Stores	94.7	97.7
Pharmacies	15	13.8

Percent of Population Over Age 65