Retirement Communities in Golden, Colorado

CaringScore for Golden, CO

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 Golden 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 Golden.

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 5.3, Golden 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 Golden. Choose a category score to learn more.

Physicians Per Capita

Cost of Healthcare Index

Sunny Days Per Year

HealthScore for Golden, CO

HealthScore, a component of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Golden, 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 Golden 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 5.3, Golden 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 192.3 physicians per capita, Golden trails the national average by 12.8 percent. Golden trails the national average in geriatricians per capita by 30.8 percent, with 0.9, and scores 43.1 percent below the national average in specialists per capita, with 11.1. These medical specialists include cardiologists, oncologists, and orthopedists. The average life expectancy from birth in Golden is 79.5 years -- 2.1 percent higher than most of the country. Air quality in Golden -- one factor in gauging the healthfulness of a region -- is 67.5 percent below average, and water quality -- another key measure of Golden's environmental health -- is 63.6 percent above average.

Doctors Per Capita	Golden, CO	Nat'l Avg
Physicians	192.3	220.5
Geriatricians	0.9	1.3
Cardiologists	3	7.7
Oncologists	2	3.5
Orthopedists	5.2	7

Average Life Expectancy

CostScore for Golden, CO

CostScore, part of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Golden, 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 Golden 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 Golden 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 Golden. 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 Golden to the rest of the country. Overall, the cost of living for Golden indexes at 18.0 percent higher than the national average. Average healthcare costs are 9.0 percent more expensive than the national average, and the cost of housing is 54.0 percent more expensive than average.

Cost of Living	Golden, CO
Aggregate Index	118
Healthcare Index	109
Housing Index	154
Food Index	105
Utilities Index	89
Transportation Index	98

Cost of Healthcare Index

LivabilityScore for Golden, CO

LivabilityScore makes up part of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Golden. 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 Golden is based on weather, crime rates, economic factors, average age of the population, and other key demographics. With a LivabilityScore of 7, Golden rates above average for retirement communities.

Weather is an important factor in choosing the best place for retirement communities. The sun shines an average of 242 days each year in Golden, 18.0 percent more sunny days than the rest of the U.S. sees. With an average temperature of 18°F in January, winters in Golden tend to be similar to other parts of the country, and summers often mirror nationwide seasonal trends, averaging 86°F in July.

Local crime rates are another important indicator. The violent crime rate in Golden is 25.0 percent lower than the national average, and the property crime rate index is 4 of 10, which is in line with the national average. At $59,266 per year, the population of Golden earns a better than average median household income. Golden has an unemployment rate of 8.80 percent, roughly equal to the national average. And about 10.68 percent of the population in Golden is of retirement age -- 65 or older -- which trails the national average by 18.8 percent.

Sunny Days Per Year

Avg Temperature (°F)

Property Crime Index

Amenities Per Capita	Golden	Nat'l Avg
Parks	13	136.1
Libraries	2.1	18.8
Places of Worship	50.1	220.5
Public Transit	73.6	110.4
Grocery Stores	244.3	97.7
Pharmacies	17.1	13.8

Percent of Population Over Age 65