Retirement Communities in Grand Rapids, Michigan

CaringScore for Grand Rapids, MI

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 Grand Rapids 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 Grand Rapids.

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 5.7, Grand Rapids rates above average for those seeking retirement communities.

The charts below highlight a few of the factors we used to calculate the CaringScore for Grand Rapids. Choose a category score to learn more.

Physicians Per Capita

Cost of Healthcare Index

Sunny Days Per Year

HealthScore for Grand Rapids, MI

HealthScore, a component of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Grand Rapids, 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 Grand Rapids 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 6.2, Grand Rapids 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 261.5 physicians per capita, Grand Rapids scores 18.6 percent better than the national average. Grand Rapids trails the national average in geriatricians per capita by 23.1 percent, with 1, and closely matches the national average in specialists per capita, with 20.6. These medical specialists include cardiologists, oncologists, and orthopedists. The average life expectancy from birth in Grand Rapids is 78.8 years -- 1.2 percent higher than most of the country. Air quality in Grand Rapids -- one factor in gauging the healthfulness of a region -- is 72.3 percent below average, and water quality -- another key measure of Grand Rapids's environmental health -- trails the national average by 29.1 percent.

Doctors Per Capita	Grand Rapids, MI	Nat'l Avg
Physicians	261.5	220.5
Geriatricians	1	1.3
Cardiologists	7.4	7.7
Oncologists	3.5	3.5
Orthopedists	8.7	7

Average Life Expectancy

CostScore for Grand Rapids, MI

CostScore, part of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Grand Rapids, 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 Grand Rapids 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 7.3, the costs associated with retirement communities in Grand Rapids 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 Grand Rapids. 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 Grand Rapids to the rest of the country. Overall, the cost of living for Grand Rapids indexes at 16.0 percent lower than the national average. Average healthcare costs are 5.0 percent cheaper than the national average, and the cost of housing is 45.0 percent less expensive than average.

Cost of Living	Grand Rapids, MI
Aggregate Index	84
Healthcare Index	95
Housing Index	55
Food Index	98
Utilities Index	92
Transportation Index	96

Cost of Healthcare Index

LivabilityScore for Grand Rapids, MI

LivabilityScore makes up part of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Grand Rapids. 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 Grand Rapids is based on weather, crime rates, economic factors, average age of the population, and other key demographics. With a LivabilityScore of 2.6, Grand Rapids 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 158 days each year in Grand Rapids, 22.9 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 Grand Rapids 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 in Grand Rapids is 100.0 percent higher than the national average, and the property crime rate is 75.0 percent higher than average. At $40,304 per year, the population of Grand Rapids earns a lower than average median household income. Grand Rapids has an unemployment rate of 12.10 percent, roughly 33.0 percent higher than the national average. And about 11.21 percent of the population in Grand Rapids is of retirement age -- 65 or older -- which trails the national average by 14.8 percent.

Sunny Days Per Year

Avg Temperature (°F)

Property Crime Index

Amenities Per Capita	Grand Rapids	Nat'l Avg
Parks	1.2	136.1
Libraries	4.6	18.8
Places of Worship	77	220.5
Public Transit	128.7	110.4
Grocery Stores	153.8	97.7
Pharmacies	29	13.8

Percent of Population Over Age 65