Retirement Communities in Harris County, Texas

CaringScore for Harris County, TX

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 Harris 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 Harris.

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 5.6, Harris rates above average for those seeking retirement communities.

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

Physicians Per Capita

Cost of Healthcare Index

Sunny Days Per Year

HealthScore for Harris County, TX

HealthScore, a component of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Harris, 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 Harris 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 5.2, Harris 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 seeking retirement communities. At 213.7 physicians per capita, Harris closely matches the national average. Harris 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 22.3. These medical specialists include cardiologists, oncologists, and orthopedists. The average life expectancy from birth in Harris is 78.1 years -- on par with the rest of the country. Air quality in Harris -- one factor in gauging the healthfulness of a region -- is 80.7 percent below average, and water quality -- another key measure of Harris's environmental health -- trails the national average by 32.7 percent.

Doctors Per Capita	Harris County, TX	Nat'l Avg
Physicians	213.7	220.5
Geriatricians	1	1.3
Cardiologists	8.8	7.7
Oncologists	6.1	3.5
Orthopedists	6.3	7

Average Life Expectancy

CostScore for Harris County, TX

CostScore, part of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Harris, 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 Harris 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 7.2, the costs associated with retirement communities in Harris 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 Harris. 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 Harris to the rest of the country. Overall, the cost of living for Harris indexes at 12.0 percent lower than the national average. Average healthcare costs are 4.0 percent cheaper than the national average, and the cost of housing is 24.0 percent less expensive than average.

Cost of Living	Harris County, TX
Aggregate Index	88
Healthcare Index	96
Housing Index	76
Food Index	84
Utilities Index	89
Transportation Index	96

Cost of Healthcare Index

LivabilityScore for Harris County, TX

LivabilityScore makes up part of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Harris. 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 Harris is based on weather, crime rates, economic factors, average age of the population, and other key demographics. With a LivabilityScore of 3.9, Harris 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 204 days each year in Harris, which is about average in the U.S. With an average temperature of 44°F in January, winters tend to be milder in Harris than in other parts of the country, and summers are often hotter than other places, averaging 93°F in July.

Local crime rates are another important indicator. The violent crime rate in Harris is 25.0 percent higher than the national average, and the property crime rate is 25.0 percent higher than average. At $53,360 per year, the population of Harris earns a median household income on par with the national average. Harris has an unemployment rate of 8.30 percent, roughly 8.8 percent lower than the national average. And about 8.42 percent of the population in Harris is of retirement age -- 65 or older -- which trails the national average by 36.0 percent.

Sunny Days Per Year

Avg Temperature (°F)

Property Crime Index

Amenities Per Capita	Harris	Nat'l Avg
Parks	1.1	136.1
Libraries	1.8	18.8
Places of Worship	46.7	220.5
Public Transit	207.3	110.4
Grocery Stores	107.6	97.7
Pharmacies	15.1	13.8

Percent of Population Over Age 65