Retirement Communities in Houston, Texas

CaringScore for Houston, 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 Houston 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 Houston.

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 5.5, Houston 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 Houston. Choose a category score to learn more.

Physicians Per Capita

Cost of Healthcare Index

Sunny Days Per Year

HealthScore for Houston, TX

HealthScore, a component of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Houston, 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 Houston 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, Houston 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, Houston closely matches the national average. Houston 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 Houston is 78.1 years -- on par with the rest of the country. Air quality in Houston -- one factor in gauging the healthfulness of a region -- is 80.7 percent below average, and water quality -- another key measure of Houston's environmental health -- trails the national average by 32.7 percent.

Doctors Per Capita	Houston, 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 Houston, TX

CostScore, part of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Houston, 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 Houston 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 Houston 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 Houston. 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 Houston to the rest of the country. Overall, the cost of living for Houston 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 25.0 percent less expensive than average.

Cost of Living	Houston, TX
Aggregate Index	88
Healthcare Index	96
Housing Index	75
Food Index	84
Utilities Index	89
Transportation Index	96

Cost of Healthcare Index

LivabilityScore for Houston, TX

LivabilityScore makes up part of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Houston. 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 Houston is based on weather, crime rates, economic factors, average age of the population, and other key demographics. With a LivabilityScore of 3.5, Houston 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 Houston, which is about average in the U.S. With an average temperature of 46°F in January, winters tend to be milder in Houston 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 Houston is 100.0 percent higher than the national average, and the property crime rate is 75.0 percent higher than average. At $45,096 per year, the population of Houston earns a lower than average median household income. Houston has an unemployment rate of 8.00 percent, roughly 12.1 percent lower than the national average. And about 9.11 percent of the population in Houston is of retirement age -- 65 or older -- which trails the national average by 30.8 percent.

Sunny Days Per Year

Avg Temperature (°F)

Property Crime Index

Amenities Per Capita	Houston	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	146.9	97.7
Pharmacies	21.5	13.8

Percent of Population Over Age 65