Retirement Communities in Iowa City, Iowa

CaringScore for Iowa City, IA

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 Iowa City 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 Iowa City.

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 7.1, Iowa City rates above average for those seeking retirement communities.

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

Physicians Per Capita

Cost of Healthcare Index

Sunny Days Per Year

HealthScore for Iowa City, IA

HealthScore, a component of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Iowa City, 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 Iowa City 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 10, Iowa City 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 708.7 physicians per capita, Iowa City scores 221.4 percent better than the national average. Iowa City scores 430.8 percent better than the national average in geriatricians per capita, with 6.9, and scores 236.4 percent better than the national average in specialists per capita, with 65.6. These medical specialists include cardiologists, oncologists, and orthopedists. The average life expectancy from birth in Iowa City is 80.9 years -- 3.9 percent higher than most of the country. Air quality in Iowa City -- one factor in gauging the healthfulness of a region -- is 73.5 percent below average, and water quality -- another key measure of Iowa City's environmental health -- is 32.7 percent above average.

Doctors Per Capita	Iowa City, IA	Nat'l Avg
Physicians	708.7	220.5
Geriatricians	6.9	1.3
Cardiologists	25.9	7.7
Oncologists	8.4	3.5
Orthopedists	24.4	7

Average Life Expectancy

CostScore for Iowa City, IA

CostScore, part of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Iowa City, 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 Iowa City 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 5.3, Iowa City is on par with the national average for retirement communities.

Because of the broad range of housing, service, and healthcare options available at retirement communities, no average monthly cost data is available for Iowa City. 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 Iowa City to the rest of the country. Overall, the cost of living for Iowa City is roughly equal to the national average. Average healthcare costs are 2.0 percent cheaper than the national average, and the cost of housing index is 98 of 10, which mirrors the rest of the country.

Cost of Living	Iowa City, IA
Aggregate Index	99
Healthcare Index	98
Housing Index	98
Food Index	101
Utilities Index	89
Transportation Index	108

Cost of Healthcare Index

LivabilityScore for Iowa City, IA

LivabilityScore makes up part of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Iowa City. 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 Iowa City is based on weather, crime rates, economic factors, average age of the population, and other key demographics. With a LivabilityScore of 4.9, Iowa City is on par with the national average for retirement communities.

Weather is an important factor in choosing the best place for retirement communities. The sun shines an average of 199 days each year in Iowa City, 2.9 percent fewer sunny days than the rest of the U.S. sees. With an average temperature of 10°F in January, winters tend to be colder in Iowa City 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 Iowa City is 25.0 percent higher than the national average, and the property crime rate index is 4 of 10, which is in line with the national average. At $44,129 per year, the population of Iowa City earns a lower than average median household income. Iowa City has an unemployment rate of 3.60 percent, roughly 60.4 percent lower than the national average. And about 8.09 percent of the population in Iowa City is of retirement age -- 65 or older -- which trails the national average by 38.5 percent.

Sunny Days Per Year

Avg Temperature (°F)

Property Crime Index

Amenities Per Capita	Iowa City	Nat'l Avg
Parks	1.5	136.1
Libraries	4.7	18.8
Places of Worship	68.5	220.5
Public Transit	295.8	110.4
Grocery Stores	57.4	97.7
Pharmacies	22.1	13.8

Percent of Population Over Age 65