Retirement Communities in Lancaster, Pennsylvania

CaringScore for Lancaster, PA

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 Lancaster 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 Lancaster.

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 4.8, Lancaster 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 Lancaster. Choose a category score to learn more.

Physicians Per Capita

Cost of Healthcare Index

Sunny Days Per Year

HealthScore for Lancaster, PA

HealthScore, a component of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Lancaster, 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 Lancaster 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 5.1, Lancaster 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 179.2 physicians per capita, Lancaster trails the national average by 18.7 percent. Lancaster scores 53.8 percent better than the national average in geriatricians per capita, with 2, and closely matches the national average in specialists per capita, with 19.3. These medical specialists include cardiologists, oncologists, and orthopedists. The average life expectancy from birth in Lancaster is 79.1 years -- 1.5 percent higher than most of the country. Air quality in Lancaster -- one factor in gauging the healthfulness of a region -- is 81.9 percent below average, and water quality -- another key measure of Lancaster's environmental health -- trails the national average by 63.6 percent.

Doctors Per Capita	Lancaster, PA	Nat'l Avg
Physicians	179.2	220.5
Geriatricians	2	1.3
Cardiologists	6.3	7.7
Oncologists	3.5	3.5
Orthopedists	7.5	7

Average Life Expectancy

CostScore for Lancaster, PA

CostScore, part of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Lancaster, 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 Lancaster 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 5.8, the costs associated with retirement communities in Lancaster 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 Lancaster. 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 Lancaster to the rest of the country. Overall, the cost of living for Lancaster indexes at 11.0 percent lower than the national average. Average healthcare costs index at 100 of 10, roughly the same as the national average, and the cost of housing is 43.0 percent less expensive than average.

Cost of Living	Lancaster, PA
Aggregate Index	89
Healthcare Index	100
Housing Index	57
Food Index	105
Utilities Index	103
Transportation Index	101

Cost of Healthcare Index

LivabilityScore for Lancaster, PA

LivabilityScore makes up part of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Lancaster. 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 Lancaster is based on weather, crime rates, economic factors, average age of the population, and other key demographics. With a LivabilityScore of 2.9, Lancaster 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 202 days each year in Lancaster, which is about average in the U.S. With an average temperature of 21°F in January, winters in Lancaster tend to be similar to other parts of the country, and summers often mirror nationwide seasonal trends, averaging 87°F in July.

Local crime rates are another important indicator. The violent crime rate in Lancaster is 75.0 percent higher than the national average, and the property crime rate is 75.0 percent higher than average. At $33,933 per year, the population of Lancaster earns a lower than average median household income. Lancaster has an unemployment rate of 9.70 percent, roughly equal to the national average. And about 11.11 percent of the population in Lancaster is of retirement age -- 65 or older -- which trails the national average by 15.6 percent.

Sunny Days Per Year

Avg Temperature (°F)

Property Crime Index

Amenities Per Capita	Lancaster	Nat'l Avg
Parks	0.1	136.1
Libraries	3.6	18.8
Places of Worship	140.7	220.5
Public Transit	10.2	110.4
Grocery Stores	312.6	97.7
Pharmacies	46.7	13.8

Percent of Population Over Age 65