Retirement Communities in Laurel, Maryland

CaringScore for Laurel, MD

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 Laurel 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 Laurel.

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 4.1, Laurel rates below average for those seeking retirement communities.

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

Physicians Per Capita

Cost of Healthcare Index

Sunny Days Per Year

HealthScore for Laurel, MD

HealthScore, a component of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Laurel, 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 Laurel 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 4.3, Laurel rates below average for those seeking retirement communities.

Easy access to physicians -- especially geriatricians and other key specialists -- is important to older adults. At just 141.8 physicians per capita, Laurel trails the national average by 35.7 percent. Laurel scores about average in geriatricians per capita, with 1.5, and scores 33.3 percent below the national average in specialists per capita, with 13. These medical specialists include cardiologists, oncologists, and orthopedists. The average life expectancy from birth in Laurel is 76.5 years -- 1.8 percent lower than most of the country. Air quality in Laurel -- one factor in gauging the healthfulness of a region -- is 83.1 percent below average, and water quality -- another key measure of Laurel's environmental health -- is about average.

Doctors Per Capita	Laurel, MD	Nat'l Avg
Physicians	141.8	220.5
Geriatricians	1.5	1.3
Cardiologists	4.9	7.7
Oncologists	1.5	3.5
Orthopedists	5.2	7

Average Life Expectancy

CostScore for Laurel, MD

CostScore, part of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Laurel, 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 Laurel 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 3.9, the costs associated with retirement communities in Laurel are generally more 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 Laurel. 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 Laurel to the rest of the country. Overall, the cost of living for Laurel indexes at 17.0 percent higher than the national average. Average healthcare costs are 5.0 percent more expensive than the national average, and the cost of housing is 50.0 percent more expensive than average.

Cost of Living	Laurel, MD
Aggregate Index	117
Healthcare Index	105
Housing Index	150
Food Index	109
Utilities Index	103
Transportation Index	107

Cost of Healthcare Index

LivabilityScore for Laurel, MD

LivabilityScore makes up part of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Laurel. 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 Laurel is based on weather, crime rates, economic factors, average age of the population, and other key demographics. With a LivabilityScore of 4, Laurel 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 207 days each year in Laurel, which is about average in the U.S. With an average temperature of 25°F in January, winters tend to be milder in Laurel than in other parts of the country, and summers are often hotter than other places, averaging 88°F in July.

Local crime rates are another important indicator. The violent crime rate in Laurel is 75.0 percent higher than the national average, and the property crime rate is 75.0 percent higher than average. At $60,364 per year, the population of Laurel earns a better than average median household income. Laurel has an unemployment rate of 6.80 percent, roughly 25.3 percent lower than the national average. And about 9.59 percent of the population in Laurel is of retirement age -- 65 or older -- which trails the national average by 27.1 percent.

Sunny Days Per Year

Avg Temperature (°F)

Property Crime Index

Amenities Per Capita	Laurel	Nat'l Avg
Parks	3.8	136.1
Libraries	2.2	18.8
Places of Worship	55.2	220.5
Public Transit	1470.4	110.4
Grocery Stores	281.4	97.7
Pharmacies	79.7	13.8

Percent of Population Over Age 65