Retirement Communities in Maricopa County, Arizona

CaringScore for Maricopa County, AZ

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 Maricopa 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 Maricopa.

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 5.1, Maricopa 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 Maricopa. Choose a category score to learn more.

Physicians Per Capita

Cost of Healthcare Index

Sunny Days Per Year

HealthScore for Maricopa County, AZ

HealthScore, a component of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Maricopa, 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 Maricopa 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 5.5, Maricopa 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 199.1 physicians per capita, Maricopa closely matches the national average. Maricopa scores about average in geriatricians per capita, with 1.5, and closely matches the national average in specialists per capita, with 18.4. These medical specialists include cardiologists, oncologists, and orthopedists. The average life expectancy from birth in Maricopa is 79.2 years -- 1.7 percent higher than most of the country. Air quality in Maricopa -- one factor in gauging the healthfulness of a region -- is 83.1 percent below average, and water quality -- another key measure of Maricopa's environmental health -- is 18.2 percent above average.

Doctors Per Capita	Maricopa County, AZ	Nat'l Avg
Physicians	199.1	220.5
Geriatricians	1.5	1.3
Cardiologists	7.9	7.7
Oncologists	2.8	3.5
Orthopedists	6.3	7

Average Life Expectancy

CostScore for Maricopa County, AZ

CostScore, part of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Maricopa, 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 Maricopa 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 4.5, Maricopa 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 Maricopa. 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 Maricopa to the rest of the country. Overall, the cost of living for Maricopa is roughly equal to the national average. Average healthcare costs are 4.0 percent more expensive than the national average, and the cost of housing index is 108 of 10, which mirrors the rest of the country.

Cost of Living	Maricopa County, AZ
Aggregate Index	104
Healthcare Index	104
Housing Index	108
Food Index	107
Utilities Index	105
Transportation Index	108

Cost of Healthcare Index

LivabilityScore for Maricopa County, AZ

LivabilityScore makes up part of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Maricopa. 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 Maricopa is based on weather, crime rates, economic factors, average age of the population, and other key demographics. With a LivabilityScore of 5.5, Maricopa 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 296 days each year in Maricopa, 44.4 percent more sunny days than the rest of the U.S. sees. With an average temperature of 37°F in January, winters tend to be milder in Maricopa than in other parts of the country, and summers are often hotter than other places, averaging 105°F in July.

Local crime rates are another important indicator. The violent crime rate index in Maricopa is 4 out of 10, which is about average, and the property crime rate is 50.0 percent higher than average. At $57,570 per year, the population of Maricopa earns a better than average median household income. Maricopa has an unemployment rate of 8.50 percent, roughly equal to the national average. And about 11.63 percent of the population in Maricopa is of retirement age -- 65 or older -- which trails the national average by 11.6 percent.

Sunny Days Per Year

Avg Temperature (°F)

Property Crime Index

Amenities Per Capita	Maricopa	Nat'l Avg
Parks	4.4	136.1
Libraries	1.5	18.8
Places of Worship	50.5	220.5
Public Transit	739.5	110.4
Grocery Stores	63	97.7
Pharmacies	9.5	13.8

Percent of Population Over Age 65