Retirement Communities in Merrillville, Indiana

CaringScore for Merrillville, IN

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 Merrillville 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 Merrillville.

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 5.4, Merrillville 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 Merrillville. Choose a category score to learn more.

Physicians Per Capita

Cost of Healthcare Index

Sunny Days Per Year

HealthScore for Merrillville, IN

HealthScore, a component of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Merrillville, 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 Merrillville 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 4.5, Merrillville 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 187.4 physicians per capita, Merrillville trails the national average by 15.0 percent. Merrillville trails the national average in geriatricians per capita by 38.5 percent, with 0.8, and closely matches the national average in specialists per capita, with 20.2. These medical specialists include cardiologists, oncologists, and orthopedists. The average life expectancy from birth in Merrillville is 75.7 years -- 2.8 percent lower than most of the country. Air quality in Merrillville -- one factor in gauging the healthfulness of a region -- is 81.9 percent below average, and water quality -- another key measure of Merrillville's environmental health -- trails the national average by 45.5 percent.

Doctors Per Capita	Merrillville, IN	Nat'l Avg
Physicians	187.4	220.5
Geriatricians	0.8	1.3
Cardiologists	9.9	7.7
Oncologists	2.8	3.5
Orthopedists	6.7	7

Average Life Expectancy

CostScore for Merrillville, IN

CostScore, part of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Merrillville, 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 Merrillville 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 Merrillville 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 Merrillville. 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 Merrillville to the rest of the country. Overall, the cost of living for Merrillville indexes at 12.0 percent lower than the national average. Average healthcare costs are 3.0 percent cheaper than the national average, and the cost of housing is 26.0 percent less expensive than average.

Cost of Living	Merrillville, IN
Aggregate Index	88
Healthcare Index	97
Housing Index	74
Food Index	89
Utilities Index	90
Transportation Index	96

Cost of Healthcare Index

LivabilityScore for Merrillville, IN

LivabilityScore makes up part of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Merrillville. 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 Merrillville is based on weather, crime rates, economic factors, average age of the population, and other key demographics. With a LivabilityScore of 4.5, Merrillville 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 188 days each year in Merrillville, 8.3 percent fewer sunny days than the rest of the U.S. sees. With an average temperature of 16°F in January, winters tend to be colder in Merrillville than in other parts of the country, and summers are often more temperate than other places, averaging 85°F in July.

Local crime rates are another important indicator. The violent crime rate in Merrillville is 25.0 percent higher than the national average, and the property crime rate is 25.0 percent higher than average. At $56,622 per year, the population of Merrillville earns a median household income on par with the national average. Merrillville has an unemployment rate of 9.00 percent, roughly equal to the national average. And about 15.22 percent of the population in Merrillville is of retirement age -- 65 or older -- which exceeds the national average by 15.7 percent.

Sunny Days Per Year

Avg Temperature (°F)

Property Crime Index

Amenities Per Capita	Merrillville	Nat'l Avg
Parks	1.6	136.1
Libraries	7.7	18.8
Places of Worship	71.4	220.5
Public Transit	1334.5	110.4
Grocery Stores	124.5	97.7
Pharmacies	11.6	13.8

Percent of Population Over Age 65