Retirement Communities in Novato, California

CaringScore for Novato, CA

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 Novato 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 Novato.

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 6.7, Novato rates above average for those seeking retirement communities.

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

Physicians Per Capita

Cost of Healthcare Index

Sunny Days Per Year

HealthScore for Novato, CA

HealthScore, a component of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Novato, 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 Novato 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 9.9, Novato 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 492.6 physicians per capita, Novato scores 123.4 percent better than the national average. Novato scores about average in geriatricians per capita, with 1.2, and scores 87.7 percent better than the national average in specialists per capita, with 36.6. These medical specialists include cardiologists, oncologists, and orthopedists. The average life expectancy from birth in Novato is 82.7 years -- 6.2 percent higher than most of the country. Air quality in Novato -- one factor in gauging the healthfulness of a region -- is 2.4 percent above average, and water quality -- another key measure of Novato's environmental health -- trails the national average by 27.3 percent.

Doctors Per Capita	Novato, CA	Nat'l Avg
Physicians	492.6	220.5
Geriatricians	1.2	1.3
Cardiologists	11	7.7
Oncologists	7.9	3.5
Orthopedists	16.5	7

Average Life Expectancy

CostScore for Novato, CA

CostScore, part of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Novato, 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 Novato 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 2.6, the costs associated with retirement communities in Novato 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 Novato. 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 Novato to the rest of the country. Overall, the cost of living for Novato indexes at 63.0 percent higher than the national average. Average healthcare costs are 10.0 percent more expensive than the national average, and the cost of housing is 182.0 percent more expensive than average.

Cost of Living	Novato, CA
Aggregate Index	163
Healthcare Index	110
Housing Index	282
Food Index	115
Utilities Index	90
Transportation Index	113

Cost of Healthcare Index

LivabilityScore for Novato, CA

LivabilityScore makes up part of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Novato. 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 Novato is based on weather, crime rates, economic factors, average age of the population, and other key demographics. With a LivabilityScore of 7.1, Novato rates above average for retirement communities.

Weather is an important factor in choosing the best place for retirement communities. The sun shines an average of 262 days each year in Novato, 27.8 percent more sunny days than the rest of the U.S. sees. With an average temperature of 41°F in January, winters tend to be milder in Novato than in other parts of the country, and summers are often more temperate than other places, averaging 82°F in July.

Local crime rates are another important indicator. The violent crime rate in Novato 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 $83,522 per year, the population of Novato earns a better than average median household income. Novato has an unemployment rate of 9.50 percent, roughly equal to the national average. And about 15.55 percent of the population in Novato is of retirement age -- 65 or older -- which exceeds the national average by 18.2 percent.

Sunny Days Per Year

Avg Temperature (°F)

Property Crime Index

Amenities Per Capita	Novato	Nat'l Avg
Parks	11.7	136.1
Libraries	7.5	18.8
Places of Worship	51.8	220.5
Public Transit	6781.9	110.4
Grocery Stores	97.9	97.7
Pharmacies	14.8	13.8

Percent of Population Over Age 65