Retirement Communities in Oak Ridge, Tennessee

CaringScore for Oak Ridge, TN

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 Oak Ridge 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 Oak Ridge.

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 6.6, Oak Ridge rates above average for those seeking retirement communities.

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

Physicians Per Capita

Cost of Healthcare Index

Sunny Days Per Year

HealthScore for Oak Ridge, TN

HealthScore, a component of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Oak Ridge, 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 Oak Ridge 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 6.5, Oak Ridge 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 238.5 physicians per capita, Oak Ridge closely matches the national average. Oak Ridge trails the national average in geriatricians per capita by 100.0 percent, with 0, and scores 56.9 percent better than the national average in specialists per capita, with 30.6. These medical specialists include cardiologists, oncologists, and orthopedists. The average life expectancy from birth in Oak Ridge is 76.6 years -- 1.7 percent lower than most of the country. Air quality in Oak Ridge -- one factor in gauging the healthfulness of a region -- is 57.8 percent below average, and water quality -- another key measure of Oak Ridge's environmental health -- is about average.

Doctors Per Capita	Oak Ridge, TN	Nat'l Avg
Physicians	238.5	220.5
Geriatricians	0	1.3
Cardiologists	14.6	7.7
Oncologists	4	3.5
Orthopedists	12	7

Average Life Expectancy

CostScore for Oak Ridge, TN

CostScore, part of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Oak Ridge, 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 Oak Ridge 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 8.1, the costs associated with retirement communities in Oak Ridge 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 Oak Ridge. 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 Oak Ridge to the rest of the country. Overall, the cost of living for Oak Ridge indexes at 12.0 percent lower than the national average. Average healthcare costs are 9.0 percent cheaper than the national average, and the cost of housing is 23.0 percent less expensive than average.

Cost of Living	Oak Ridge, TN
Aggregate Index	88
Healthcare Index	91
Housing Index	77
Food Index	94
Utilities Index	98
Transportation Index	85

Cost of Healthcare Index

LivabilityScore for Oak Ridge, TN

LivabilityScore makes up part of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Oak Ridge. 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 Oak Ridge is based on weather, crime rates, economic factors, average age of the population, and other key demographics. With a LivabilityScore of 4.8, Oak Ridge 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 208 days each year in Oak Ridge, which is about average in the U.S. With an average temperature of 28°F in January, winters tend to be milder in Oak Ridge 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 Oak Ridge is 50.0 percent higher than the national average, and the property crime rate is 75.0 percent higher than average. At $48,809 per year, the population of Oak Ridge earns a median household income on par with the national average. Oak Ridge has an unemployment rate of 8.10 percent, roughly 11.0 percent lower than the national average. And about 21.22 percent of the population in Oak Ridge is of retirement age -- 65 or older -- which exceeds the national average by 61.2 percent.

Sunny Days Per Year

Avg Temperature (°F)

Property Crime Index

Amenities Per Capita	Oak Ridge	Nat'l Avg
Parks	3.8	136.1
Libraries	6.7	18.8
Places of Worship	165.4	220.5
Public Transit	109.2	110.4
Grocery Stores	106.7	97.7
Pharmacies	21.4	13.8

Percent of Population Over Age 65