Retirement Communities in Orange County, California

CaringScore for Orange County, 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 Orange 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 Orange.

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 5.8, Orange rates above average for those seeking retirement communities.

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

Physicians Per Capita

Cost of Healthcare Index

Sunny Days Per Year

HealthScore for Orange County, CA

HealthScore, a component of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Orange, 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 Orange 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, Orange 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 253.3 physicians per capita, Orange scores 14.9 percent better than the national average. Orange scores about average in geriatricians per capita, with 1.2, and closely matches the national average in specialists per capita, with 20.4. These medical specialists include cardiologists, oncologists, and orthopedists. The average life expectancy from birth in Orange is 81.5 years -- 4.6 percent higher than most of the country. Air quality in Orange -- one factor in gauging the healthfulness of a region -- is 95.2 percent below average, and water quality -- another key measure of Orange's environmental health -- is 18.2 percent above average.

Doctors Per Capita	Orange County, CA	Nat'l Avg
Physicians	253.3	220.5
Geriatricians	1.2	1.3
Cardiologists	7.3	7.7
Oncologists	3.4	3.5
Orthopedists	8.5	7

Average Life Expectancy

CostScore for Orange County, CA

CostScore, part of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Orange, 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 Orange 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 2.8, the costs associated with retirement communities in Orange 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 Orange. 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 Orange to the rest of the country. Overall, the cost of living for Orange indexes at 57.0 percent higher than the national average. Average healthcare costs are 8.0 percent more expensive than the national average, and the cost of housing is 183.0 percent more expensive than average.

Cost of Living	Orange County, CA
Aggregate Index	157
Healthcare Index	108
Housing Index	283
Food Index	105
Utilities Index	110
Transportation Index	114

Cost of Healthcare Index

LivabilityScore for Orange County, CA

LivabilityScore makes up part of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Orange. 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 Orange is based on weather, crime rates, economic factors, average age of the population, and other key demographics. With a LivabilityScore of 8.8, Orange 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 278 days each year in Orange, 35.6 percent more sunny days than the rest of the U.S. sees. With an average temperature of 45°F in January, winters tend to be milder in Orange 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 Orange is 25.0 percent lower than the national average, and the property crime rate is 25.0 percent lower than average. At $76,163 per year, the population of Orange earns a better than average median household income. Orange has an unemployment rate of 9.10 percent, roughly equal to the national average. And about 11.72 percent of the population in Orange is of retirement age -- 65 or older -- which trails the national average by 10.9 percent.

Sunny Days Per Year

Avg Temperature (°F)

Property Crime Index

Amenities Per Capita	Orange	Nat'l Avg
Parks	2.3	136.1
Libraries	2	18.8
Places of Worship	38.1	220.5
Public Transit	2892.9	110.4
Grocery Stores	100.2	97.7
Pharmacies	12.1	13.8

Percent of Population Over Age 65