Retirement Communities in Palmdale, California

CaringScore for Palmdale, 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 Palmdale 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 Palmdale.

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 4.4, Palmdale rates below average for those seeking retirement communities.

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

Physicians Per Capita

Cost of Healthcare Index

Sunny Days Per Year

HealthScore for Palmdale, CA

HealthScore, a component of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Palmdale, 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 Palmdale 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, Palmdale 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 213.2 physicians per capita, Palmdale closely matches the national average. Palmdale trails the national average in geriatricians per capita by 15.4 percent, with 1.1, and scores 12.3 percent below the national average in specialists per capita, with 17.1. These medical specialists include cardiologists, oncologists, and orthopedists. The average life expectancy from birth in Palmdale is 80 years -- 2.7 percent higher than most of the country. Air quality in Palmdale -- one factor in gauging the healthfulness of a region -- is 98.8 percent below average, and water quality -- another key measure of Palmdale's environmental health -- is about average.

Doctors Per Capita	Palmdale, CA	Nat'l Avg
Physicians	213.2	220.5
Geriatricians	1.1	1.3
Cardiologists	6.8	7.7
Oncologists	3	3.5
Orthopedists	6.2	7

Average Life Expectancy

CostScore for Palmdale, CA

CostScore, part of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Palmdale, 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 Palmdale 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 3.4, the costs associated with retirement communities in Palmdale 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 Palmdale. 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 Palmdale to the rest of the country. Overall, the cost of living for Palmdale indexes at 17.0 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 42.0 percent more expensive than average.

Cost of Living	Palmdale, CA
Aggregate Index	117
Healthcare Index	108
Housing Index	142
Food Index	108
Utilities Index	109
Transportation Index	111

Cost of Healthcare Index

LivabilityScore for Palmdale, CA

LivabilityScore makes up part of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Palmdale. 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 Palmdale is based on weather, crime rates, economic factors, average age of the population, and other key demographics. With a LivabilityScore of 4.2, Palmdale rates below average for retirement communities.

Weather is an important factor in choosing the best place for retirement communities. The sun shines an average of 280 days each year in Palmdale, 36.6 percent more sunny days than the rest of the U.S. sees. With an average temperature of 32°F in January, winters tend to be milder in Palmdale than in other parts of the country, and summers are often hotter than other places, averaging 98°F in July.

Local crime rates are another important indicator. The violent crime rate in Palmdale is 75.0 percent higher than the national average, and the property crime rate is 25.0 percent higher than average. At $61,101 per year, the population of Palmdale earns a better than average median household income. Palmdale has an unemployment rate of 15.00 percent, roughly 64.8 percent higher than the national average. And about 7.00 percent of the population in Palmdale is of retirement age -- 65 or older -- which trails the national average by 46.8 percent.

Sunny Days Per Year

Avg Temperature (°F)

Property Crime Index

Amenities Per Capita	Palmdale	Nat'l Avg
Parks	1.3	136.1
Libraries	2.5	18.8
Places of Worship	42.5	220.5
Public Transit	2892.9	110.4
Grocery Stores	67.5	97.7
Pharmacies	6.6	13.8

Percent of Population Over Age 65