Retirement Communities in Polk County, Oregon

CaringScore for Polk County, OR

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 Polk 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 Polk.

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, Polk 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 Polk. Choose a category score to learn more.

Physicians Per Capita

Cost of Healthcare Index

Sunny Days Per Year

HealthScore for Polk County, OR

HealthScore, a component of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Polk, 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 Polk 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 5.7, Polk rates above average for those seeking retirement communities.

Easy access to physicians -- especially geriatricians and other key specialists -- is important to older adults. At just 119.3 physicians per capita, Polk trails the national average by 45.9 percent. Polk scores about average in geriatricians per capita, with 1.3, and scores 65.6 percent below the national average in specialists per capita, with 6.7. These medical specialists include cardiologists, oncologists, and orthopedists. The average life expectancy from birth in Polk is 80 years -- 2.7 percent higher than most of the country. Air quality in Polk -- one factor in gauging the healthfulness of a region -- is 2.4 percent above average, and water quality -- another key measure of Polk's environmental health -- is 9.1 percent above average.

Doctors Per Capita	Polk County, OR	Nat'l Avg
Physicians	119.3	220.5
Geriatricians	1.3	1.3
Cardiologists	0	7.7
Oncologists	1.3	3.5
Orthopedists	4	7

Average Life Expectancy

CostScore for Polk County, OR

CostScore, part of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Polk, 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 Polk 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 4.2, the costs associated with retirement communities in Polk 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 Polk. 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 Polk to the rest of the country. Overall, the cost of living for Polk indexes at 7.0 percent higher than the national average. Average healthcare costs are 20.0 percent more expensive than the national average, and the cost of housing is 21.0 percent more expensive than average.

Cost of Living	Polk County, OR
Aggregate Index	107
Healthcare Index	120
Housing Index	121
Food Index	92
Utilities Index	87
Transportation Index	113

Cost of Healthcare Index

LivabilityScore for Polk County, OR

LivabilityScore makes up part of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Polk. 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 Polk is based on weather, crime rates, economic factors, average age of the population, and other key demographics. With a LivabilityScore of 4.8, Polk 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 157 days each year in Polk, 23.4 percent fewer 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 Polk than in other parts of the country, and summers are often more temperate than other places, averaging 79°F in July.

Local crime rates are another important indicator. The violent crime rate index in Polk is 4 out of 10, which is about average, and the property crime rate index is 4 of 10, which is in line with the national average. At $50,075 per year, the population of Polk earns a median household income on par with the national average. Polk has an unemployment rate of 9.30 percent, roughly equal to the national average. And about 16.35 percent of the population in Polk is of retirement age -- 65 or older -- which exceeds the national average by 24.2 percent.

Sunny Days Per Year

Avg Temperature (°F)

Property Crime Index

Amenities Per Capita	Polk	Nat'l Avg
Parks	2.4	136.1
Libraries	6.8	18.8
Places of Worship	107.4	220.5
Public Transit	293.9	110.4
Grocery Stores	66.6	97.7
Pharmacies	6.8	13.8

Percent of Population Over Age 65