Retirement Communities in Portland, Oregon

CaringScore for Portland, 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 Portland 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 Portland.

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 5.5, Portland 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 Portland. Choose a category score to learn more.

Physicians Per Capita

Cost of Healthcare Index

Sunny Days Per Year

HealthScore for Portland, OR

HealthScore, a component of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Portland, 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 Portland 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 8.2, Portland 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 389.9 physicians per capita, Portland scores 76.8 percent better than the national average. Portland scores 192.3 percent better than the national average in geriatricians per capita, with 3.8, and scores 69.7 percent better than the national average in specialists per capita, with 33.1. These medical specialists include cardiologists, oncologists, and orthopedists. The average life expectancy from birth in Portland is 77.8 years -- on par with the rest of the country. Air quality in Portland -- one factor in gauging the healthfulness of a region -- is 18.1 percent below average, and water quality -- another key measure of Portland's environmental health -- is about average.

Doctors Per Capita	Portland, OR	Nat'l Avg
Physicians	389.9	220.5
Geriatricians	3.8	1.3
Cardiologists	10.4	7.7
Oncologists	8.1	3.5
Orthopedists	10.7	7

Average Life Expectancy

CostScore for Portland, OR

CostScore, part of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Portland, 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 Portland 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 Portland 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 Portland. 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 Portland to the rest of the country. Overall, the cost of living for Portland indexes at 19.0 percent higher than the national average. Average healthcare costs are 15.0 percent more expensive than the national average, and the cost of housing is 52.0 percent more expensive than average.

Cost of Living	Portland, OR
Aggregate Index	119
Healthcare Index	115
Housing Index	152
Food Index	108
Utilities Index	92
Transportation Index	113

Cost of Healthcare Index

LivabilityScore for Portland, OR

LivabilityScore makes up part of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Portland. 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 Portland is based on weather, crime rates, economic factors, average age of the population, and other key demographics. With a LivabilityScore of 4, Portland 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 144 days each year in Portland, 29.8 percent fewer sunny days than the rest of the U.S. sees. With an average temperature of 37°F in January, winters tend to be milder in Portland 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 in Portland is 50.0 percent higher than the national average, and the property crime rate is 75.0 percent higher than average. At $49,295 per year, the population of Portland earns a median household income on par with the national average. Portland has an unemployment rate of 9.50 percent, roughly equal to the national average. And about 12.27 percent of the population in Portland is of retirement age -- 65 or older -- which matches the national average.

Sunny Days Per Year

Avg Temperature (°F)

Property Crime Index

Amenities Per Capita	Portland	Nat'l Avg
Parks	3.3	136.1
Libraries	2.4	18.8
Places of Worship	71.2	220.5
Public Transit	281.1	110.4
Grocery Stores	164.2	97.7
Pharmacies	13	13.8

Percent of Population Over Age 65