Retirement Communities in Raleigh, North Carolina

CaringScore for Raleigh, NC

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 Raleigh 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 Raleigh.

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 5.6, Raleigh rates above average for those seeking retirement communities.

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

Physicians Per Capita

Cost of Healthcare Index

Sunny Days Per Year

HealthScore for Raleigh, NC

HealthScore, a component of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Raleigh, 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 Raleigh 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 6.6, Raleigh 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 231.5 physicians per capita, Raleigh closely matches the national average. Raleigh scores about average in geriatricians per capita, with 1.6, and closely matches the national average in specialists per capita, with 19.8. These medical specialists include cardiologists, oncologists, and orthopedists. The average life expectancy from birth in Raleigh is 79.8 years -- 2.4 percent higher than most of the country. Air quality in Raleigh -- one factor in gauging the healthfulness of a region -- is 68.7 percent below average, and water quality -- another key measure of Raleigh's environmental health -- is 63.6 percent above average.

Doctors Per Capita	Raleigh, NC	Nat'l Avg
Physicians	231.5	220.5
Geriatricians	1.6	1.3
Cardiologists	8	7.7
Oncologists	2.7	3.5
Orthopedists	7.5	7

Average Life Expectancy

CostScore for Raleigh, NC

CostScore, part of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Raleigh, 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 Raleigh 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 5.2, Raleigh is on par with the national average for retirement communities.

Because of the broad range of housing, service, and healthcare options available at retirement communities, no average monthly cost data is available for Raleigh. 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 Raleigh to the rest of the country. Overall, the cost of living for Raleigh indexes at 6.0 percent higher than the national average. Average healthcare costs are 3.0 percent cheaper than the national average, and the cost of housing is 20.0 percent more expensive than average.

Cost of Living	Raleigh, NC
Aggregate Index	106
Healthcare Index	97
Housing Index	120
Food Index	100
Utilities Index	106
Transportation Index	100

Cost of Healthcare Index

LivabilityScore for Raleigh, NC

LivabilityScore makes up part of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Raleigh. 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 Raleigh is based on weather, crime rates, economic factors, average age of the population, and other key demographics. With a LivabilityScore of 4.7, Raleigh 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 213 days each year in Raleigh, 3.9 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 Raleigh than in other parts of the country, and summers are often hotter than other places, averaging 89°F in July.

Local crime rates are another important indicator. The violent crime rate in Raleigh is 25.0 percent higher than the national average, and the property crime rate is 25.0 percent higher than average. At $52,913 per year, the population of Raleigh earns a median household income on par with the national average. Raleigh has an unemployment rate of 6.70 percent, roughly 26.4 percent lower than the national average. And about 9.15 percent of the population in Raleigh is of retirement age -- 65 or older -- which trails the national average by 30.5 percent.

Sunny Days Per Year

Avg Temperature (°F)

Property Crime Index

Amenities Per Capita	Raleigh	Nat'l Avg
Parks	2.1	136.1
Libraries	2.3	18.8
Places of Worship	63.7	220.5
Public Transit	563.1	110.4
Grocery Stores	117.6	97.7
Pharmacies	19.2	13.8

Percent of Population Over Age 65