Retirement Communities in Reading, Pennsylvania

CaringScore for Reading, PA

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 Reading 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 Reading.

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 4.9, Reading 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 Reading. Choose a category score to learn more.

Physicians Per Capita

Cost of Healthcare Index

Sunny Days Per Year

HealthScore for Reading, PA

HealthScore, a component of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Reading, 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 Reading 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 4.8, Reading 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. At just 164.8 physicians per capita, Reading trails the national average by 25.3 percent. Reading trails the national average in geriatricians per capita by 23.1 percent, with 1, and scores 19.5 percent below the national average in specialists per capita, with 15.7. These medical specialists include cardiologists, oncologists, and orthopedists. The average life expectancy from birth in Reading is 78.8 years -- 1.2 percent higher than most of the country. Air quality in Reading -- one factor in gauging the healthfulness of a region -- is 69.9 percent below average, and water quality -- another key measure of Reading's environmental health -- trails the national average by 27.3 percent.

Doctors Per Capita	Reading, PA	Nat'l Avg
Physicians	164.8	220.5
Geriatricians	1	1.3
Cardiologists	7.6	7.7
Oncologists	1.7	3.5
Orthopedists	5.4	7

Average Life Expectancy

CostScore for Reading, PA

CostScore, part of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Reading, 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 Reading is based on data such as the average monthly cost of retirement communities in the region, cost of living indices such as housing and healthcare, regional tax rates, and other key factors. With a CostScore of 6.5, the costs associated with retirement communities in Reading are generally less 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 Reading. 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 Reading to the rest of the country. Overall, the cost of living for Reading indexes at 15.0 percent lower than the national average. Average healthcare costs are 5.0 percent cheaper than the national average, and the cost of housing is 60.0 percent less expensive than average.

Cost of Living	Reading, PA
Aggregate Index	85
Healthcare Index	95
Housing Index	40
Food Index	104
Utilities Index	102
Transportation Index	101

Cost of Healthcare Index

LivabilityScore for Reading, PA

LivabilityScore makes up part of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Reading. 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 Reading is based on weather, crime rates, economic factors, average age of the population, and other key demographics. With a LivabilityScore of 2.7, Reading 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 203 days each year in Reading, which is about average in the U.S. With an average temperature of 25°F in January, winters tend to be milder in Reading than in other parts of the country, and summers often mirror nationwide seasonal trends, averaging 86°F in July.

Local crime rates are another important indicator. The violent crime rate in Reading is 75.0 percent higher than the national average, and the property crime rate is 50.0 percent higher than average. At $29,066 per year, the population of Reading earns a lower than average median household income. Reading has an unemployment rate of 12.10 percent, roughly 33.0 percent higher than the national average. And about 10.78 percent of the population in Reading is of retirement age -- 65 or older -- which trails the national average by 18.1 percent.

Sunny Days Per Year

Avg Temperature (°F)

Property Crime Index

Amenities Per Capita	Reading	Nat'l Avg
Parks	2.5	136.1
Libraries	6.6	18.8
Places of Worship	85.6	220.5
Public Transit	10.7	110.4
Grocery Stores	253.3	97.7
Pharmacies	26.9	13.8

Percent of Population Over Age 65