Retirement Communities in Sonoma County, California

CaringScore for Sonoma County, 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 Sonoma 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 Sonoma.

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

Physicians Per Capita

Cost of Healthcare Index

Sunny Days Per Year

HealthScore for Sonoma County, CA

HealthScore, a component of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Sonoma, 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 Sonoma 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 6.4, Sonoma 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 242.3 physicians per capita, Sonoma closely matches the national average. Sonoma trails the national average in geriatricians per capita by 84.6 percent, with 0.2, and scores 14.9 percent below the national average in specialists per capita, with 16.6. These medical specialists include cardiologists, oncologists, and orthopedists. The average life expectancy from birth in Sonoma is 80 years -- 2.7 percent higher than most of the country. Air quality in Sonoma -- one factor in gauging the healthfulness of a region -- is 12.0 percent above average, and water quality -- another key measure of Sonoma's environmental health -- trails the national average by 45.5 percent.

Doctors Per Capita	Sonoma County, CA	Nat'l Avg
Physicians	242.3	220.5
Geriatricians	0.2	1.3
Cardiologists	6.3	7.7
Oncologists	2.7	3.5
Orthopedists	7.3	7

Average Life Expectancy

CostScore for Sonoma County, CA

CostScore, part of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Sonoma, 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 Sonoma 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 2.4, the costs associated with retirement communities in Sonoma 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 Sonoma. 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 Sonoma to the rest of the country. Overall, the cost of living for Sonoma indexes at 48.0 percent higher than the national average. Average healthcare costs are 14.0 percent more expensive than the national average, and the cost of housing is 138.0 percent more expensive than average.

Cost of Living	Sonoma County, CA
Aggregate Index	148
Healthcare Index	114
Housing Index	238
Food Index	112
Utilities Index	98
Transportation Index	109

Cost of Healthcare Index

LivabilityScore for Sonoma County, CA

LivabilityScore makes up part of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Sonoma. 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 Sonoma is based on weather, crime rates, economic factors, average age of the population, and other key demographics. With a LivabilityScore of 6.4, Sonoma rates above average for retirement communities.

Weather is an important factor in choosing the best place for retirement communities. The sun shines an average of 260 days each year in Sonoma, 26.8 percent more 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 Sonoma than in other parts of the country, and summers are often more temperate than other places, averaging 82°F in July.

Local crime rates are another important indicator. The violent crime rate in Sonoma is 25.0 percent higher than the national average, and the property crime rate index is 4 of 10, which is in line with the national average. At $65,329 per year, the population of Sonoma earns a better than average median household income. Sonoma has an unemployment rate of 10.40 percent, roughly 14.3 percent higher than the national average. And about 13.73 percent of the population in Sonoma 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	Sonoma	Nat'l Avg
Parks	11.6	136.1
Libraries	3	18.8
Places of Worship	51.9	220.5
Public Transit	209.9	110.4
Grocery Stores	112.7	97.7
Pharmacies	9.5	13.8

Percent of Population Over Age 65