Retirement Communities in South Plainfield, New Jersey

CaringScore for South Plainfield, NJ

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 South Plainfield 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 South Plainfield.

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 5.1, South Plainfield 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 South Plainfield. Choose a category score to learn more.

Physicians Per Capita

Cost of Healthcare Index

Sunny Days Per Year

HealthScore for South Plainfield, NJ

HealthScore, a component of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in South Plainfield, 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 South Plainfield 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, South Plainfield 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 254.3 physicians per capita, South Plainfield scores 15.3 percent better than the national average. South Plainfield scores 192.3 percent better than the national average in geriatricians per capita, with 3.8, and scores 40.5 percent better than the national average in specialists per capita, with 27.4. These medical specialists include cardiologists, oncologists, and orthopedists. The average life expectancy from birth in South Plainfield is 80.2 years -- 3.0 percent higher than most of the country. Air quality in South Plainfield -- one factor in gauging the healthfulness of a region -- is 67.5 percent below average, and water quality -- another key measure of South Plainfield's environmental health -- trails the national average by 63.6 percent.

Doctors Per Capita	South Plainfield, NJ	Nat'l Avg
Physicians	254.3	220.5
Geriatricians	3.8	1.3
Cardiologists	12	7.7
Oncologists	5.9	3.5
Orthopedists	5.8	7

Average Life Expectancy

CostScore for South Plainfield, NJ

CostScore, part of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in South Plainfield, 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 South Plainfield 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 South Plainfield 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 South Plainfield. 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 South Plainfield to the rest of the country. Overall, the cost of living for South Plainfield indexes at 34.0 percent higher than the national average. Average healthcare costs are 11.0 percent more expensive than the national average, and the cost of housing is 85.0 percent more expensive than average.

Cost of Living	South Plainfield, NJ
Aggregate Index	134
Healthcare Index	111
Housing Index	185
Food Index	108
Utilities Index	123
Transportation Index	103

Cost of Healthcare Index

LivabilityScore for South Plainfield, NJ

LivabilityScore makes up part of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in South Plainfield. 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 South Plainfield is based on weather, crime rates, economic factors, average age of the population, and other key demographics. With a LivabilityScore of 6.7, South Plainfield 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 208 days each year in South Plainfield, which is about average in the U.S. With an average temperature of 23°F in January, winters in South Plainfield tend to be similar to 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 South Plainfield is 25.0 percent lower than the national average, and the property crime rate is 25.0 percent lower than average. At $82,700 per year, the population of South Plainfield earns a better than average median household income. South Plainfield has an unemployment rate of 8.60 percent, roughly equal to the national average. And about 13.34 percent of the population in South Plainfield 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	South Plainfield	Nat'l Avg
Parks	1.3	136.1
Libraries	4.3	18.8
Places of Worship	41.7	220.5
Public Transit	5195.7	110.4
Grocery Stores	84.4	97.7
Pharmacies	22.2	13.8

Percent of Population Over Age 65