Retirement Communities in Surprise, Arizona

CaringScore for Surprise, AZ

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 Surprise 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 Surprise.

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, Surprise rates above average for those seeking retirement communities.

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

Physicians Per Capita

Cost of Healthcare Index

Sunny Days Per Year

HealthScore for Surprise, AZ

HealthScore, a component of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Surprise, 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 Surprise 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 5.5, Surprise 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 seeking retirement communities. At 199.1 physicians per capita, Surprise closely matches the national average. Surprise scores about average in geriatricians per capita, with 1.5, and closely matches the national average in specialists per capita, with 18.4. These medical specialists include cardiologists, oncologists, and orthopedists. The average life expectancy from birth in Surprise is 79.2 years -- 1.7 percent higher than most of the country. Air quality in Surprise -- one factor in gauging the healthfulness of a region -- is 83.1 percent below average, and water quality -- another key measure of Surprise's environmental health -- is 18.2 percent above average.

Doctors Per Capita	Surprise, AZ	Nat'l Avg
Physicians	199.1	220.5
Geriatricians	1.5	1.3
Cardiologists	7.9	7.7
Oncologists	2.8	3.5
Orthopedists	6.3	7

Average Life Expectancy

CostScore for Surprise, AZ

CostScore, part of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Surprise, 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 Surprise 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 4.6, Surprise 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 Surprise. 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 Surprise to the rest of the country. Overall, the cost of living for Surprise is roughly equal to the national average. Average healthcare costs are 4.0 percent more expensive than the national average, and the cost of housing index is 99 of 10, which mirrors the rest of the country.

Cost of Living	Surprise, AZ
Aggregate Index	102
Healthcare Index	104
Housing Index	99
Food Index	107
Utilities Index	105
Transportation Index	108

Cost of Healthcare Index

LivabilityScore for Surprise, AZ

LivabilityScore makes up part of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Surprise. 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 Surprise is based on weather, crime rates, economic factors, average age of the population, and other key demographics. With a LivabilityScore of 7.2, Surprise 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 301 days each year in Surprise, 46.8 percent more sunny days than the rest of the U.S. sees. With an average temperature of 40°F in January, winters tend to be milder in Surprise than in other parts of the country, and summers are often hotter than other places, averaging 106°F in July.

Local crime rates are another important indicator. The violent crime rate in Surprise is 25.0 percent lower than the national average, and the property crime rate index is 4 of 10, which is in line with the national average. At $61,904 per year, the population of Surprise earns a better than average median household income. Surprise has an unemployment rate of 10.60 percent, roughly 16.5 percent higher than the national average. And about 21.10 percent of the population in Surprise is of retirement age -- 65 or older -- which exceeds the national average by 60.3 percent.

Sunny Days Per Year

Avg Temperature (°F)

Property Crime Index

Amenities Per Capita	Surprise	Nat'l Avg
Parks	4.4	136.1
Libraries	1.5	18.8
Places of Worship	50.5	220.5
Public Transit	739.5	110.4
Grocery Stores	37.3	97.7
Pharmacies	10.5	13.8

Percent of Population Over Age 65