Retirement Communities in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama

CaringScore for Tuscaloosa County, AL

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 Tuscaloosa 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 Tuscaloosa.

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 5.5, Tuscaloosa 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 Tuscaloosa. Choose a category score to learn more.

Physicians Per Capita

Cost of Healthcare Index

Sunny Days Per Year

HealthScore for Tuscaloosa County, AL

HealthScore, a component of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Tuscaloosa, 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 Tuscaloosa 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 6.1, Tuscaloosa 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 222.1 physicians per capita, Tuscaloosa closely matches the national average. Tuscaloosa scores 107.7 percent better than the national average in geriatricians per capita, with 2.7, and closely matches the national average in specialists per capita, with 17.5. These medical specialists include cardiologists, oncologists, and orthopedists. The average life expectancy from birth in Tuscaloosa is 74.9 years -- 3.9 percent lower than most of the country. Air quality in Tuscaloosa -- one factor in gauging the healthfulness of a region -- is 21.7 percent below average, and water quality -- another key measure of Tuscaloosa's environmental health -- is 67.3 percent above average.

Doctors Per Capita	Tuscaloosa County, AL	Nat'l Avg
Physicians	222.1	220.5
Geriatricians	2.7	1.3
Cardiologists	6	7.7
Oncologists	2.2	3.5
Orthopedists	6.6	7

Average Life Expectancy

CostScore for Tuscaloosa County, AL

CostScore, part of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Tuscaloosa, 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 Tuscaloosa 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 6.4, the costs associated with retirement communities in Tuscaloosa 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 Tuscaloosa. 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 Tuscaloosa to the rest of the country. Overall, the cost of living for Tuscaloosa indexes at 6.0 percent lower than the national average. Average healthcare costs are 7.0 percent cheaper than the national average, and the cost of housing is 21.0 percent less expensive than average.

Cost of Living	Tuscaloosa County, AL
Aggregate Index	94
Healthcare Index	93
Housing Index	79
Food Index	99
Utilities Index	102
Transportation Index	102

Cost of Healthcare Index

LivabilityScore for Tuscaloosa County, AL

LivabilityScore makes up part of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Tuscaloosa. 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 Tuscaloosa is based on weather, crime rates, economic factors, average age of the population, and other key demographics. With a LivabilityScore of 3.3, Tuscaloosa 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 210 days each year in Tuscaloosa, which is about average in the U.S. With an average temperature of 31°F in January, winters tend to be milder in Tuscaloosa than in other parts of the country, and summers are often hotter than other places, averaging 91°F in July.

Local crime rates are another important indicator. The violent crime rate in Tuscaloosa is 25.0 percent higher than the national average, and the property crime rate is 75.0 percent higher than average. At $43,250 per year, the population of Tuscaloosa earns a lower than average median household income. Tuscaloosa has an unemployment rate of 7.90 percent, roughly 13.2 percent lower than the national average. And about 11.43 percent of the population in Tuscaloosa is of retirement age -- 65 or older -- which trails the national average by 13.1 percent.

Sunny Days Per Year

Avg Temperature (°F)

Property Crime Index

Amenities Per Capita	Tuscaloosa	Nat'l Avg
Parks	5.2	136.1
Libraries	1.7	18.8
Places of Worship	134	220.5
Public Transit	7.5	110.4
Grocery Stores	138.2	97.7
Pharmacies	15.4	13.8

Percent of Population Over Age 65