Retirement Communities in Walker, Michigan

CaringScore for Walker, MI

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 Walker 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 Walker.

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 5.9, Walker rates above average for those seeking retirement communities.

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

Physicians Per Capita

Cost of Healthcare Index

Sunny Days Per Year

HealthScore for Walker, MI

HealthScore, a component of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Walker, 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 Walker 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 6.2, Walker 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 261.5 physicians per capita, Walker scores 18.6 percent better than the national average. Walker trails the national average in geriatricians per capita by 23.1 percent, with 1, and closely matches the national average in specialists per capita, with 20.6. These medical specialists include cardiologists, oncologists, and orthopedists. The average life expectancy from birth in Walker is 78.8 years -- 1.2 percent higher than most of the country. Air quality in Walker -- one factor in gauging the healthfulness of a region -- is 72.3 percent below average, and water quality -- another key measure of Walker's environmental health -- trails the national average by 29.1 percent.

Doctors Per Capita	Walker, MI	Nat'l Avg
Physicians	261.5	220.5
Geriatricians	1	1.3
Cardiologists	7.4	7.7
Oncologists	3.5	3.5
Orthopedists	8.7	7

Average Life Expectancy

CostScore for Walker, MI

CostScore, part of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Walker, 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 Walker 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 7, the costs associated with retirement communities in Walker 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 Walker. 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 Walker to the rest of the country. Overall, the cost of living for Walker indexes at 11.0 percent lower than the national average. Average healthcare costs are 5.0 percent cheaper than the national average, and the cost of housing is 24.0 percent less expensive than average.

Cost of Living	Walker, MI
Aggregate Index	89
Healthcare Index	95
Housing Index	76
Food Index	98
Utilities Index	92
Transportation Index	96

Cost of Healthcare Index

LivabilityScore for Walker, MI

LivabilityScore makes up part of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Walker. 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 Walker is based on weather, crime rates, economic factors, average age of the population, and other key demographics. With a LivabilityScore of 3.9, Walker 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 158 days each year in Walker, 22.9 percent fewer sunny days than the rest of the U.S. sees. With an average temperature of 16°F in January, winters tend to be colder in Walker than in other parts of the country, and summers are often more temperate than other places, averaging 83°F in July.

Local crime rates are another important indicator. The violent crime rate in Walker is 25.0 percent lower than the national average, and the property crime rate is 50.0 percent higher than average. At $49,301 per year, the population of Walker earns a median household income on par with the national average. Walker has an unemployment rate of 8.80 percent, roughly equal to the national average. And about 10.99 percent of the population in Walker is of retirement age -- 65 or older -- which trails the national average by 16.5 percent.

Sunny Days Per Year

Avg Temperature (°F)

Property Crime Index

Amenities Per Capita	Walker	Nat'l Avg
Parks	1.2	136.1
Libraries	4.6	18.8
Places of Worship	77	220.5
Public Transit	128.7	110.4
Grocery Stores	4.2	97.7
Pharmacies	0	13.8

Percent of Population Over Age 65