Retirement Communities in Washington, District of Columbia

CaringScore for Washington, DC

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 Washington 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 Washington.

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

Physicians Per Capita

Cost of Healthcare Index

Sunny Days Per Year

HealthScore for Washington, DC

HealthScore, a component of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Washington, 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 Washington 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 8.2, Washington 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 486.2 physicians per capita, Washington scores 120.5 percent better than the national average. Washington scores 76.9 percent better than the national average in geriatricians per capita, with 2.3, and scores 86.7 percent better than the national average in specialists per capita, with 36.4. These medical specialists include cardiologists, oncologists, and orthopedists. The average life expectancy from birth in Washington is 75.2 years -- 3.5 percent lower than most of the country. Air quality in Washington -- one factor in gauging the healthfulness of a region -- is 91.6 percent below average, and water quality -- another key measure of Washington's environmental health -- trails the national average by 27.3 percent.

Doctors Per Capita	Washington, DC	Nat'l Avg
Physicians	486.2	220.5
Geriatricians	2.3	1.3
Cardiologists	15.5	7.7
Oncologists	8.7	3.5
Orthopedists	9.9	7

Average Life Expectancy

CostScore for Washington, DC

CostScore, part of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Washington, 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 Washington 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 3.7, the costs associated with retirement communities in Washington 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 Washington. 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 Washington to the rest of the country. Overall, the cost of living for Washington indexes at 35.0 percent higher than the national average. Average healthcare costs index at 100 of 10, roughly the same as the national average, and the cost of housing is 113.0 percent more expensive than average.

Cost of Living	Washington, DC
Aggregate Index	135
Healthcare Index	100
Housing Index	213
Food Index	112
Utilities Index	99
Transportation Index	108

Cost of Healthcare Index

LivabilityScore for Washington, DC

LivabilityScore makes up part of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Washington. 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 Washington is based on weather, crime rates, economic factors, average age of the population, and other key demographics. With a LivabilityScore of 3.6, Washington 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 203 days each year in Washington, which is about average in the U.S. With an average temperature of 26°F in January, winters tend to be milder in Washington than in other parts of the country, and summers often mirror nationwide seasonal trends, averaging 87°F in July.

Local crime rates are another important indicator. The violent crime rate in Washington is 125.0 percent higher than the national average, and the property crime rate is 50.0 percent higher than average. At $58,363 per year, the population of Washington earns a better than average median household income. Washington has an unemployment rate of 10.00 percent, roughly 9.9 percent higher than the national average. And about 12.31 percent of the population in Washington 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	Washington	Nat'l Avg
Parks	1.5	136.1
Libraries	4.7	18.8
Places of Worship	68.2	220.5
Public Transit	1470.4	110.4
Grocery Stores	102.3	97.7
Pharmacies	16.7	13.8

Percent of Population Over Age 65