Retirement Communities in Watertown, Massachusetts

CaringScore for Watertown, MA

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 Watertown 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 Watertown.

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, Watertown rates above average for those seeking retirement communities.

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

Physicians Per Capita

Cost of Healthcare Index

Sunny Days Per Year

HealthScore for Watertown, MA

HealthScore, a component of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Watertown, 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 Watertown 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 8.4, Watertown 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 389.3 physicians per capita, Watertown scores 76.6 percent better than the national average. Watertown scores 192.3 percent better than the national average in geriatricians per capita, with 3.8, and scores 64.6 percent better than the national average in specialists per capita, with 32.1. These medical specialists include cardiologists, oncologists, and orthopedists. The average life expectancy from birth in Watertown is 80.9 years -- 3.9 percent higher than most of the country. Air quality in Watertown -- one factor in gauging the healthfulness of a region -- is 47.0 percent below average, and water quality -- another key measure of Watertown's environmental health -- trails the national average by 21.8 percent.

Doctors Per Capita	Watertown, MA	Nat'l Avg
Physicians	389.3	220.5
Geriatricians	3.8	1.3
Cardiologists	13	7.7
Oncologists	6.2	3.5
Orthopedists	9.2	7

Average Life Expectancy

CostScore for Watertown, MA

CostScore, part of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Watertown, 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 Watertown 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 Watertown 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 Watertown. 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 Watertown to the rest of the country. Overall, the cost of living for Watertown indexes at 60.0 percent higher than the national average. Average healthcare costs are 20.0 percent more expensive than the national average, and the cost of housing is 143.0 percent more expensive than average.

Cost of Living	Watertown, MA
Aggregate Index	160
Healthcare Index	120
Housing Index	243
Food Index	122
Utilities Index	146
Transportation Index	107

Cost of Healthcare Index

LivabilityScore for Watertown, MA

LivabilityScore makes up part of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Watertown. 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 Watertown is based on weather, crime rates, economic factors, average age of the population, and other key demographics. With a LivabilityScore of 6.9, Watertown 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 198 days each year in Watertown, 3.4 percent fewer sunny days than the rest of the U.S. sees. With an average temperature of 19°F in January, winters in Watertown tend to be similar to other parts of the country, and summers are often more temperate than other places, averaging 84°F in July.

Local crime rates are another important indicator. The violent crime rate in Watertown is 25.0 percent lower than the national average, and the property crime rate is 25.0 percent lower than average. At $74,872 per year, the population of Watertown earns a better than average median household income. Watertown has an unemployment rate of 5.50 percent, roughly 39.6 percent lower than the national average. And about 15.95 percent of the population in Watertown is of retirement age -- 65 or older -- which exceeds the national average by 21.2 percent.

Sunny Days Per Year

Avg Temperature (°F)

Property Crime Index

Amenities Per Capita	Watertown	Nat'l Avg
Parks	2.6	136.1
Libraries	5.2	18.8
Places of Worship	50.3	220.5
Public Transit	292.8	110.4
Grocery Stores	133.6	97.7
Pharmacies	15.5	13.8

Percent of Population Over Age 65