Retirement Communities in West Chester, Pennsylvania

CaringScore for West Chester, PA

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 West Chester 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 West Chester.

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, West Chester 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 West Chester. Choose a category score to learn more.

Physicians Per Capita

Cost of Healthcare Index

Sunny Days Per Year

HealthScore for West Chester, PA

HealthScore, a component of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in West Chester, 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 West Chester 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 6.6, West Chester 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 279.3 physicians per capita, West Chester scores 26.7 percent better than the national average. West Chester scores about average in geriatricians per capita, with 1.6, and scores 40.5 percent better than the national average in specialists per capita, with 27.4. These medical specialists include cardiologists, oncologists, and orthopedists. The average life expectancy from birth in West Chester is 80.1 years -- 2.8 percent higher than most of the country. Air quality in West Chester -- one factor in gauging the healthfulness of a region -- is 66.3 percent below average, and water quality -- another key measure of West Chester's environmental health -- trails the national average by 70.9 percent.

Doctors Per Capita	West Chester, PA	Nat'l Avg
Physicians	279.3	220.5
Geriatricians	1.6	1.3
Cardiologists	14	7.7
Oncologists	5.4	3.5
Orthopedists	6.4	7

Average Life Expectancy

CostScore for West Chester, PA

CostScore, part of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in West Chester, 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 West Chester 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 3.3, the costs associated with retirement communities in West Chester 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 West Chester. 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 West Chester to the rest of the country. Overall, the cost of living for West Chester indexes at 28.0 percent higher than the national average. Average healthcare costs are 3.0 percent more expensive than the national average, and the cost of housing is 54.0 percent more expensive than average.

Cost of Living	West Chester, PA
Aggregate Index	128
Healthcare Index	103
Housing Index	154
Food Index	124
Utilities Index	132
Transportation Index	108

Cost of Healthcare Index

LivabilityScore for West Chester, PA

LivabilityScore makes up part of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in West Chester. 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 West Chester is based on weather, crime rates, economic factors, average age of the population, and other key demographics. With a LivabilityScore of 4.9, West Chester is on par with the national average for retirement communities.

Weather is an important factor in choosing the best place for retirement communities. The sun shines an average of 206 days each year in West Chester, which is about average in the U.S. With an average temperature of 21°F in January, winters in West Chester tend to be similar to other parts of the country, and summers often mirror nationwide seasonal trends, averaging 86°F in July.

Local crime rates are another important indicator. The violent crime rate in West Chester is 75.0 percent higher than the national average, and the property crime rate index is 4 of 10, which is in line with the national average. At $46,625 per year, the population of West Chester earns a lower than average median household income. West Chester has an unemployment rate of 6.20 percent, roughly 31.9 percent lower than the national average. And about 9.13 percent of the population in West Chester is of retirement age -- 65 or older -- which trails the national average by 30.6 percent.

Sunny Days Per Year

Avg Temperature (°F)

Property Crime Index

Amenities Per Capita	West Chester	Nat'l Avg
Parks	2.9	136.1
Libraries	3.6	18.8
Places of Worship	71.7	220.5
Public Transit	330.8	110.4
Grocery Stores	357.1	97.7
Pharmacies	102.8	13.8

Percent of Population Over Age 65