Retirement Communities in Westwood, Massachusetts

CaringScore for Westwood, 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 Westwood 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 Westwood.

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 6.3, Westwood rates above average for those seeking retirement communities.

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

Physicians Per Capita

Cost of Healthcare Index

Sunny Days Per Year

HealthScore for Westwood, MA

HealthScore, a component of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Westwood, 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 Westwood 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 8.7, Westwood 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 414.4 physicians per capita, Westwood scores 87.9 percent better than the national average. Westwood scores 100.0 percent better than the national average in geriatricians per capita, with 2.6, and scores 97.9 percent better than the national average in specialists per capita, with 38.6. These medical specialists include cardiologists, oncologists, and orthopedists. The average life expectancy from birth in Westwood is 80.5 years -- 3.3 percent higher than most of the country. Air quality in Westwood -- one factor in gauging the healthfulness of a region -- is 67.5 percent below average, and water quality -- another key measure of Westwood's environmental health -- trails the national average by 36.4 percent.

Doctors Per Capita	Westwood, MA	Nat'l Avg
Physicians	414.4	220.5
Geriatricians	2.6	1.3
Cardiologists	15.8	7.7
Oncologists	9.1	3.5
Orthopedists	11.2	7

Average Life Expectancy

CostScore for Westwood, MA

CostScore, part of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Westwood, 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 Westwood 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 Westwood 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 Westwood. 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 Westwood to the rest of the country. Overall, the cost of living for Westwood indexes at 86.0 percent higher than the national average. Average healthcare costs are 24.0 percent more expensive than the national average, and the cost of housing is 234.0 percent more expensive than average.

Cost of Living	Westwood, MA
Aggregate Index	186
Healthcare Index	124
Housing Index	334
Food Index	118
Utilities Index	147
Transportation Index	107

Cost of Healthcare Index

LivabilityScore for Westwood, MA

LivabilityScore makes up part of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Westwood. 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 Westwood is based on weather, crime rates, economic factors, average age of the population, and other key demographics. With a LivabilityScore of 8.2, Westwood 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 201 days each year in Westwood, which is about average in the U.S. With an average temperature of 17°F in January, winters tend to be colder in Westwood than in other parts of the country, and summers are often more temperate than other places, averaging 82°F in July.

Local crime rates are another important indicator. The violent crime rate in Westwood is 75.0 percent lower than the national average, and the property crime rate is 75.0 percent lower than average. At $112,858 per year, the population of Westwood earns a better than average median household income. Westwood has an unemployment rate of 4.50 percent, roughly 50.5 percent lower than the national average. And about 17.99 percent of the population in Westwood is of retirement age -- 65 or older -- which exceeds the national average by 36.7 percent.

Sunny Days Per Year

Avg Temperature (°F)

Property Crime Index

Amenities Per Capita	Westwood	Nat'l Avg
Parks	3.4	136.1
Libraries	6.4	18.8
Places of Worship	48.4	220.5
Public Transit	292.8	110.4
Grocery Stores	105.1	97.7
Pharmacies	14	13.8

Percent of Population Over Age 65