Retirement Communities in Wheeling, Illinois

CaringScore for Wheeling, IL

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 Wheeling 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 Wheeling.

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 5.1, Wheeling 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 Wheeling. Choose a category score to learn more.

Physicians Per Capita

Cost of Healthcare Index

Sunny Days Per Year

HealthScore for Wheeling, IL

HealthScore, a component of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Wheeling, 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 Wheeling 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 5.9, Wheeling 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 255.4 physicians per capita, Wheeling scores 15.8 percent better than the national average. Wheeling scores 38.5 percent better than the national average in geriatricians per capita, with 1.8, and closely matches the national average in specialists per capita, with 22.2. These medical specialists include cardiologists, oncologists, and orthopedists. The average life expectancy from birth in Wheeling is 78 years -- on par with the rest of the country. Air quality in Wheeling -- one factor in gauging the healthfulness of a region -- is 91.6 percent below average, and water quality -- another key measure of Wheeling's environmental health -- trails the national average by 43.6 percent.

Doctors Per Capita	Wheeling, IL	Nat'l Avg
Physicians	255.4	220.5
Geriatricians	1.8	1.3
Cardiologists	9.5	7.7
Oncologists	4.7	3.5
Orthopedists	6.1	7

Average Life Expectancy

CostScore for Wheeling, IL

CostScore, part of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Wheeling, 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 Wheeling 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 Wheeling 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 Wheeling. 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 Wheeling to the rest of the country. Overall, the cost of living for Wheeling indexes at 15.0 percent higher than the national average. Average healthcare costs are 6.0 percent more expensive than the national average, and the cost of housing is 30.0 percent more expensive than average.

Cost of Living	Wheeling, IL
Aggregate Index	115
Healthcare Index	106
Housing Index	130
Food Index	114
Utilities Index	95
Transportation Index	119

Cost of Healthcare Index

LivabilityScore for Wheeling, IL

LivabilityScore makes up part of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Wheeling. 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 Wheeling is based on weather, crime rates, economic factors, average age of the population, and other key demographics. With a LivabilityScore of 5.5, Wheeling 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 188 days each year in Wheeling, 8.3 percent fewer sunny days than the rest of the U.S. sees. With an average temperature of 11°F in January, winters tend to be colder in Wheeling 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 Wheeling is 25.0 percent lower than the national average, and the property crime rate index is 4 of 10, which is in line with the national average. At $67,370 per year, the population of Wheeling earns a better than average median household income. Wheeling has an unemployment rate of 8.40 percent, roughly 7.7 percent lower than the national average. And about 11.60 percent of the population in Wheeling is of retirement age -- 65 or older -- which trails the national average by 11.9 percent.

Sunny Days Per Year

Avg Temperature (°F)

Property Crime Index

Amenities Per Capita	Wheeling	Nat'l Avg
Parks	0.9	136.1
Libraries	3.6	18.8
Places of Worship	43.6	220.5
Public Transit	1334.5	110.4
Grocery Stores	87.3	97.7
Pharmacies	14.6	13.8

Percent of Population Over Age 65