The Best Communities in Monroe County, PA

Monroe County is in Pennsylvania's mountainous northcentral area with a population of 168,046, including 16.7 percent who are age 65 or older and may be living with dementia. Many of those seniors might benefit from living at an Alzheimer's Special Care Unit (SCU), as Pennsylvania assisted living facilities treating patients with cognitive ailments are known, where they could receive specialized care. The Office of Long-Term Living licenses and regulates these SCUs, and Monroe County has two of them within its borders.

• During an average year, Monroe County receives 48 inches of rain, while 39 is the U.S. average. Monroe County gets 47 inches of snow annually, compared to the U.S. average of 26, and its sunny days outnumber cloudy ones by 205 to 130. Summer temperatures stretch to 81 degrees, and the winter lows are a bone-numbing 16. The U.S. has a 54 Sperling's Comfort Index rating, which is ten points higher than this county.
• The air quality in Monroe County is very good. The American Lung Association gave it an "A" grade for particle pollution and a "C" for ozone levels. Seniors thinking about moving to an SCU in this county may want to consider if they have any pre-existing conditions that would be worsened by the air.
• The overall cost of living in Monroe County is three points lower than the U.S. and Pennsylvania median figures of 100. Housing is low at 76, compared to state and national averages of 89 and 100, respectively, while healthcare is three points higher than the U.S. norm. Seniors living on a fixed income may need to shuffle their budget to accommodate the higher cost of living.
• Retirement income is not taxed in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, including pensions, Social Security payments or 401(k) accounts of residents who are age 60 and older. In addition to the low state sales tax, these senior-friendly income tax exemptions may enable families to set aside more money for quality memory care.

Memory Care costs in Monroe County start around $5,887 per month on average, while the nationwide average cost of memory care is $5,694 per month.

It’s important to note that memory care rates in Monroe County and the surrounding suburbs can vary widely based on factors such as location, the level of care needed, apartment size and the types of amenities offered at each community.

Learn more about these programs, plus who’s eligible, on our Memory Care in Pennsylvania page.

While many families use their own funds or personal assets to pay for memory care, there are plenty of additional options to cover these costs. Some additional ways to finance memory care costs include:

• Veterans Benefits
• Life Insurance Policy
• Long-Term Care Insurance
• Reverse Mortgage

For more information about different ways to finance memory care, visit our Memory Care in Pennsylvania page.

Monroe County-area memory care communities must adhere to the comprehensive set of state laws and regulations that all memory care communities in Pennsylvania are required to follow. Visit our Memory Care in Pennsylvania page for more information about these laws.