Oregon’s capital city of Salem is centrally located in the heart of the beautiful Willamette Valley. Of the city’s population of around 160,000 people, 13% are over age 65. A growing community with a small town feel, Salem focuses on preserving its historic downtown area while adding new development. Salem has a comfortable year-round climate, with plenty of rain to add lushness to the landscape. Outdoorsy seniors may enjoy the pedestrian and bicycle bridge that connects downtown Salem to one of the city’s most popular recreation spots, Minto-Brown Island Park, which offers picnic tables, a fishing area and 29 miles of trails to walk or bike. Residents can also join Center 50+, the Salem community center for active, social seniors.
To help seniors discover the most senior-friendly locations around the country, Caring.com conducted a new study, “The Best and Worst Places for Senior Living.” The Caring Senior Living Report analyzes and ranks 300 cities and 50 states on the quality of senior living in that area. The cities were graded using 46 metrics across five categories: Health Care, Senior Living & Housing, Affordability, Quality of life, and Transportation.