San Diego Retirement Communities

If money isn't a concern, San Diego may be the ideal assisted living city for seniors. With its Mediterranean climate, the city on the Pacific has nearly perfect weather: warm, dry summers, mild winters and over 300 days of sunshine a year. Add a thriving cultural scene, pro sports teams and plenty of excellent dining options, and it’s no wonder CNBC rated San Diego as one of "America's Top Places for Boomers to Retire."

But since money is a concern to most seniors, consider these numbers. The city’s cost of living is 32% higher than the national average. The median sales price for homes in early 2011 was $300,000. This can make assisted living astronomical. On the other hand, however, San Diego’s sales prices have dropped by almost 40% in the last five years. And then there’s Propositions 60 and 90.

California’s Proposition 60 allows those 55 and older to buy a residence in San Diego County of equal or lesser than their existing home and transfer that value to their new property.

Proposition 90 allows seniors to transfer their current taxable value from anywhere else in California to their new San Diego residence. Qualifying properties include single-family homes, condos, unit in planned development, cooperative housing, community apartment, and manufactured home. Consider these property tax reliefs when searching for assisted living facilities.

If you can afford the cost of living, you’ll certainly feel medically safe. Senior care is excellent with nearby Sharp Memorial Hospital, UC San Diego Medical Center, Sharp Coronado Hospital, UCSD Medical Center-Hillcrest, San Diego Cardiac Center, and Scripps Mercy Hospital. For retired military, the city has a number of Navy and Marine Corps bases.

San Diego has all the cultural amenities you’d expect from a city of over 1.3 million people like the San Diego Museum of Art, the San Diego Natural History Museum, the opera, the symphony, the La Jolla Playhouse and many others.

The San Diego Zoo, one of the largest in the world, is home to 4,000 animals including endangered species like the California condor and the Giant Panda.

Sports fans will enjoy rooting for the Padres, the Chargers, and a number of collegiate and university teams.

Downtown, stroll the 16 block historic Gaslamp District with its many shops, restaurants and bars. The District’s many annual events include the Shamrock St. Patrick’s Day Festival, jazz block party, Mardi Gras Festival, Taste of Gaslamp, Fallback Festival and others.

If you’re thinking about retiring in San Diego, use the advance search feature to find an assisted living facility. You can also click on one of the facility tabs at the top to further refine your search.