10 Best Independent Living Communities in Santa Clarita, CA

Learn More About Independent Living in Santa Clarita, CA

Four unincorporated towns — Canyon Country, Newhall, Saugus, and Valencia — combined in 1987 to form Santa Clarita, now one of the largest cities within Los Angeles County. Naturally separated from much of the LA area to the south by forests and rolling hills, Santa Clarita offers a suburban lifestyle surrounded by canyons with nature centers, hiking trails, and horseback riding. Fans of Old Hollywood and classic westerns will find several museums and movie sets to tour, as studios in the early 1900s traveled to Santa Clarita for filming locations.

Independent living communities — also known simply as retirement communities — in Santa Clarita are geared towards seniors who are able to live on their own, without daily assistance, and prefer to live among people their age. This usually means residents are self-sufficient and do not require hands-on care. Think of Santa Clarita retirement communities as age-restricted (typically 55+) complexes, which provide organized activities, meal services, and transportation.

Cost of Independent Living in Santa Clarita, CA

The median monthly cost of independent living is about $5,800 in Santa Clarita and $3,400 within the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The median monthly cost of independent living in the state of California is around $3,000.

Learn More About Santa Clarita, CA

Cost of Living

The total household expenses associated with living in Santa Clarita are rated 34 points above the national average. Grocery and other essential costs are also rated significantly higher than the average.

Index Scores

All index scores are based on a scale that has the national average set at 100. A score of 200 indicates that the cost is twice as expensive as the national average, while a score of 50 indicates that the cost is half as expensive.

Household Expenses	Health Care	Insurance	Entertainment	Groceries	Clothing
134	133	140	137	134	136

Income and Housing

Median Income Age 45-64	Median Income Age 65+	Median Household Income	Average Individual Income	Median Employee Salary	Average Property Tax	One-bedroom Apartment Gross Rent Estimate
$103,951 per year	$57,088 per year	$89,044 per year	$36,180 per year	$49,432 per year	$6,245 per year	$1,195 per month

Local Hospitals

The top hospitals that service Santa Clarita include:

Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital

• Facility type: nonprofit, short-term acute care
• Bed count: 230+
• Specialties: emergency care, hemodialysis, ICU

Olive View-UCLA Medical Center

• Facility type: governmental, short-term acute care
• Bed count: 300+
• Specialties: emergency care, ICU, inpatient surgery

Providence Holy Cross Medical Center

• Facility type: nonprofit, short-term acute care
• Bed count: 370+
• Specialties: emergency care, joint replacement, physical therapy

Weather and Climate

Santa Clarita, like most of the Los Angeles area, has a type of dry subtropical climate called Mediterranean. This means the city has hot summers with very little rainfall, and cool (but not cold) winters with slightly more precipitation than during the summer months. Santa Clarita also has different microclimates as a result of varying elevation levels and weather influences from the ocean, which means that certain areas are noticeably sunnier on a regular basis, whereas others tend to be cooler. The average humidity level is 53% and remains steady throughout the year, although humidity levels are often highest during June at about 57%.

Seasonal Temperatures

January Average	January Maximum	January Minimum
50°F	64°F	36°F

July Average	July Maximum	July Minimum
74°F	94°F	54°F

Air Quality

• Relative Air Quality Index: 108

This index is based on a scale that has the national average set at 100. A score of 200 indicates twice the presence of air pollutants than the national average, while a score of 50 indicates half the presence.

Precipitation

• Average annual precipitation: 16.3″

Demographics and Values

Population Statistics

Median Age	Percent of Population Over 65	Population	Population Density	Average Household Size
37.5	11.7%	216,637	3,501.1 per square mile	3

Race & Ethnicity

American Indian or Alaskan Native	Asian	Black	Hispanic or Latino	Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	White (not Hispanic or Latino)
0.8%	11.1%	3.9%	33.5%	0.1%	5.9%	47.9%

These figures were taken from the most recent U.S. Census.

LGBTQ+ Inclusivity

These scores were taken from the 2020 Human Rights Campaign’s Municipal Equality Index.

• Non-discrimination laws in Santa Clarita: 30/30
• Overall inclusivity: 74/100

2016 Presidential Election Results for Los Angeles County

Democratic	Republican	Other
71.4%	23.4%	5.2%

Arts, Culture, Entertainment, and Recreation

Some of the most popular museums and historic sites in Santa Clarita include:

• William S. Hart Museum (silent film and Western art)
• Old Town Newhall Library
• Wakefield Winter Wonderland
• The Oak of the Golden Dream

Outdoor attractions in Santa Clarita:

• Hart Park (livestock and trails)
• Vasquez Rocks Natural Area Park (hiking and equestrian trails)
• Golden Valley Ranch Open Space (hiking and biking)
• Placerita Canyon Nature Center (historic monuments and trails)
• Whitney Canyon Park (hiking, biking, and horseback riding)
• Towsley Canyon Park (hiking trails)

Santa Clarita’s top entertainment destinations and shopping districts are:

• Mountasia Family Fun Center
• Six Flags Magic Mountain
• Vista Valencia Golf Course
• Melody Movie Ranch
• Cowboy Poetry Festival
• Downtown Santa Clarita — Main Street (restaurants and shops)

Transportation

City of Santa Clarita Transit operates public bus routes throughout the city, along with commuter buses that run daily to Union Station in Los Angeles and connect to Metro subway and Metrolink stops. For seniors, City of Santa Clarita Transit offers discounted fares along with a curb-to-curb paratransit program called Dial-A-Ride.