10 Best Independent Living Communities in Chatham, NY

Independent Living

An Independent Living Community provides residents the ability to continue to live active lives while guaranteeing their basic needs have been met. Food preparation, recreational activities and housekeeping chores are handled while you are able to use your time as you choose. Along with their daily needs being met, residents can enjoy an opportunity to be among peers, in a community with others of similar ages and backgrounds. Typically comprised of a private living area and a full kitchen, these communities offer homes with many of the amenities of apartment life but without the hassle. Guests can be invited over and entertained, and there will be more time to spend with them with the basic maintenance of daily chores out of the way. While policies vary between locations, numerous residences allow cats and dogs as well. Nursing and health care services may always be arranged for with private care providers if desired. There are a number of expenditures and benefits to balance while deciding on an independent living community. It is important to determine if these amenities are included in your care plan: initial assessment fee, parking, Waiting list deposit, internet access, field trips, meals, move-in fee, and housekeeping. The benefits that pertain to independent living include security guards, beauty salon & barber shop, golf course, private rental hall, laundry service, restaurant-style dining hall, fitness center & swimming pool, and healthcare center.

Cost of Living

Senior living community price is affected by the city in which it is located. The rent burden for Chatham is about 16.7% of the average monthly income. The median home value in Chatham is $215,273 and the median price for rent is around $1,225 a month.

Demographics and Values

In terms of education, 30.5% have a college degree, 23.4% have a high-school diploma, and 16.4% have a graduate degree. Racially, the population of Chatham is 3.0% Hispanic, 3.6% black, 0.9% mixed race, 1.9% other or not specified, 92.5% white, 1.1% Asian, 0.0% Native American, and 0.0% Pacific Islander or Native Hawaiian. The total population of Chatham consists of 1,658 people. Chatham has a population density of 517 people per square mile. Out of the total city population, 50.9% are female and 49.1% are male. The median age of Chatham is 45 years old. In Chatham, 67.8% participate in the labor force, 3.4% do not have health insurance, 6.6% are widowed, and 9.8% live in poverty. In Chatham, 6.2% of the citizens are veterans of the United States armed forces.

State Information

An overview of New York

Based on natural beauty, New York ranks 24th in the nation. The state of New York has 205 hospitals and 496 health centers, providing care to a population of 19,493,819. Hospital For Special Surgery, Albany Memorial Hospital, and And Northern Duchess Hospital are among the top three highest ranked hospitals in the state. The state of New York has a cost of living index of 135.7 where a score of 100 is the national average, and anything above 100 is considered more expensive than the average. The state has a grocery index rating of 114.8 and a housing index rating of 204.4. New York is ranked 25th in quality of life and 13th in healthcare.

Social demographics of the state

The median age in the state is 39, and 30% of the population is over the age of 55. Twenty-nine percent of New York residents regularly attend a religious service from one of the state’s 14,110 different congregations. The top three non-Christian denominations in the state are Jewish-7%, Muslim-2%, and Buddhist-<1%, with the most common Christian denominations consisting of Evangelical Protestant-10%, Mainline Protestant-11%, and Historically Black Protestant-5%. In New York there are 72 masonic lodges. The state of New York ranks 5th in the country for diversity and the state is considered very LGBTQ friendly. During the latest presidential election, 37% voted for the Republican candidate while 59% voted for the Democratic candidate.

State-wide weather information

During the winter, the average temperature in New York drops to around 25F. The average high winter temperature is around 25F in the month of December. The average low temperature during the winter drops to around 2F in the month of January. During the summer, the average temperature in New York is around 68F. The average high summer temperature is around 86F in the month of July. The average low summer temperature is around 48F in the month of June. On average, New York has an air quality index rating of around 34.2 AQI. The average air quality index rating peaks in the month of May with a rating of around 44.5 AQI. On average, the state receives 3.54 inches of precipitation a month. The average amount of precipitation peaks during the month of October at around 6.10 inches. New York experiences an average humidity rating of about 71%. The highest monthly average humidity rating is 77% in the month of December. While residents of New York mostly enjoy pleasant conditions, it’s important to be aware of inclement weather as well, which in New York can include floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, and and earthquakes (moderate).

Wildlife to be found in New York

The state of New York has a diverse array of plant and animal life. Local plant life can consist of sneezeweed, canada anemone, smooth blue aster, and swamp milkweed. While venturing throughout the state, you might see animals such as the mink, the canada lynx, the red fox, or the American marten. The state animal of New York is the beaver.