Marion County, nestled in north-central Oregon about 50 miles south of Portland, has a population of 315,335 people, 12.9 percent of whom are seniors aged 65 or older. Some of the county’s seniors may be among the 65,000 Oregon seniors who have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia, a number that’s expected to increase to 84,000 by 2025. There are 19 memory care facilities within the county limits to support this growing number of seniors.
In all of Oregon, including Marion County, memory care facilities are referred to as Assisted Living Facilities and Residential Care Facilities, both of which are licensed and regulated by the Oregon Department of Health Services.
- Marion County has a violent crime rate of 14, significantly lower than the national average of 22.7, and a property crime rate of 36, slightly higher than the national average of 35.4. Seniors and their families may still want to ask facility staff about safety measures they have in place to protect their residents from crime.
- Marion County has poor air quality. On a scale where 100 represents the areas with the best air quality, the county has a rank of 46, about 12 points lower than the national average of 58. Seniors with respiratory issues such as asthma and COPD may have difficulty breathing in the county.
- The cost of living in Marion County is 108.7, more than eight points higher than the national average of 100. Seniors can also expect to pay more for groceries and transportation in the county, although healthcare expenses are lower at 82.9. Seniors wishing to move to the county may find that the lower healthcare costs help offset the higher costs of groceries and transportation.
- Oregon fully taxes retirement savings account withdrawals, partially taxes pensions and fully taxes Social Security income, which may result in Marion County seniors having less money to put toward their expenses.
Note: Data reported on this page was updated in 2019 and based on the latest 2018 figures.