Benton County, located in Southeastern Washington, is home to over 175,000 residents, more than 20,000 of whom are seniors aged 65 or older, the target age group for dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. To assist these seniors with their needs, there are three memory care facilities in Benton County, located in Corvallis, Kennewick and Richland.
In Benton County, and in all of Washington, memory care facilities are known as Assisted Living Facilities (ALFs) and are governed and licensed by the Aging and Long-Term Support Administration.
- Washington is very tax friendly towards seniors. There are no taxes charged on Social Security income, retirement savings account withdrawals or pensions. Benton County seniors with tight memory care budgets may find that the result of Washington’s tax laws is having more money available to put toward their care.
- Benton County has good air quality. On a scale where 100 represents the places with the best air quality, the county has a rank of 73, considerably higher than the national average of 58. Seniors with respiratory conditions may find that they can breathe easier in Benton County than in other areas of Washington.
- The cost of living in Benton County is 102.9, slightly higher than the national average of 100, mostly driven by the cost of housing. Seniors’ families who are considering moving to the area to be closer to a loved one might want to take the higher cost of housing into consideration.
- Residents of Benton County enjoy July highs of 89 degrees, and winter lows that rarely drop below 29 with very little precipitation. The county gets nine inches of rain each year, and three inches of snow, both much lower than the national averages of 39 and 26 inches, respectively. Seniors who enjoy participating in supervised outdoor activities might enjoy living in Benton County.
Note:Â Data reported on this page was updated in 2019 and based on the latest 2018 figures.Â