AMERICA'S BEST CONTINUING CARE RETIREMENT COMMUNITIES 2026

CONTINUING CARE RETIREMENT communities, also known as Life Plan Communities, offer a continuum of long-term care designed to meet residents' evolving needs, from independent and assisted living to skilled nursing and memory care.

- Alexis Kayser, Health Care Editor

For many older adults and their families, the ability to remain in one community while accessing higher levels of support is a defining advantage.

With a national footprint of roughly 1,900 CCRCs/ Life Plan Communities, the landscape is broad and varied, making it essential to identify communities that consistently deliver quality, safety and resident satisfaction.

To help readers navigate those choices, Newsweek and global data intelligence firm Statista are proud to present America's Best Continuing Care Retirement Communities 2026, recognizing 330 leading facilities across the United States.

Each community's score draws on four data sources. The national online surveys-which together account for 70 percent of the total score-combine input from medical professionals and CCRC administrators with ratings from residents' acquaintances and residents themselves. A visitor satisfaction score (15 percent) leverages facility-level data from Accushield's Reputation Accelerator. An accreditation score (10 percent) reflects recognition from CARF International across the continuum of care, including specialized programs for dementia, palliative and end-of-life care. Finally, Google reviews (5 percent) serve as a complementary indicator of overall satisfaction, applied where facilities meet the minimum review threshold.

Continuing care retirement communities recognized in the ranking include HumanGood - Valle Verde in California, Willow Valley Communities in Pennsylvania and Freedom Pointe at The Villages in Florida.

From vibrant campuses with robust lifestyle programming to communities distinguished by clinical quality and safety, these CCRCs exemplify a model designed to support aging with independence, continuity and peace of mind. We hope this ranking helps you find a good fit for yourself or a loved one.

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