Hershey, Pa. (April 24, 2026) – Country Meadows Retirement Communities has been recognized among the Best Senior Living establishments in the country for 2026 by U.S. News & World Report for the many ways each campus excels in areas of resident care and the campus experience. This year, all of Country Meadows’ nine communities located in Pennsylvania and Maryland, and the sister not-for-profit organization, Ecumenical Retirement Community, were commended in one or more service categories: Best Independent Living, Best Assisted Living and Best Memory Care. Additionally, Country Meadows of Bethlehem was also recognized as a best Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC) after the Best Senior Living scores were combined with U.S. News & World Report’s Best in Long Term Care and Short Term Rehabilitation results announced last year.
To determine these distinctions, U.S. News & World Report analyzes resident and family surveys from more than 3,000 senior living communities nationwide and determined 1,614 communities worthy of the honors. The survey asked residents and families about various aspects of the community including safety, the quality of care, available activities and enrichment, management and staff.
“We appreciate any opportunity we get to hear directly from our residents and their families and with each comment we learn how we can enhance their experience with us,” said Meredith Mills, President and CEO of Country Meadows. “We say ‘life gets better’ at our campuses and through this recognition, we feel we’ve earned that sentiment. We see it in action every day in the ways our residents engage in activities, contribute their own talents to the communities and feel safe and supported. In turn, family members are validated in their decisions when they see their loved one is being cared for by the skilled and dedicated team of co-workers, and they gain peace of mind. We are proud and privileged to support our customers in these ways.”
U.S. News & World Report has been evaluating the Best Senior Living category for five years, and this is the third year that Country Meadows and Ecumenical participated in the national survey to be eligible for consideration. Again this year, U.S. News & World Report awarded the High Performing distinction to communities who scored in the top 25% nationwide and received a high score overall. Six Country Meadows campuses received High Performing accolades for Caregiving, Activities & Enrichment, Management & Staff, Food & Dining, and “Feels like Home.”
Country Meadows Retirement Communities and Ecumenical Retirement Community received the following ratings:
- Country Meadows of Allentown – Best Assisted Living, Best Memory Care
- Country Meadows of Bethlehem – Best Independent Living, Best Continuing care Retirement Community; High Performing for Memory Care: Food & Dining
- Country Meadows of Forks – Best Assisted Living, Best Memory Care
- Country Meadows of Frederick – Best Independent Living, Best Assisted Living, Best Memory Care; High Performing for Memory Care: Management & Staff, Caregiving, Feels like Home, Food & Dining
- Country Meadows of Hershey – Best Independent Living, Best Assisted Living, Best Memory Care; High Performing for Assisted Living: Caregiving, Activities & Enrichment
- Country Meadows of West Shore (Mechanicsburg) – Best Memory Care
- Country Meadows of Wyomissing – Best Memory Care; High Performing for Memory Care: Caregiving
- Country Meadows of Leader Heights (York-South) – Best Independent Living, Best Assisted Living, Best Memory Care; High Performing for Assisted Living: Caregiving; High Performing for Memory Care: Caregiving, Management & Staff, Feels Like Home
- Country Meadows of York (York-West) – Best Independent Living, Best Memory Care; High Performing for Memory Care: Activities & Enrichment, Food & Dining
- Ecumenical Retirement Community – Best Memory Care
For more details on these ratings and to learn about our communities, visit CountryMeadows.com/USNewsWorldReport.
About Country Meadows Retirement Communities
Since 1962, three generations of the family of former Pennsylvania Governor George M. and Mary Jane Leader have provided quality retirement services for older persons. Today, the Country Meadows Retirement Communities in Pennsylvania and Maryland and sister community, not-for-profit Ecumenical Retirement Community in Harrisburg, Pa., continue the Leader tradition of friendly, person-to-person caring at reasonable costs through an experienced, dedicated and compassionate team of professionals.
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