Sometimes a son or daughter calls me and says, “Dad wants to stay near the university and keep going to lectures, but none of us live close enough to help if his health changes.” That’s often when University Retirement Community at Davis, or URC, comes up.
URC is a life plan community, which means you pay an entrance fee and a monthly fee in exchange for a place to live and access to more care on the same campus later. It’s a big decision with a lot of paperwork, and it’s fair to feel unsure. So here’s a plain guide to how URC works, what it costs as of 2026, and what’s around it in Davis.
University Retirement Community at a glance
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| City and county | Davis, Yolo County (1515 Shasta Drive) |
| Operator | A nonprofit life plan community, managed by Pacific Retirement Services |
| Opened | First residents moved in February 2000 |
| Campus | About 10 acres, roughly two miles from UC Davis, across from Sutter Davis Hospital |
| Type of community | Life plan community (a continuing care retirement community, or CCRC) |
| Number of residences | About 205 independent living apartments, plus assisted living, memory support and skilled nursing (per a senior living guide) |
| Home types | One- to three-bedroom apartments (some with a den), garden apartments and cottages |
| How you buy in | Entrance fee plus monthly fee under a continuing care contract. You don’t receive a deed. |
| Entrance fee (approx.) | From $127,500 (one bedroom) to $531,300 and up (three bedroom), as of 2026 |
| Monthly fee (approx.) | From $5,121 (one bedroom) to $6,950 and up (three bedroom), as of 2026 |
| Care on site | Independent living, assisted living, memory support, and skilled nursing and rehab |
| Golf | None on campus |
| Pool | Indoor and outdoor pools at the Fitness and Aquatic Center |
| Dining | Three venues: The Orchard, La Brisa and The Marketplace |
| Pets | Pets of all types and sizes, with a temperament evaluation, plus a dog park |
How does buying into URC work?
You sign a continuing care contract, which URC calls a Residence and Service Agreement. You pay a one-time entrance fee when you first move into independent living, then a monthly fee for as long as you live there. In return you get lifetime use of your apartment or cottage and priority access to assisted living, memory support and skilled nursing on site.
Here’s the piece families sometimes miss. You don’t get a deed. You’re buying the right to live there and receive care, and not a piece of real estate you or your heirs can sell later. What comes back, if anything, depends on the refund terms written into your contract.
URC charges a $1,000 application fee, which is fully repayable if you don’t qualify or you decide not to move before signing the agreement. Reserving a residence takes a deposit of 10% of the entrance fee. URC’s own blog talks about being “financially qualified,” so expect a review of your finances before you’re accepted.
Continuing care communities in California are overseen by the California Department of Social Services, through its Continuing Care Contracts Branch. A provider needs a certificate of authority from the state before it can sign continuing care contracts, and state law gives new residents a 90-day window after they first move in to cancel the contract.
Entrance fees and monthly fees
URC posts starting prices on its website. As of 2026, here’s what it listed:
| Residence | Entrance fee, starting at | Monthly fee, starting at |
|---|---|---|
| One bedroom | $127,500 | $5,121 |
| Two bedroom | $451,300 | $5,882 |
| Three bedroom | $531,300 | $6,950 |
A second person in the same residence pays no added entrance fee and $1,631 a month. The final amount depends on the size and location of the residence you choose.
What the monthly fee covers
Per URC and senior living guides that quote it, the independent living monthly fee includes:
- At least one meal a day at one of the three dining venues
- Housekeeping twice a month and weekly flat-linen laundry
- All building and apartment or cottage maintenance
- Electricity, water, sewer and trash
- Expanded basic cable TV
- 24-hour campus security and emergency call systems
- The Fitness Center and full use of URC’s amenities
- Scheduled transportation and events
- Social, recreational, educational, cultural and spiritual programs
Refunds and higher care costs
I couldn’t confirm URC’s refund options from its own materials. URC’s blog explains amortizing contracts (the refund shrinks over time) and partially refundable contracts in general terms, and one resident review describes an amortizing refund. Ask URC for the exact refund schedule in writing.
The same goes for what happens to your monthly fee if you move to assisted living, memory support or skilled nursing. A resident review says fees rise with each level of care. I couldn’t verify that, so it’s one of the first questions I’d ask.
Fees change, often once a year. Ask me for current figures and I’ll help you see how they fit with the sale of your current home.
Taxes and Mello-Roos
Because you hold a contract and not a deed, you don’t get a property tax bill as an owner the way you would with a house. I didn’t find any source tying Mello-Roos to URC. Questions about how the entrance fee or monthly fee affect your taxes belong with your CPA.
Homes and floor plans
URC offers one- to three-bedroom residences, some with a den, in apartment, garden apartment and cottage styles. Starting sizes it lists:
- One-bedroom apartments from 563 square feet
- Two-bedroom apartments with den from 1,069 square feet
- Two-bedroom apartments from 1,145 square feet
- Three-bedroom cottages from 1,263 square feet
URC has also discussed a campus expansion with the Davis Senior Citizen Commission. The plans described included covered pickleball courts on top of a parking structure. I don’t know the current status, so ask if new residences are planned and whether they’d be priced differently.
Amenities
Fitness and Aquatic Center
- Indoor pool and outdoor pool
- Fitness center
- Classes including aqua aerobics, tai chi, yoga, stretch and flex, circuit training, and Sit 2B Fit (helpful after surgery or a hospital stay)
Indoor spaces
- Art studio and woodworking shop
- Library and computer center
- Auditorium
- Billiards, a game room and a club lounge
- Salon and an on-site bank
Outdoors
- Bocce court
- Dog park
Dining
URC has three dining venues. The Orchard is the main dining room for dinner, La Brisa is a bistro for breakfast and lunch, and The Marketplace offers a la carte informal dinners.
Levels of care on site
URC has the full range on one campus:
- Independent living: your own apartment or cottage, with services in the monthly fee.
- Assisted living: about 36 residences, with help for daily tasks like bathing, dressing and medications.
- Memory support: about 14 residences for people living with dementia.
- Skilled nursing and rehab: about 37 skilled nursing and short-term rehab accommodations, staffed around the clock by RNs, LVNs and CNAs, with physicians on call and nurse practitioners visiting regularly.
Independent living residents get priority access to the higher levels of care. URC also offers respite care, and a senior living guide quoting URC says people who don’t live there can use rehab and respite. U.S. News rated URC’s skilled nursing center 5 out of 5 overall and named it among its best for short-term rehabilitation.
What I’d ask before signing: who decides when a move to more care happens, how the monthly fee changes at each level, and what happens to your residence if one spouse needs more care and the other stays.
Clubs and social life
URC describes a calendar built around physical, intellectual and social wellness. Activities mentioned by URC and guides include book clubs, photography, musical performances, water aerobics and trips out into the community. Residents also hold Resident Council meetings.
The UC Davis connection matters here. URC describes close ties to the university, including lifelong learning courses. Nearby, the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at UC Davis offers courses and events for people 50 and older.
URC was named Best Senior Living Community in the Davis Enterprise Readers’ Choice awards for 2026, and also won in 2024.
Health care nearby
- Sutter Davis Hospital, across the street, about 0.3 miles
- UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento, reachable by the Yolobus Special paratransit service for eligible riders
With a hospital across the street and skilled nursing on campus, care is close at hand.
Getting around
URC’s community bus offers rides to doctor appointments (based on availability), a free weekly grocery shuttle, seasonal excursions and cultural events.
For trips on your own:
- Davis Community Transit offers ADA paratransit inside Davis city limits, seven days a week, for riders who can’t use Unitrans or Yolobus.
- Yolobus Special offers ADA paratransit from Davis to certain Sacramento destinations, including UC Davis Health.
- The Davis Senior Center hands out free Unitrans passes to people 60 and older.
- Amtrak: the Davis station at 840 2nd Street in downtown Davis is a stop on the Capitol Corridor line.
- Sacramento International Airport (SMF): about 19 miles from Davis, roughly 26 minutes by car without traffic, per travel guides.
What’s nearby
- The Marketplace shopping center, a few minutes away (not to be confused with URC’s dining venue of the same name)
- UC Davis, about two miles away
- Davis Farmers Market, year round at Central Park in downtown Davis
- UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden, about 100 acres along the old north channel of Putah Creek
Who tends to love University Retirement Community
URC tends to fit people who want lectures, classes and a college town close by, and who’d rather swim, take tai chi or work in a wood shop than mow a lawn. It suits someone who wants a care plan settled ahead of time, with a hospital across the street and skilled nursing on site. And it suits pet owners, given the dog park and the open pet policy.
It’s a harder fit for someone who wants to own real estate and build equity, or who wants golf right outside the door. A 55+ neighborhood may serve those goals better.
Frequently asked questions
Do I own my home at URC?
No. You sign a continuing care contract that gives you lifetime use of your residence and priority access to care on site. You don’t get a deed.
How much is the entrance fee at URC?
As of 2026, URC listed entrance fees starting at $127,500 for a one bedroom, $451,300 for a two bedroom and $531,300 for a three bedroom.
What is the monthly fee?
As of 2026, monthly fees started at $5,121 for a one bedroom, $5,882 for a two bedroom and $6,950 for a three bedroom. A second person adds $1,631 a month with no added entrance fee.
Is the entrance fee refundable?
I couldn’t confirm URC’s refund terms from its own materials. Ask for the refund schedule in writing before you sign.
Are pets allowed?
Yes. Per senior living guides, URC accepts pets of all types and sizes after a temperament evaluation, in independent and assisted living, as long as the resident can care for the pet. There’s a dog park on campus.
Is there skilled nursing on site?
Yes. URC has around-the-clock licensed skilled nursing and short-term rehab on campus.
How far is the nearest hospital?
Sutter Davis Hospital is across the street, about 0.3 miles away.
Is there pickleball or golf?
I didn’t find pickleball courts or golf on campus. Covered pickleball courts were part of a proposed expansion; ask URC about the status.
Who regulates life plan communities in California?
The California Department of Social Services, through its Continuing Care Contracts Branch. New residents have 90 days after first moving in to cancel the contract under state law.
How I can help
Many people plan to pay a life plan entrance fee from the sale of the home they live in now, and the timing between that sale and the move can feel like the hardest part. As a real estate and lending broker, I can help you plan the sale, the move and the money in one plan, and compare URC side by side with other options, including the Sacramento-area 55+ communities where you’d own your home. You can read more on the University Retirement Community website. When you’re ready, reach out and we’ll take it one step at a time.
About Maggie B. Hopkins
Maggie is the Broker Owner of Surroundings, a real estate and mortgage brokerage here in Sacramento, with more than 20 years in real estate and lending. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Health Care Administration from Western Illinois University, with internship experience in a long-term care facility. She is a Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist (CAPS) and a Seniors Real Estate Specialist (SRES), has completed the course training for RCFE (Residential Care Facility for the Elderly) certification, and is a Certified Probate & Trust Specialist. She specializes in reverse mortgage planning, helping homeowners understand how it may fit into their retirement goals. She also completed a week-long hospice volunteer training program. Because she handles both the real estate and the financing, families get one plan instead of two separate conversations. Every situation is different, so if you have questions about your own numbers, talk with Maggie.
Maggie B. Hopkins, Surroundings Real Estate & Lending
CA DRE Broker #01750680 | Office DRE #02220140 | NMLS #349517 | Company NMLS #2528307
500 Capitol Mall, Suite #2350, Sacramento, CA 95814. Equal Housing Opportunity.
Community details such as HOA dues, Mello-Roos, prices, and amenities come from public sources and change over time. Please confirm current figures with the HOA, the county, and a current title report before you buy. Age-restricted community rules come from each community’s CC&Rs. This article is general information, not legal or tax advice.