Make the best senior care decision

According to our research team’s analysis of the latest available data:

• The median cost of assisted living nationwide is $4,500 per month ($54,000 per year).
• Currently, assisted living costs 12.6% less than an in-home health aide.
• Alaska is the most expensive state for assisted living ($6,830/month median cost), while Missouri is the cheapest ($3,000/month median cost).^[01]

Read further to learn what affects these costs, view state-by-state comparisons, and more.

While you may think you want to know the average cost of assisted living, it is more helpful to know the median cost of assisted living when looking at assisted living pricing. The median cost means half the prices are higher and half are lower than that number.

The median helps show a more realistic picture of what someone can expect to spend because assisted living average costs are easily skewed by extremely high or low numbers. For example, this is especially true in states that have many ultra-luxury assisted living communities, such as New York. The average in those cases may not represent the middle.

A cost of care survey from Genworth, an insurance company with a focus on long-term care, calculated the median cost of assisted living communities by state. Their data shows the median cost of assisted living facilities in the United States in 2021 as the following:

• $148 a day
• $4,500 a month
• $54,000 a year ^[01]

In some areas, assisted living costs are closer to $6,900 a month, while states with a lower cost of living offer assisted living prices closer to $3,000 a month.^[01] Prices of luxury assisted living communities and budget assisted living communities can vary greatly because of the services provided at each. Even more, assisted living costs may vary by zip code, city, or state. Some locations are more expensive than others.

Between 2019 and 2020, the median cost of assisted living across the country rose by 4.65%.^[01] The following table outlines the percentage of change over the last decade.^[01]

Based on data from Genworth, the median cost of assisted living is continuing to steadily rise over time with different percentages of change each year, as shown in the charts below.^{[01][02][03][04][05][06][07][08][09][10][11]}

You may be wondering how much assisted living costs are in Florida or another popular retirement state. The median cost of assisted living in Florida is $4,000 a month. Each assisted living community has its own design, levels of care, technology, location, and activities. All these factors affect the cost of assisted living facilities in Florida as well as in any other state. How much an assisted living facility costs by state is related to that state’s cost of living index.

Cost of living index

Many factors can affect assisted living community costs, including location. A cost of living index compares what it takes to maintain a certain standard of living in a given location. Cost of living is not only housing costs but electricity, gas, water, taxes, food, and any cost related to living and thriving in that location. It can be quite expensive to live in some states, while it can be cheaper to live in others. Even between cities within a state, the cost of living index can vary greatly.

Cost of living indexes typically center 100 as the national average cost of living on the scale. So, places with index numbers below 100 have a lower cost of living and those above 100 have a higher cost of living. Typically, a higher cost of living index number indicates that you can expect to see higher assisted living costs in that state. For example, many Northeast states have high cost of living index numbers and more expensive median assisted living costs.

Most expensive and least expensive states for assisted living

Similar to the cost of living index, the median cost of assisted living places is typically higher in the Northeast, Hawaii, and Alaska. Likewise, median assisted living costs by state are typically lower in the Heartland, the Midwest, and the South.

According to the Genworth survey, these are the five states that had the least expensive median cost of assisted living per month ^[01]:

1. Missouri
2. South Dakota
3. North Dakota
4. Kentucky
5. Mississippi and Utah (tie)

These are the five states that had the most expensive median cost of assisted living per month ^[01]:

1. Alaska
2. Rhode Island
3. Massachusetts
4. New Jersey
5. New Hampshire

Median costs of assisted living by state — table

If you are wondering how much it costs for assisted living per month across the U.S., read through the table below. It outlines the median monthly and yearly base fee of a private, one-bedroom apartment in assisted living and also notes the cost of living index by state:

Depending on the pricing model of the assisted living providers surveyed, the above figures may reflect base fees that don’t include extra services like assistance with activities of daily living, medication management, and more.

Let our care assessment guide you

Base-fee and other upfront costs of assisted living homes typically include the following:

• Rent
• Utilities
• Three meals a day and snacks
• Weekly housekeeping and groundskeeping
• Programming and activities
• Care coordination
• Transportation to and from doctor appointments

Assisted living costs fluctuate depending on the size and floor plan of a resident’s apartment, the age of a building, on-site amenities, and an area’s cost of living. Most communities also have a one-time entrance fee, sometimes called a “community” or “move-in” fee, which is typically between $2,000 and $5,000.

Additional service fees

Residents usually pay more for additional services. Many communities may provide an assisted living cost breakdown to prospective residents, with a variety of add-on costs for assisted living like:

• Help with activities of daily living
• Medication management
• Beauty shop services or other special services
• Clothing purchases
• Internet
• Laundry
• Medical fees and insurance
• Pet fees and/or pet services
• Transportation

Assisted living communities may offer the following cost structures to residents:

• A la carte. This structure allows residents to add or remove services as their needs change, which provides flexibility for future needs. However, pricing a prospective community is more complex as month-to-month assisted living costs may change over time.
• All-inclusive. This pricing structure includes everything from rent, care services, meals, and all other services and amenities available to residents of a community. This means costs won’t change if a senior develops greater needs — as long as the community offers the care level needed, like nursing or memory care.
• Tiered. A community may offer different care levels at different price points. Prices typically increase with an increase in services. This type of pricing offers predictable costs and offers a resident options to upgrade to a higher level of care in the future without moving.

The median stay at an assisted living community is 22 months, according to the American Health Care Association.^[13] In 2021, the median cost of assisted living nationwide was $4,500 per month.^[01] If we calculate a 22-month stay in assisted living at this 2021 rate, the resident will have spent $99,000 during their time in assisted living.

Assisted living costs can be compared to other types of care available to seniors in the U.S. The chart below compares the median costs of care types, nationally, as collected from the Genworth data ^[01] and APFM proprietary data.^[14]

Living at home or with family may be another viable option for seniors. However, all the individualized variables make it difficult to determine the median cost of personal living arrangements. Additionally, your loved one may opt to live at home with a visiting nurse. And, unfortunately, it can be difficult to estimate such home care costs. Agency fees, state minimum wage laws, and localized nurse and health care worker shortages may cause the fees for a visiting nurse to vary greatly from city to city.

How many people use non-residential care types?

Adult day services centers may be an option for those who remain at home. As of 2018, 4,200 centers in the U.S. provided care to more than 250,000 participants on any given day of that year.^[15]

People may also utilize home health care agencies to prolong their time living at home, as well. As of 2015, more than 4 million people received care from home health care agencies during that year.^[16]

How many people use residential care types?

Seniors who choose to or need to live in senior living may start their journey in assisted living. More than 800,000 people reside in assisted living communities.^[13] Approximately 60% of assisted living residents will move out of their assisted living community and into a skilled nursing facility.

As of 2015, 1.3 million residents lived in nursing homes in the U.S.^[17] Roughly half of nursing home residents spend at least one year in their nursing home.^[18]

It can be challenging to determine how many people live in memory care because memory care may be offered in units within assisted living communities or may be standalone communities. People with dementia may also reside in nursing homes because of their unique health situations.

Talk with a Senior Living Advisor

Being as prepared and informed as possible can help families avoid surprise costs and sticker shock. You may be wondering, how much does an assisted living community cost for your loved one’s unique situation?

To learn more about a potential assisted living community’s pricing, you should consider asking the following 10 questions:

1. How much does assisted living cost per month?
2. Is this community all-inclusive?
3. If the community is not all-inclusive, what is included in the base cost?
4. Are there a la carte options to add to the base cost? How much do each of these options cost?
5. Are there pricing tiers by levels of care?
6. Is there a move-in fee or community fee? How much is it, and can we pay it over time?
7. Does the price increase annually?
8. How much does pricing vary by floor plan?
9. What happens if my senior loved one’s care needs change and we need to move them to a community with a higher level of care?
10. What happens if our family can no longer pay?

By 2050, one year in an assisted living facility could cost more than $125,000.^[01] It can feel overwhelming trying to figure out how to pay for long-term care. However, there may be multiple options available to your loved one.

Some pathways to pay for assisted living include the following:

• Insurance.Long-term care insurance may pay for your loved one’s assisted living. However, each plan is different, so it’s best to contact the insurance provider for precise details.
• Private payment options. Your loved one or your family may opt to pay for assisted living with money from bank or retirement accounts.
• Public payment options. Depending on your family member’s situation, they may qualify for some assistance through public payment options, such as Medicaid.
• Real estate investments. Your loved one may be able to sell their home to pay for assisted living. If selling is not an option, they may be able to access funds through a reverse mortgage on their property.
• Veterans benefits. If your loved one served in the U.S. military or is a surviving spouse of someone who served, they may be eligible for VA benefits for long-term care through programs such as the VA Aid and Attendance benefit.

It can be overwhelming navigating the transition into assisted living. You’re not alone. The specialized Senior Living Advisors at A Place for Mom offer free senior living consultations to help with your search for assisted living. These compassionate professionals can help you find local, assisted living options that may suit your loved one’s unique situation.