Nursing Home Costs
Average Cost for a Nursing Home
The average cost for a nursing home is more than $50,000 a year, according to AARP. Rates are changing constantly and continue to climb due to increased lifespan. Costs vary significantly between facilities across the nation and even within the same city.
National Median Daily Rate for Semi-Private Room: $220
National Median Daily Rate for Private Room: $250
Average Daily Cost for a Private Room by State
| State | Avg Daily for a Private Room | Avg Monthly for a Private Room |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $209 | $6,356 |
| Alaska | $771 | $23,451 |
| Arizona | $233 | $7,087 |
| Arkansas | $180 | $5,487 |
| California | $245 | $8,669 |
| Colorado | $256 | $7,794 |
| Connecticut | $435 | $13,231 |
| Delaware | $323 | $9,825 |
| Florida | $265 | $8,060 |
| Georgia | $195 | $5,931 |
| Hawaii | $370 | $11,254 |
| Idaho | $243 | $7,376 |
| Illinois | $204 | $6,205 |
| Indiana | $250 | $7,604 |
| Iowa | $187 | $5,688 |
| Kansas | $180 | $5,475 |
| Kentucky | $239 | $7,270 |
| Louisiana | $170 | $5,171 |
| Maine | $295 | $8,973 |
| Maryland | $302 | $9,186 |
| Massachusetts | $382 | $11,632 |
| Michigan | $272 | $8,258 |
| Minnesota | $263 | $8,002 |
| Mississippi | $220 | $6,692 |
| Missouri | $167 | $5,064 |
| Montana | $220 | $6,692 |
| Nebraska | $218 | $6,631 |
| Nevada | $192 | $8,213 |
| New Hampshire | $335 | $10,190 |
| New Jersey | $350 | $10,646 |
| New Mexico | $234 | $7,118 |
| New York | $374 | $11,370 |
| North Carolina | $225 | $6,844 |
| North Dakota | $288 | $8,745 |
| Ohio | $235 | $7,148 |
| Oklahoma | $165 | $5,019 |
| Oregon | $280 | $8,501 |
| Pennsylvania | $310 | $9,429 |
| Rhode Island | $283 | $8,593 |
| South Carolina | $206 | $6,251 |
| South Dakota | $212 | $6,448 |
| Tennessee | $207 | $6,296 |
| Texas | $188 | $5,718 |
| Utah | $210 | $6,388 |
| Vermont | $288 | $8,760 |
| Virginia | $254 | $7,724 |
| Washington | $290 | $8,803 |
| West Virginia | $295 | $8,969 |
| Wisconsin | $273 | $8,292 |
| Wyoming | $245 | $7,437 |
Source: Genworth
The states with the most expensive median rate for private room in a nursing home are:
- Alaska
- Connecticut
- Massachusetts
- New York
- Hawaii
The states with the least expensive median rate for private room in a nursing home are:
- Oklahoma
- Missouri
- Louisiana
- Kansas
- Arkansas
Deciding Cost Factors
- Nursing home fees depend on labor cost
- It also costs more to hire qualified medical professionals, which can increase the daily cost at a facility.
- Shortages of nursing homes in some states have resulted in cost increases due to supply and demand.
- Nursing home costs depend on Services Required
- Cost varies depending on if the resident is staying in a private room vs. a shared room.
- Additional medical conditions such as dementia symptoms will increase costs as well.
- Nursing home costs vary by facility and vacancies
- A facility’s rates may be adjusted if they recently opened or have a number of vacancies. In these situations it is more plausible to negotiate costs.
- Additional Costs
- Additional costs may include transportation, nutritional supplements and supplies such as incontinence products.
What’s Included
Nursing homes are able to provide the following:
- Personal care (or custodial care) like bathing, eating and getting dressed
- Skilled care given by a registered nurse and includes medical monitoring
- 24-hour medical care and supervision
- Room and board
- Social and recreational activities
Cost of pay varies on a case to case basis and dependent on the family’s personal finance options.
How to Pay
- Medicare, the federal health insurance program for seniors and young with disabilities pays for short-term nursing home stay.
- Medicaid picks up the cost of nursing home care once people have used almost all of their savings.
- Veterans Administration Aid and Attendance
- This benefit program provides up to $1,733 per month to a single veteran who needs nursing home care, or up to $1,114 per month for the care of a veteran’s surviving spouse. If a couple includes one spouse who is a veteran and either of them needs a nursing home, they are eligible for as much as $2,054 in monthly assistance. Two veterans married to each other could qualify for up to $2,676 per month.
- Private Pay
Additional Nursing Home Cost Information
- 70% of all nursing home residents rely on Medicaid for coverage, around 6.3 million people.
- Employee health insurance does not cover pay for nursing homes.
- About a third of nursing home residents pay for their nursing home costs entirely from their own funds.
- Many people exhaust their funds after just six months, according to
- Buying long-term health care insurance covers the cost of a nursing home or other extended care facilities but only about 5 percent of people do this.
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