Cost of Long-Term Care and Senior Living

As the nation’s largest senior living advisory service, A Place for Mom aims to help seniors and their families find the best care fit for their individual needs. Only about 34% of families surveyed by A Place for Mom were prepared for senior living costs in 2023, while over 60% found cost and financing information helpful when selecting a community. The data presented in this report paints a clear picture of how much seniors pay for care.

We’ve worked with providers from our network of over 17,000 senior living partner communities and home care agencies to compile long-term care cost data so families know what to expect. The metrics shared below reflect actual costs paid by seniors living in A Place for Mom’s partner communities in 2023, except where noted. Monthly senior living prices are all-inclusive based on the care and amenities each community offers. Home care costs are calculated as hourly rates, since monthly totals can vary based on the amount of contracted care a senior needs.

While many families search for average long-term care costs, this report mainly uses median costs. That means that half of providers charge more than the given number, while half of providers charge less. Median costs are less likely to be affected by very high or very low prices.

The cost of senior living is dependent on the level of care provided by a community, as well as the amenities, services, and activities available. Because different types of senior living offer different levels of care, prices may vary greatly from care type to care type.

• Assisted living: $4,995 per month
• Memory care: $6,200 per month
• Independent living: $3,100 per month
• In-home care: $30 per hour

Apartment size and layout can impact the cost of senior living as well. For example, a cozy studio in assisted living, memory care, or independent living is likely to be less expensive than a spacious one-bedroom or two-bedroom apartment.

The following chart shows median monthly starting prices for the most common floor plans in senior living communities across all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Starting rent prices are reported by communities in our partner network and most do not include additional fees for things like care services or pets.

The line graph below shows how the national monthly costs for assisted living, memory care, and independent living have changed over the past five years. Unlike other data in this report, this graph reflects quarterly averages of actual costs that seniors have paid after move-in. In this case, averages reflect pricing trends (due to the pull of rising costs, post-pandemic occupancy demand, and low levels of new construction in some markets, etc.) better than medians.

Average senior living costs, 2019-2024

Learn how A Place for Mom established costs based on median values, collection periods, and sample size.

National and state median cost data

A Place for Mom compiled data from three types of senior living: assisted living, memory care, and independent living. We collected monthly cost data at the time of each senior’s move-in and over the subsequent year to paint a comprehensive picture of how much families pay for an all-inclusive senior living experience. Since first-month upfront costs can be different from subsequent monthly fees, we use an average of that one-year period to establish the most comprehensive, correct monthly costs. Data used in this report was collected throughout 2023.

• Memory care (sample size: 11,506 family move-ins). Monthly memory care expenses reflected in this report’s data include room and board, personal care services from staff trained in dementia care, and community fees for services, amenities, and safety features.
• Assisted living (sample size: 28,301 family move-ins). Monthly assisted living costs include rent, three nutritious meals a day, scheduled activities, and medication management services.
• Independent living (sample size: 13,481 family move-ins). Independent living costs cover room and board, as well as community amenities and maintenance.

Home care cost data is based on starting hourly rates reported in 2023 by 767 of A Place for Mom’s home care partners. Actual costs depend on the level of care a senior needs and the hours of care they contract per week. Most home care agencies require a weekly minimum of seven hours, and some offer up to 24-hour or live-in care options. The industry standard for “full-time” care is 44 nonsleeping hours per week, which equates to $5,720 a month based on the national median hourly rate from A Place for Mom’s network of home care providers.

Select a care type and state to learn how it ranks for services, amenities, and affordability.