Nursing home costs can be expensive and vary greatly depending on location, services and other factors. Get the national median costs for private and semi-private rooms, a breakdown of what’s included and essential information on Medicare, Medicaid and other payment options
Key Takeaways
- High Care Level: Nursing homes are the most expensive type of senior living because they provide round-the-clock nursing care for people with severe or chronic medical conditions who cannot live on their own.
- High National Median Costs: The national median monthly cost for a private nursing home is more than $10,500 but can reach as high as $30,000 per month or go as low as $5,000 per month.
- Cost Varies Widely by Location and Care Level: Geographic location (state and metro area) and the resident’s required level of skilled care are the largest factors dictating the final price. High operating costs and facility ownership also influence pricing.
- Medicare Does Not Cover Long-Term Care: Medicare does not pay for typical long-term nursing home residency; its coverage is limited to short-term skilled nursing care (up to 100 days) under specific criteria.
- Medicaid is the Primary Payer for Many: Medicaid, the state-administered program for low-income individuals, is the primary source of payment for 63% of nursing home residents who meet income-based eligibility criteria.
- Cost vs. Quality: Experts caution that the cost of care does not equal the quality of care, urging families to research facilities thoroughly before making a decision.
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t’s no secret that nursing home care is the most expensive type of senior living option. You’re paying for intensive medical care, including 24/7 support and specialized services by skilled medical professionals, as well as meals and facility upkeep.
Here, we break down the costs of nursing home care around the country, including where nursing homes are the most and least expensive and what you’re getting for your money.
Nursing Home Costs
According to Genworth and CareScout’s 2024 Cost of Care Survey, the median cost of a nursing home room is:
- $9,277 per month for a semi-private room
- $10,646 per month for a private room
That’s the national median. Often the “median” number is used in surveys such as this because the numbers are more accurate of what you’ll pay. Averages tend to produce numbers that look skewed because of the math involved in using extreme numbers. For instance, according to Genworth and CareScout’s survey, it’s far more expensive to pay for a nursing room in Alaska (a private room in a nursing home will typically cost $998) than in Texas (typically $233 a day).
Still, if you’re wondering, “What is the average monthly cost of a nursing home?,” according to SeniorLiving.org, the national average is $10,965. Whatever number your monthly total lands on, there are a wide range of factors that go into the price you end up paying:- Level of care needed. Generally, the more services and support someone needs, the higher the cost. For this reason, skilled nursing care is typically the most expensive of the options.
- Type of facility. Some nursing homes, such as memory care, specialize in supporting individuals with certain conditions, such as Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. These facilities may be more expensive because staff need extra training and skills to render those services.
- Geographic location. Nursing home costs vary by area. For example, in cities with a higher cost of living, such as Boston and San Francisco, the median cost of a nursing home is significantly higher than in cities with a lower cost of living, such as St. Louis and San Antonio.
Location is perhaps the biggest factor in dictating cost. Kelsey Simasko, an elder law attorney with Simasko Law in Mount Clemens, Michigan, notes that in her state, “the average cost of one month in a nursing home is between $10,000 and $12,000.”
”But prices are going up. “One nursing home around my area just increased their prices to approximately $15,000 a month for a room,” Simasko says. Earlier in the year, it had been $12,000.
Operating costs also influence pricing.
“It takes a small army of skilled professionals to run a nursing home, and that small army needs to be paid,” Simasko says.
She adds that for some nursing homes, corporate status can be a factor.
Ownership can affect cost
“Most nursing homes are owned by for-profit organizations, and the more the facility charges, the more money the owners can make for themselves,” she explains.
“Private equity is decimating the care industry,” Simasko says. “When you look at these private-owned facilities, most of them are owned by private equity groups in another state. These groups care about one thing only – making money for their investors and themselves.”
Simasko says that private equity groups that own nursing homes, in general, don’t care about the quality of care, whether their employees get paid enough or whether there are enough employees to cover residents.
“Private equity-owned facilities will charge astronomical rates, provide mediocre-at-best care, and often bankrupt the facility leaving residents in a lurch to find care,” she says, adding that there are plenty of nursing homes that have troubles that aren’t owned by private equity groups, but she says that private equity has been an especially black mark on the industry.
Indeed, a report released in April 2025 by the nonprofit Private Equity Stakeholder Project suggests that private equity owned nursing homes are offering worse care, not better, and that part of the problem is that there is little oversight or transparency when it comes to nursing homes owned by private equity firms.
Your odds of finding a nursing home that isn’t run by a private equity firm is still fairly high. According to the report, it’s estimated that the percentage of American nursing homes owned by private equity ranges between 5% to 13%. It’s likely closer to 13%, the report stated, but it’s hard to determine due to the issues around nursing home ownership transparency.
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