A nursing home costs a median of $315 a day ($9,581 a month) for a semi-private room and $355 a day ($10,798 a month) for a private room in the United States, according to the CareScout Cost of Care Survey 2025 (data collected July to November 2025, published March 2026). That works out to about $115,000 to $130,000 a year. Prices swing widely by state, from under $5,700 a month for a shared room in Texas to more than $27,000 in Alaska.
Below we break down what that price includes, the extra charges families get surprised by, how nursing homes compare with other types of care, who actually pays, and practical ways to lower the bill.
National nursing home cost at a glance (2025 survey)
CareScout (the long-term care research arm of Genworth) has run the largest annual survey of long-term care prices for more than 20 years. Its most recent release, the 2025 survey, is the latest verified data available as of October 2026.
| Room type | Daily median | Monthly median | Annual median | Change vs 2024 survey |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Semi-private room (shared) | $315 | $9,581 | $114,975 | +2% |
| Private room | $355 | $10,798 | $129,575 | +1% |
Source: CareScout Cost of Care Survey 2025. Monthly figures are annual cost divided by 12.
For comparison, the 2024 survey put the medians at $305 a day ($9,277 a month) for a semi-private room and $350 a day ($10,646 a month) for a private room. Prices rise every year, so if you are planning for care two or three years out, build in an annual increase.
Keep in mind that a median is the middle price, not a quote. A facility near you may charge well above or below it depending on location, ownership, demand, the level of care needed and whether the room is shared.
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Take the free care quizHow much is a nursing home per month by state?
Where you live matters more than almost anything else. A private room in Oregon costs more than twice what one costs in Texas or Missouri. The table below shows 26 states, including the least and most expensive in the country.
| State | Semi-private (monthly) | Private (monthly) | Semi-private (daily) | Private (daily) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas (cheapest shared room) | $5,627 | $7,604 | $185 | $250 |
| Missouri | $6,741 | $7,604 | $222 | $250 |
| Oklahoma | $7,026 | $7,756 | $231 | $255 |
| Arkansas | $7,452 | $8,060 | $245 | $265 |
| Louisiana | $7,604 | $8,076 | $250 | $266 |
| Illinois | $8,304 | $9,216 | $273 | $303 |
| Alabama | $8,334 | $8,787 | $274 | $289 |
| Arizona | $8,365 | $11,437 | $275 | $376 |
| Georgia | $8,821 | $9,429 | $290 | $310 |
| Ohio | $9,186 | $10,389 | $302 | $342 |
| Mississippi | $9,581 | $9,885 | $315 | $325 |
| North Carolina | $9,733 | $10,798 | $320 | $355 |
| Florida | $10,342 | $12,167 | $340 | $400 |
| Minnesota | $10,646 | $13,870 | $350 | $456 |
| Pennsylvania | $11,954 | $13,688 | $393 | $450 |
| California | $12,167 | $15,178 | $400 | $499 |
| New Jersey | $12,775 | $14,448 | $420 | $475 |
| Washington | $13,155 | $15,969 | $432 | $525 |
| Maine | $13,976 | $14,904 | $460 | $490 |
| Massachusetts | $14,448 | $15,817 | $475 | $520 |
| Connecticut | $15,208 | $16,729 | $500 | $550 |
| Hawaii | $15,473 | $16,395 | $509 | $539 |
| New York | $15,528 | $16,729 | $511 | $550 |
| Oregon (most expensive private room) | $16,760 | $18,448 | $551 | $607 |
| Alaska (most expensive shared room) | $27,831 | Not available | $915 | Not available |
| U.S. median | $9,581 | $10,798 | $315 | $355 |
Source: CareScout Cost of Care Survey 2025, state median costs.
A few patterns stand out:
- The South and lower Midwest are cheapest. Texas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana all have private rooms near $8,000 a month or less.
- The Northeast and West Coast are most expensive. New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Oregon, Washington and Hawaii all run $14,000 to $18,500 a month for a private room.
- Prices vary inside a state, too. A facility in a big metro area usually charges more than one a short drive away. If family can visit easily from a neighboring county or across a state line, it can be worth comparing.
What the nursing home daily rate includes
A nursing home (also called a skilled nursing facility or long-term care facility) provides 24-hour supervision and nursing care. The basic daily rate usually covers:
- A room (shared or private) and furnishings
- Three meals a day plus snacks, including therapeutic diets
- Round-the-clock nursing supervision by registered nurses, licensed practical nurses and certified nursing assistants
- Help with daily activities: bathing, dressing, toileting, eating, moving in and out of bed
- Medication management and administration
- Housekeeping, laundry of linens and personal clothing (at many facilities)
- Social services and activity programs
- Basic personal care supplies
Extra charges to ask about
Many families are caught out by costs billed on top of the daily rate. Before signing an admission agreement, ask for a written list of anything that is charged separately. Common extras include:
- Therapy: physical, occupational and speech therapy are often billed separately to Medicare or insurance, but private-pay residents may be charged directly.
- Prescription drugs: usually billed through Medicare Part D or the resident’s plan, with copays.
- Medical supplies and equipment: specialty wheelchairs, pressure-relief mattresses, incontinence supplies at some facilities.
- Physician and specialist visits: doctors, dentists, podiatrists, eye care and hearing care are typically billed by the provider.
- Personal services: hair salon, cable TV, a private phone line, dry cleaning.
- Bed-hold fees: if the resident goes to the hospital, some facilities charge to keep the bed. Medicaid bed-hold rules vary by state.
- Specialized care: dementia units, ventilator care or complex wound care can cost more than the standard rate.
Federal rules say a nursing home cannot require a third party (such as an adult child) to personally guarantee payment as a condition of admission. Read any “responsible party” language carefully before you sign.
Nursing home cost vs assisted living, memory care and home care
A nursing home is the most expensive type of long-term care because it provides daily skilled nursing. If your loved one mainly needs help with daily activities and supervision rather than medical care, another setting may cost much less.
| Type of care | National median cost | Monthly equivalent | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adult day health care | $95 per day | $2,058 (5 days a week) | Daytime supervision while family works |
| Assisted living (private one-bedroom) | $6,200 per month | $6,200 | Help with daily activities, no daily skilled nursing |
| Memory care | $6,690 per month | $6,690 | Dementia with wandering or safety risks |
| In-home care (non-medical caregiver) | $35 per hour | $6,673 (44 hours a week) | Part-time help at home |
| In-home care around the clock | $35 per hour | About $25,480 (24/7 shifts) | High needs, wants to stay home |
| Nursing home, semi-private room | $315 per day | $9,581 | Daily skilled nursing, complex medical needs |
| Nursing home, private room | $355 per day | $10,798 | Same, with privacy |
Sources: CareScout Cost of Care Survey 2025 (all rows except memory care); A Place for Mom 2025 move-in data (memory care). The 24/7 home care figure is our calculation: $35 x 168 hours x 52 weeks / 12.
Two things jump out. First, once someone needs care around the clock, a nursing home is often cheaper than paying hourly caregivers at home. Second, assisted living and memory care cost roughly a third less than a nursing home, but they cannot provide the same level of medical care. For a closer look at each option, see our guides to assisted living costs, memory care costs and in-home care costs. If you are weighing dementia options specifically, our memory care vs nursing home comparison goes into detail.
Who pays for nursing home care?
Most families use a mix of sources over time. Here is how each one works.
| Payer | What it covers | Key limits |
|---|---|---|
| Medicare (Part A) | Short-term skilled nursing or rehab after a hospital stay | Up to 100 days per benefit period; never long-term custodial care |
| Medicaid | Long-term nursing home care | Strict income and asset limits; most of your income goes to the facility |
| Private pay | Anything | Savings, pensions, Social Security, home sale proceeds |
| Long-term care insurance | Nursing home care up to the policy’s daily benefit | Elimination period, daily cap, benefit period |
| VA benefits | VA nursing homes, community nursing homes, or a monthly pension | Service, disability, income and net worth rules |
Medicare: short-term skilled care only
Medicare does not pay for long-term nursing home care. It covers short stays in a Medicare-certified skilled nursing facility (SNF) when all of these apply:
- You had a medically necessary inpatient hospital stay of at least 3 days in a row (time under “observation” or in the ER does not count).
- You generally enter the SNF within about 30 days of leaving the hospital.
- You need daily skilled nursing or therapy for a condition treated in the hospital.
| Days in SNF (per benefit period) | What you pay in 2026 |
|---|---|
| Days 1 to 20 | $0 per day (after the $1,736 Part A deductible) |
| Days 21 to 100 | $217 per day |
| Day 101 and beyond | All costs |
Source: CMS 2026 Medicare Parts A and B premiums and deductibles fact sheet; Medicare.gov.
Coverage ends sooner than day 100 if you stop improving or no longer need daily skilled care. Medicare Advantage plans follow their own copay schedules. Our guide to whether Medicare pays for a nursing home covers the rules and common denial traps.
Medicaid: the biggest payer of long-term nursing home care
Medicaid is the primary payer for about 63% of nursing home residents in urban areas and 66% in rural areas, according to KFF’s 2025 data. To qualify, a person must meet their state’s medical need standard plus strict financial limits. In many states the countable asset limit for a single applicant is about $2,000, and states review asset transfers made in the 60 months before applying.
Once on Medicaid, the resident pays nearly all of their monthly income to the nursing home and keeps only a small personal needs allowance (the federal minimum is $30 a month; many states allow more). Medicaid covers the rest.
For married couples, spousal impoverishment rules protect the spouse who stays at home. For 2026, the community spouse can keep between $32,532 and $162,660 in countable assets (depending on the state), and may receive up to $4,066.50 a month in income from the couple’s combined income. The home is usually exempt while a spouse lives there; 2026 home equity limits range from $752,000 to $1,130,000 depending on the state.
Rules vary by state, so confirm with your state Medicaid office or an elder law attorney before moving money. See our full guide on how Medicaid pays for nursing home care.
Compare care options in your state
Prices and availability change a lot from one city to the next. See senior living communities near you and compare what they offer.
Browse senior living near youPrivate pay
Most residents pay privately for at least part of their stay, usually from savings, retirement accounts, Social Security, pensions or the sale of a home. Many people “spend down” privately until their assets reach the Medicaid limit, then switch. If that is the likely path, ask any facility you are considering whether it accepts Medicaid and whether residents can stay in the same room after converting.
Long-term care insurance
A long-term care insurance policy pays a daily or monthly benefit once you need help with at least two activities of daily living or have a severe cognitive impairment. Check three things in the policy: the daily benefit (many older policies pay well below today’s $315 to $355 daily median), the elimination period (often 30 to 90 days you pay yourself first) and the total benefit period. Hybrid life insurance policies with a long-term care rider work similarly.
VA benefits
Veterans may qualify for care in a VA Community Living Center, a contracted community nursing home or a State Veterans Home. Eligibility and cost depend on service-connected disability rating and income. Veterans who pay for care themselves may also qualify for the VA pension with Aid and Attendance. Effective December 1, 2025, the maximum annual pension rate with Aid and Attendance is $29,093 for a veteran with no dependents (about $2,424 a month) and $34,488 with one dependent (about $2,874 a month). The net worth limit through November 30, 2026, is $163,699. High medical and care costs can be deducted from income, which is how many nursing home residents qualify. Learn more in our guide to VA Aid and Attendance.
How long will savings last in a nursing home?
Here is a simple worked example using the 2025 national median for a private room.
| Item | Monthly amount |
|---|---|
| Private room (national median) | $10,798 |
| Extras (supplies, prescriptions copays, personal items), estimate | $300 |
| Less: Social Security and pension income | -$2,500 |
| Monthly shortfall paid from savings | $8,598 |
Illustrative example only. Room cost from CareScout Cost of Care Survey 2025; other figures are assumptions.
With $250,000 in savings, that shortfall would use up the money in about 29 months, or just under 2.5 years. With $100,000, it would last under a year. In a high-cost state like New York ($16,729 a month for a private room), the same $250,000 would last only about 17 months. And because prices rise each year, the real timeline is usually a little shorter.
A shared room changes the math. At the semi-private median of $9,581, the same person’s shortfall drops to $7,381 a month, stretching $250,000 to almost 34 months.
Ways to lower nursing home costs
- Choose a semi-private room. Nationally, sharing saves about $1,200 a month, and much more in some states (in Arizona the gap is more than $3,000).
- Use the full Medicare SNF benefit first. After a qualifying 3-day hospital stay, make sure the discharge plan includes a Medicare-covered SNF stay if skilled care is needed. Ask the hospital whether the patient is “inpatient” or “under observation,” since only inpatient days count.
- Plan for Medicaid early. An elder law attorney can explain legal options such as spousal protections, exempt assets and paying down debt. Avoid giving money to family within the 60-month look-back period without advice.
- Look one county over. Prices often drop outside major metros.
- Check veterans benefits. Aid and Attendance or VA nursing home care can make a large difference.
- Review long-term care insurance and life insurance. Some life policies have accelerated death benefits or can be sold for a life settlement.
- Deduct the costs. Nursing home costs for someone who is there mainly for medical care can count as deductible medical expenses above 7.5% of adjusted gross income on a federal return. Ask a tax professional.
- Ask whether a nursing home is really needed. If your loved one needs help with daily tasks but not daily skilled nursing, assisted living or home care may cost far less. Our guide on when to move from assisted living to a nursing home explains the signs. Short-term in-home help is also listed in our home care directory.
How to check nursing home quality before you pay
Higher price does not always mean better care. The federal government publishes ratings for every Medicare- and Medicaid-certified nursing home on Medicare Care Compare (medicare.gov/care-compare). Each facility gets an overall rating of 1 to 5 stars, built from three separate ratings:
| Rating | What it measures | What to look for |
|---|---|---|
| Health inspections | Results of state inspections and complaint investigations | Serious deficiencies, repeat problems, abuse citations |
| Staffing | Nurse and aide hours per resident, weekend staffing and staff turnover | Low turnover and steady weekend coverage |
| Quality measures | Clinical outcomes such as falls, pressure ulcers and hospital readmissions | Measures relevant to your loved one’s condition |
Source: CMS Five-Star Quality Rating System.
Use the stars as a starting point, then:
- Read the full inspection report on Care Compare, not just the star count.
- Visit more than once, including at mealtime and on a weekend.
- Ask about staffing: how many residents each aide cares for on day and night shifts, and how many staff are agency temps.
- Talk to residents and families if you can.
- Contact your state’s long-term care ombudsman, a free advocate who knows which facilities draw complaints.
Find care that fits the budget
Our free care quiz takes about two minutes and helps you compare nursing homes, assisted living and home care options for your situation.
Take the free care quizFAQs
How much does a nursing home cost per month?
The national median is $9,581 a month for a semi-private room and $10,798 a month for a private room, according to the CareScout Cost of Care Survey 2025. State medians range from $5,627 (shared room in Texas) to $27,831 (shared room in Alaska).
How much does a nursing home cost per day?
The 2025 national median is $315 a day for a semi-private room and $355 a day for a private room.
How much does a nursing home cost per year?
About $114,975 a year for a semi-private room and $129,575 for a private room at the national median, before extras like prescriptions and personal items.
What is the cheapest state for nursing home care?
Texas has the lowest median for a semi-private room at $5,627 a month. For private rooms, Texas, Missouri and Louisiana tie at $7,604 a month, with Oklahoma close behind at $7,756.
Does Medicare pay for a nursing home?
Only for short-term skilled nursing or rehab after a qualifying 3-day inpatient hospital stay. In 2026, Medicare pays in full for days 1 to 20, you pay $217 a day for days 21 to 100, and you pay everything after day 100. Medicare never pays for long-term custodial care.
Will a nursing home take my parent’s house?
Not directly. A home is usually exempt for Medicaid eligibility while a spouse or certain dependents live there, and within state equity limits. However, states must try to recover Medicaid costs from the estate after death, which can include the home. Rules vary, so talk to an elder law attorney.
Can I be forced to pay for my parent’s nursing home?
Federal law bars nursing homes from requiring a third party to guarantee payment as a condition of admission. Some states have filial responsibility laws, but they are rarely enforced. Be careful when signing as “responsible party” on admission paperwork.
Is a nursing home cheaper than 24-hour home care?
Usually, yes. At the 2025 national median of $35 an hour, around-the-clock shift care at home costs about $25,480 a month, more than double a private nursing home room. Live-in arrangements cost less than shift care but still often approach or exceed nursing home prices.
Is a private room in a nursing home worth the extra cost?
It depends on the person. A private room can help with sleep, infection control and dignity, especially for someone with dementia. But nationally it costs about $1,200 more each month, and Medicaid generally pays only for a semi-private room unless a private room is medically necessary.
How do I check a nursing home’s rating?
Search the facility on Medicare Care Compare. You will see an overall star rating plus separate ratings for health inspections, staffing and quality measures, along with full inspection reports.
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