Paying for care
Nursing home costs by state
A day of nursing home care costs a typical U.S. home about $353 to provide, and most homes fall between $302 and $428. It varies a lot by state.
This is what care costs the home, not the price you pay. It comes from the yearly cost reports homes file with Medicare. A home’s private-pay rate can be different, so ask each home for its rate and what it includes. Most families don’t pay the full cost themselves: Medicare covers short rehab stays and Medicaid pays for most long-term care.
By state
| State | Typical cost per day (median) | Middle half of homes | Beds in use | Days paid by Medicaid | Homes reporting |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $308 | $284–$333 | 87% | 68% | 210 |
| Alaska | $796 | $613–$855 | 91% | 85% | 8 |
| Arizona | $396 | $351–$509 | 81% | 58% | 127 |
| Arkansas | $308 | $285–$327 | 72% | 67% | 210 |
| California | $464 | $417–$524 | 90% | 7% | 1,021 |
| Colorado | $377 | $343–$441 | 80% | 69% | 197 |
| Connecticut | $392 | $354–$433 | 89% | 68% | 185 |
| Delaware | $413 | $384–$451 | 86% | 67% | 38 |
| District of Columbia | $438 | $397–$650 | 78% | 80% | 12 |
| Florida | $351 | $327–$392 | 91% | 61% | 668 |
| Georgia | $304 | $279–$347 | 85% | 65% | 316 |
| Hawaii | $564 | $494–$675 | 80% | 61% | 32 |
| Idaho | $409 | $373–$469 | 72% | 69% | 71 |
| Illinois | $320 | $281–$379 | 73% | 62% | 623 |
| Indiana | $353 | $322–$387 | 73% | 65% | 500 |
| Iowa | $311 | $279–$358 | 79% | 50% | 366 |
| Kansas | $318 | $282–$388 | 84% | 57% | 252 |
| Kentucky | $330 | $304–$361 | 87% | 74% | 252 |
| Louisiana | $284 | $258–$313 | 75% | 73% | 254 |
| Maine | $393 | $336–$456 | 90% | 60% | 61 |
| Maryland | $408 | $380–$449 | 88% | 66% | 203 |
| Massachusetts | $386 | $359–$430 | 86% | 60% | 328 |
| Michigan | $381 | $346–$440 | 81% | 62% | 397 |
| Minnesota | $449 | $390–$533 | 84% | 52% | 275 |
| Mississippi | $316 | $288–$346 | 87% | 78% | 172 |
| Missouri | $254 | $224–$299 | 71% | 65% | 458 |
| Montana | $374 | $320–$457 | 71% | 56% | 40 |
| Nebraska | $347 | $310–$400 | 72% | 50% | 159 |
| Nevada | $445 | $378–$582 | 88% | 64% | 53 |
| New Hampshire | $412 | $360–$478 | 82% | 66% | 69 |
| New Jersey | $391 | $356–$471 | 83% | 65% | 325 |
| New Mexico | $412 | $362–$442 | 83% | 70% | 63 |
| New York | $432 | $371–$511 | 92% | 65% | 529 |
| North Carolina | $346 | $319–$381 | 82% | 64% | 393 |
| North Dakota | $424 | $388–$462 | 95% | 52% | 50 |
| Ohio | $331 | $303–$374 | 85% | 48% | 906 |
| Oklahoma | $262 | $238–$293 | 62% | 77% | 271 |
| Oregon | $565 | $526–$600 | 63% | 61% | 112 |
| Pennsylvania | $360 | $321–$455 | 85% | 69% | 611 |
| Rhode Island | $369 | $338–$405 | 87% | 63% | 69 |
| South Carolina | $312 | $281–$352 | 90% | 64% | 173 |
| South Dakota | $330 | $294–$377 | 85% | 54% | 67 |
| Tennessee | $352 | $320–$397 | 73% | 63% | 285 |
| Texas | $270 | $237–$316 | 67% | 67% | 1,124 |
| Utah | $400 | $367–$455 | 74% | 59% | 88 |
| Vermont | $440 | $391–$518 | 86% | 0% | 32 |
| Virginia | $336 | $296–$387 | 91% | 64% | 262 |
| Washington | $474 | $437–$523 | 75% | 62% | 181 |
| West Virginia | $396 | $370–$428 | 94% | 83% | 104 |
| Wisconsin | $402 | $351–$493 | 73% | 60% | 303 |
| Wyoming | $382 | $368–$404 | 68% | 62% | 22 |
Source: Medicare (CMS) skilled nursing facility cost reports, mostly for fiscal years ending in 2024; 13,527 homes. “Typical” is the median home. “Middle half” runs from the home at the 25th percentile to the one at the 75th. Costs have risen since these reports were filed.
Who pays
- Medicare pays for up to 100 days of skilled care after a qualifying hospital stay: in full for days 1–20, then with a daily coinsurance. Work out your Medicare costs.
- Medicaid pays for most long-term nursing home care once savings are spent down. Medicaid rules by state.
- Paying privately or with long-term care insurance: ask each home for its daily rate. Plan how long savings would last.
- Veterans may get help from the VA. Veterans benefits.
General information, not financial advice. Our guide to paying for long-term care