Senior Care Cost Index 2026

The national median for assisted living is approximately $4,774/month in 2025 (Genworth Cost of Care Survey). Costs range from about $2,800/month in lower-cost states like Missouri, Mississippi, and Alabama to $7,500+/month in California, Massachusetts, and Hawaii. Memory care adds a 20–35% premium on top of assisted living rates.

Memory care costs an average of $6,200–$6,800/month nationally — roughly 28–35% more than standard assisted living due to higher staff ratios, specialized programming, and secured environments. Costs vary significantly by state, with California and the Northeast averaging over $8,000/month.

Nursing home costs average $8,200/month for a shared room and $9,400/month for a private room nationally (2025). These figures include 24/7 skilled nursing care, meals, and most personal care. Costs are highest in Alaska ($35,000+/month), Hawaii, and Connecticut. Most long-term nursing home residents pay through Medicaid after spending down assets.

Senior care costs vary dramatically by metropolitan area. For example, assisted living in Houston averages $3,800/month while San Francisco averages $7,200/month. Rural areas often cost 15–25% less than nearby metros. Our city cost index covers 150 metros with metro-specific benchmarks.

Yes. AllyKin publishes its Senior Care Cost Index as a free public resource. Journalists, researchers, and policymakers can download the full dataset as CSV via our API or cite the online index directly. Data is sourced from CMS cost reports, state survey data, and AllyKin's proprietary facility database.

The AllyKin Cost Index is updated annually (each January) based on the latest Genworth Cost of Care Survey, CMS provider cost reports, and AllyKin's own facility pricing data. The 2026 edition incorporates over 12,000 facility rate records collected from Q3–Q4 2025.