How much does assisted living cost?
Assisted living is the most common paid senior-care setting, and cost is the first question families ask. The national average is $5,830 per month, but the state you live in can move that figure by more than $3,000.
Sourced figure National average for 2026: $5,830 per month, or $69,960 per year.
What Assisted Living includes
- Rent for a private or semi-private apartment, plus utilities
- Three meals a day and snacks
- Help with activities of daily living (bathing, dressing, medication reminders)
- Housekeeping, laundry, and transportation to appointments
- Staff on site 24 hours a day and emergency call systems
- Social programming and activities
What drives the price
- Apartment size — a studio costs far less than a two-bedroom
- Level of care — all-inclusive, tiered, or a la carte pricing
- State regulations and local cost of living
- Memory-care or dementia units, which carry a surcharge
How families pay for it
- Private pay from income, savings, and retirement accounts
- Selling the family home
- Long-term care insurance, if the policy covers assisted living
- Veterans Aid & Attendance benefits for eligible veterans and surviving spouses
- Medicaid waivers — most states cover assisted living for residents who qualify, though waiting lists are common
Assisted Living cost by state
Ranked from most to least expensive. These are published state averages.
| State | Avg monthly | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $7,956/mo | Survey |
| Vermont | $7,886/mo | Survey |
| Massachusetts | $7,832/mo | Survey |
| Connecticut | $7,821/mo | Survey |
| New Jersey | $7,748/mo | Survey |
| Maine | $7,568/mo | Survey |
| Delaware | $7,555/mo | Survey |
| New Hampshire | $7,347/mo | Survey |
| Maryland | $6,951/mo | Survey |
| Oregon | $6,838/mo | Survey |
| New York | $6,817/mo | Survey |
| Hawaii | $6,630/mo | Survey |
| Washington | $6,480/mo | Survey |
| Colorado | $6,474/mo | Survey |
| Virginia | $6,344/mo | Survey |
| Illinois | $6,329/mo | Survey |
| California | $6,206/mo | Survey |
| North Carolina | $6,196/mo | Survey |
| Rhode Island | $5,956/mo | Survey |
| Wisconsin | $5,889/mo | Survey |
| Montana | $5,824/mo | Survey |
| Kansas | $5,773/mo | Survey |
| West Virginia | $5,730/mo | Survey |
| Nebraska | $5,699/mo | Survey |
| Ohio | $5,687/mo | Survey |
| Pennsylvania | $5,655/mo | Survey |
| Alaska | $5,566/mo | Survey |
| Minnesota | $5,527/mo | Survey |
| Iowa | $5,505/mo | Survey |
| Missouri | $5,427/mo | Survey |
| Michigan | $5,387/mo | Survey |
| Oklahoma | $5,330/mo | Survey |
| New Mexico | $5,328/mo | Survey |
| Idaho | $5,281/mo | Survey |
| Tennessee | $5,215/mo | Survey |
| Arizona | $5,119/mo | Survey |
| Arkansas | $4,926/mo | Survey |
| Kentucky | $4,886/mo | Survey |
| Florida | $4,853/mo | Survey |
| Indiana | $4,849/mo | Survey |
| South Carolina | $4,824/mo | Survey |
| Utah | $4,747/mo | Survey |
| South Dakota | $4,745/mo | Survey |
| Georgia | $4,661/mo | Survey |
| Wyoming | $4,579/mo | Survey |
| Texas | $4,569/mo | Survey |
| Nevada | $4,561/mo | Survey |
| North Dakota | $4,496/mo | Survey |
| Louisiana | $4,429/mo | Survey |
| Mississippi | $4,275/mo | Survey |
| Alabama | $4,200/mo | Survey |
Frequently asked questions
How much does assisted living cost per month?
The national average is $5,830 per month in 2026, or roughly $69,960 per year. State averages run from about $4,200 in Alabama to nearly $8,000 a month in high-cost states and Washington, D.C.
How much does assisted living cost for a couple?
Communities typically add a second-person fee, with a national median of about $1,200 per month, on top of the base rate. Ask each community how it handles couples and whether a discount is available.
Does Medicare pay for assisted living?
No. Medicare does not cover the long-term custodial care that assisted living provides. It may cover short-term skilled nursing or therapy after a hospital stay, but not room and board.
How long does the average person stay in assisted living?
The median length of stay is about 22 months, according to the National Center for Assisted Living. At the national average, that is roughly $128,000 in total.
Is assisted living cheaper than a nursing home?
Yes, substantially. The national median for a semi-private nursing home room is $9,581 per month, versus $5,830 for assisted living — a difference of about $45,000 a year.