How much does a nursing home cost?
Nursing homes provide 24-hour skilled nursing and are the most expensive common care setting. In 2026 the national median is $9,581 per month for a semi-private room and $10,798 for a private room.
Sourced figure National average for 2026: $9,581 per month, or $114,972 per year.
What Nursing Home includes
- 24-hour skilled nursing care and physician oversight
- Room, board, and meals
- Rehabilitation therapies (physical, occupational, speech)
- Medication administration and wound care
- Assistance with all activities of daily living
What drives the price
- Semi-private versus private room, a gap of about $1,200 a month nationally
- Region — state medians range from roughly $67,000 a year in Texas to over $330,000 in Alaska
- Level of skilled nursing and therapy required
- Ownership and staffing model
How families pay for it
- Medicare covers up to 100 days of skilled care following a qualifying hospital stay — not long-term custodial care
- Medicaid is the primary payer for long-term nursing home residents who qualify
- Private pay from savings and income until assets are spent down
- Long-term care insurance, which typically covers nursing home care
- Veterans benefits and Aid & Attendance
Nursing Home cost by state
Ranked from most to least expensive. These are modeled from each state's assisted living level — see the method note.
| State | Avg monthly | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $13,075/mo | Modeled |
| Vermont | $12,960/mo | Modeled |
| Massachusetts | $12,871/mo | Modeled |
| Connecticut | $12,853/mo | Modeled |
| New Jersey | $12,733/mo | Modeled |
| Maine | $12,437/mo | Modeled |
| Delaware | $12,416/mo | Modeled |
| New Hampshire | $12,074/mo | Modeled |
| Maryland | $11,423/mo | Modeled |
| Oregon | $11,238/mo | Modeled |
| New York | $11,203/mo | Modeled |
| Hawaii | $10,896/mo | Modeled |
| Washington | $10,649/mo | Modeled |
| Colorado | $10,639/mo | Modeled |
| Virginia | $10,426/mo | Modeled |
| Illinois | $10,401/mo | Modeled |
| California | $10,199/mo | Modeled |
| North Carolina | $10,182/mo | Modeled |
| Rhode Island | $9,788/mo | Modeled |
| Wisconsin | $9,678/mo | Modeled |
| Montana | $9,571/mo | Modeled |
| Kansas | $9,487/mo | Modeled |
| West Virginia | $9,417/mo | Modeled |
| Nebraska | $9,366/mo | Modeled |
| Ohio | $9,346/mo | Modeled |
| Pennsylvania | $9,293/mo | Modeled |
| Alaska | $9,147/mo | Modeled |
| Minnesota | $9,083/mo | Modeled |
| Iowa | $9,047/mo | Modeled |
| Missouri | $8,919/mo | Modeled |
| Michigan | $8,853/mo | Modeled |
| Oklahoma | $8,759/mo | Modeled |
| New Mexico | $8,756/mo | Modeled |
| Idaho | $8,679/mo | Modeled |
| Tennessee | $8,570/mo | Modeled |
| Arizona | $8,413/mo | Modeled |
| Arkansas | $8,095/mo | Modeled |
| Kentucky | $8,030/mo | Modeled |
| Florida | $7,975/mo | Modeled |
| Indiana | $7,969/mo | Modeled |
| South Carolina | $7,928/mo | Modeled |
| Utah | $7,801/mo | Modeled |
| South Dakota | $7,798/mo | Modeled |
| Georgia | $7,660/mo | Modeled |
| Wyoming | $7,525/mo | Modeled |
| Texas | $7,509/mo | Modeled |
| Nevada | $7,496/mo | Modeled |
| North Dakota | $7,389/mo | Modeled |
| Louisiana | $7,279/mo | Modeled |
| Mississippi | $7,026/mo | Modeled |
| Alabama | $6,902/mo | Modeled |
Frequently asked questions
How much does a nursing home cost per month?
The national median is $9,581 per month for a semi-private room ($114,975 per year) and $10,798 per month for a private room ($129,575 per year), per the CareScout 2025 Cost of Care Survey.
Does Medicare pay for nursing home care?
Only for short-term skilled care, up to 100 days after a qualifying hospital stay. Long-term custodial nursing home care is not covered by Medicare.
Does Medicaid pay for a nursing home?
Yes — Medicaid is the largest payer for long-term nursing home care. Most states limit income to about $2,982 per month and countable assets to $2,000 for an individual, and a spouse can keep a protected share of assets.
Is a private room worth the extra cost?
Nationally a private room runs about $1,200 a month more than semi-private. Availability, not price, is often the deciding factor; many facilities have few private rooms.
How do I check a nursing home's quality?
Use the CMS Five-Star Quality Rating System and the federal Provider Data Catalog, which publish each facility's inspection results, staffing levels, ownership, and fines.