Assisted living cost by state
Every state ranked by average monthly assisted living cost in 2026. The national average is $5,830 per month.
| Rank | State | Avg monthly | Avg annual | vs. national |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $7,956 | $95,472 | +36.5% |
| 2 | Vermont | $7,886 | $94,632 | +35.3% |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $7,832 | $93,984 | +34.3% |
| 4 | Connecticut | $7,821 | $93,852 | +34.2% |
| 5 | New Jersey | $7,748 | $92,976 | +32.9% |
| 6 | Maine | $7,568 | $90,816 | +29.8% |
| 7 | Delaware | $7,555 | $90,660 | +29.6% |
| 8 | New Hampshire | $7,347 | $88,164 | +26.0% |
| 9 | Maryland | $6,951 | $83,412 | +19.2% |
| 10 | Oregon | $6,838 | $82,056 | +17.3% |
| 11 | New York | $6,817 | $81,804 | +16.9% |
| 12 | Hawaii | $6,630 | $79,560 | +13.7% |
| 13 | Washington | $6,480 | $77,760 | +11.1% |
| 14 | Colorado | $6,474 | $77,688 | +11.0% |
| 15 | Virginia | $6,344 | $76,128 | +8.8% |
| 16 | Illinois | $6,329 | $75,948 | +8.6% |
| 17 | California | $6,206 | $74,472 | +6.4% |
| 18 | North Carolina | $6,196 | $74,352 | +6.3% |
| 19 | Rhode Island | $5,956 | $71,472 | +2.2% |
| 20 | Wisconsin | $5,889 | $70,668 | +1.0% |
| 21 | Montana | $5,824 | $69,888 | — |
| 22 | Kansas | $5,773 | $69,276 | -1.0% |
| 23 | West Virginia | $5,730 | $68,760 | -1.7% |
| 24 | Nebraska | $5,699 | $68,388 | -2.2% |
| 25 | Ohio | $5,687 | $68,244 | -2.5% |
| 26 | Pennsylvania | $5,655 | $67,860 | -3.0% |
| 27 | Alaska | $5,566 | $66,792 | -4.5% |
| 28 | Minnesota | $5,527 | $66,324 | -5.2% |
| 29 | Iowa | $5,505 | $66,060 | -5.6% |
| 30 | Missouri | $5,427 | $65,124 | -6.9% |
| 31 | Michigan | $5,387 | $64,644 | -7.6% |
| 32 | Oklahoma | $5,330 | $63,960 | -8.6% |
| 33 | New Mexico | $5,328 | $63,936 | -8.6% |
| 34 | Idaho | $5,281 | $63,372 | -9.4% |
| 35 | Tennessee | $5,215 | $62,580 | -10.5% |
| 36 | Arizona | $5,119 | $61,428 | -12.2% |
| 37 | Arkansas | $4,926 | $59,112 | -15.5% |
| 38 | Kentucky | $4,886 | $58,632 | -16.2% |
| 39 | Florida | $4,853 | $58,236 | -16.8% |
| 40 | Indiana | $4,849 | $58,188 | -16.8% |
| 41 | South Carolina | $4,824 | $57,888 | -17.3% |
| 42 | Utah | $4,747 | $56,964 | -18.6% |
| 43 | South Dakota | $4,745 | $56,940 | -18.6% |
| 44 | Georgia | $4,661 | $55,932 | -20.1% |
| 45 | Wyoming | $4,579 | $54,948 | -21.5% |
| 46 | Texas | $4,569 | $54,828 | -21.6% |
| 47 | Nevada | $4,561 | $54,732 | -21.8% |
| 48 | North Dakota | $4,496 | $53,952 | -22.9% |
| 49 | Louisiana | $4,429 | $53,148 | -24.0% |
| 50 | Mississippi | $4,275 | $51,300 | -26.7% |
| 51 | Alabama | $4,200 | $50,400 | -28.0% |
Assisted living figures are published state averages. See method and sources.
What the spread means
The gap between the least and most expensive states is roughly $3,756 a month, or about $45,072 a year. That is often the difference between savings lasting two years and lasting four.
Cost alone should not decide where a parent lives. Proximity to family, the quality of the specific community, and whether the state's Medicaid program covers the care setting all matter as much as the average price.