The cost of long term care whether at a nursing home, in-home, or at a care facility, can be extremely expensive. In addition to the cost which varies by room type, there are some states that simply charge higher rates. The better the nursing homes, the higher the cost. This means that usually urban areas are the more costly options. To ensure you stay in good care and enjoy a pleasant life after retirement, you must plan ahead. If you, like many others, need long term care then this will be worth it.
Here are some graphs to show you the average monthly cost of nursing home care for private and semi private rooms in each state and the percentage that the cost has gone up between 2016 – 2020.
States | CurrentSemi – PrivatePrice | CurrentPrivatePrice | Semi – Private Rise in Cost % | Private Rise in Cost % |
| Alabama | $6,676 | $7,026 | 8% | 7% |
| Alaska | $31,512 | $36,378 | 60% | 49% |
| Arizona | $6,540 | $8,030 | 7% | 8% |
| Arkansas | $6,083 | $6,692 | 15% | 13% |
| California | $9,794 | $12,167 | 14% | 18% |
| Colorado | $8,567 | $9,726 | 11% | 14% |
| Connecticut | $13,764 | $15,170 | 3% | 4% |
| Delaware | $12,273 | $12,577 | 16% | 16% |
| District of Columbia | $10,494 | $10,494 | 26% | 36% |
| Florida | $8,654 | $9,627 | 10% | 11% |
| Georgia | $7,011 | $7,604 | 8% | 7% |
| Hawaii | $12,501 | $14,113 | 5% | 4% |
| Idaho | $8,517 | $9,125 | 17% | 15% |
| Illinois | $6,266 | $7,156 | 10% | 8% |
| Indiana | $7,270 | $8,700 | 7% | 9% |
| Iowa | $6,874 | $7,452 | 14% | 15% |
| Kansas | $6,296 | $6,813 | 21% | 14% |
| Kentucky | $7,178 | $7,969 | 9% | 8% |
| Louisiana | $5,759 | $6,060 | 7% | 7% |
| Maine | $10,494 | $11,254 | 5% | 9% |
| Maryland | $10,342 | $12,167 | 12% | 7% |
| Massachusetts | $12,623 | $13,535 | 8% | 9% |
| Michigan | $9,095 | $9,855 | 13% | 13% |
| Minnesota | $11,601 | $13,072 | 35% | 34% |
| Mississippi | $7,118 | $7,314 | 9% | 8% |
| Missouri | $5,262 | $5,931 | 3% | 5% |
| Montana | $7,574 | $8,060 | 6% | 4% |
| Nebraska | $7,483 | $8,289 | 14% | 17% |
| Nevada | $9,216 | $10,007 | 27% | 28% |
| New Hampshire | $10,950 | $12,015 | 10% | 7% |
| New Jersey | $11,254 | $12,151 | 12% | 11% |
| New Mexico | $7,604 | $8,365 | 17% | 12% |
| New York | $12,775 | $13,233 | 11% | 10% |
| North Carolina | $7,483 | $8,213 | 7% | 6% |
| North Dakota | $11,978 | $12,587 | 14% | 175 |
| Ohio | $7,300 | $8,213 | 5% | 8% |
| Oklahoma | $5,475 | $6,083 | 19% | 9% |
| Oregon | $10,342 | $11,113 | 15% | 21% |
| Pennsylvania | $10,403 | $11,157 | 8% | 8% |
| Rhode Island | $9,429 | $10,038 | 2% | 18% |
| South Carolina | $7,285 | $7,984 | 13% | 15% |
| South Dakota | $7,118 | $7,604 | 11% | 10% |
| Tennessee | $7,148 | $7,665 | 16% | 15% |
| Texas | $5,125 | $7,092 | 10% | 6% |
| Utah | $7,178 | $9,125 | 14% | 20% |
| Vermont | $10,585 | $11,102 | 12% | 11% |
| Virginia | $8,213 | $9,155 | 7% | 12% |
| Washington | $9,429 | $10,466 | 12% | 16% |
| West Virginia | $11,619 | $12,212 | 17% | 19% |
| Wisconsin | $9,022 | $9,733 | 10% | 5% |
| Wyoming | $6,966 | $7,635 | 17% | 8% |
(Remember the price varies based on the area within the state and these numbers are each individual state’s average.)
If you look above you can see the current average cost of nursing home care across the United States. Some states chose to dramatically raise their costs for nursing home care. Almost half of semi-private rooms rose by nearly double digits in the past several years. Alaska, already having the highest average cost, also increased the greatest for both semi-private and private rooms. With prices constantly rising and each state being able to raise the price randomly at any percentage, how will you save the proper amount to ensure you can cover fees such as these? With LTC insurance you wouldn’t have to worry about the costs of your nursing home care because you’ve invested, making sure your LTC insurance will take good care of you.
Cost of Nursing Homes vs. Assisted Living
As the cost of assisted and nursing homes have continued to increase, assisted living facilities still continue to be more affordable. An assisted living facility averages $150 per day, which is $4,500 per month or $54,000 per year. This is still more affordable than a semi-private or private room at a nursing home. These numbers do not take into account the specialized care needs some may have such as memory care, for example.
Cost of Nursing Homes vs. In-Home Care
There are a few options for in-home care through homemaking-service providers. These companies can help the elderly do daily activities and household tasks such as, cleaning, cooking, and doing other errands. Home health aides are another option for in-home care that trains their employees to provide more intensive care and companionship. The last option I’m gonna touch on is a private in-home nurse for those who want a medically trained professional. The typical homemaker service will cost you approximately $165 per day, a home health aid will cost you about $170 per day, and a private nurse for 10 hours a day would charge roughly $400 per day.
Now you know the different forms of care available and the cost of each one. Knowing what long term care could cost you per year can help you determine how much LTC coverage you may need. Will you plan for the future and rising rates by investing in care coverage or just hope your family will be able to afford this burden for you?
