What 24-Hour and Live-In Home Care Really Cost

How much does 24-hour home care cost?

At the national median, 24-hour care by shifts costs an estimated $840 a day, $5,880 a week and about $25,550 a month. These are estimates built from one published number. CareScout’s 2025 Cost of Care Survey reports a median of $35 an hour for a non-medical caregiver.

Here is the math:

• Per day: $35 x 24 hours = $840.
• Per week: $840 x 7 days = $5,880.
• Per month: $840 x 365 days / 12 months = about $25,550.
• Per year: $840 x 365 = about $306,600.

No one pays exactly the median. Half of the rates CareScout collected were higher and half were lower. Treat the figures as a starting point for budgeting, then ask for real quotes.

CareScout’s survey reached about 16,000 providers between July and November 2025. Its home care figure covers non-medical help such as bathing, dressing, toileting, meals and light housekeeping. It does not describe nursing care. A private duty nurse costs far more, and that is a different service.

What is the difference between live-in care and 24-hour care?

Live-in care uses one caregiver who lives in the home. 24-hour care uses several caregivers who work shifts, so someone is awake and on duty at all times. The price follows from that setup.

HomeCare.com offers both. It describes live-in care as one dedicated caregiver who needs breaks and rest periods, and 24-hour care as shifts by multiple caregivers for uninterrupted support. Ask what a typical day looks like in each setup.

Why can live-in care cost less than 24 times the hourly rate?

Live-in care often costs less because the caregiver sleeps and rests for part of the day. Sleep hours may be paid differently from active hours. The rules come from federal wage law, and they are worth knowing before you compare quotes.

The U.S. Department of Labor says an employer and a live-in worker may agree to leave out bona fide meal, sleep and off-duty time. Any interruption to perform duties counts as work time. The Department’s hours-worked fact sheet also says that if interruptions leave a worker without at least five hours of reasonable sleep, the entire night must be paid. The Department caps the sleep time that can be left out at eight hours.

Two more points affect cost:

• A household that hires a live-in worker directly may be exempt from overtime. A home care agency or other third-party employer cannot claim that exemption. It must pay overtime after 40 hours in a workweek.
• A worker on 24-hour shifts who does not live in the home is not a live-in worker. Overtime rules apply to that worker.

Here is one illustration, labeled as an estimate. Suppose a provider pays for 16 active hours and not for 8 sleep hours. At $35 an hour, that is $35 x 16 = $560 a day, or about $17,033 a month ($560 x 365 / 12). That is $8,517 a month less than the 24-hour estimate. Real flat rates may differ, because providers also price in overtime, backup coverage and overhead. Ask any provider how it treats sleep time, breaks and interrupted nights. For legal questions about hiring directly, talk to an employment or elder law attorney.

What does 24-hour care cost in each of our states?

CareScout’s 2025 medians put 24-hour care between about $19,710 and $30,660 a month in our nine states. The table applies the same math to each state’s median hourly rate. Every dollar figure in the last three columns is our estimate.

Rates also change from city to city inside a state. Our cost of home care page shows market medians for each state and location we serve.

How much does overnight care cost?

Overnight care costs an estimated $280 a night at the national median, if the caregiver is paid $35 an hour for 8 hours ($35 x 8). That comes to about $8,517 a month ($280 x 365 / 12). CareScout does not publish a separate overnight rate, so this is our math, not a survey figure.

Some providers charge a flat overnight rate, and others use a higher or lower hourly rate for nights. Ask whether the caregiver stays awake or may sleep. Awake overnight care usually costs more than sleep-in coverage. Our guide to overnight care for seniors covers the options.

Here is a quick comparison of common schedules at the national median. All dollar figures are estimates.

How does 24-hour care compare with a nursing home?

At median prices, round-the-clock care at home costs more than a nursing home room. CareScout reports $315 a day for a semi-private room and $355 a day for a private room nationally. That is $9,581 and $10,798 a month, using the same daily rate x 365 / 12 math. Our 24-hour estimate of $25,550 is more than double.

The two are not the same service, though. A nursing home provides on-site nursing care around the clock. Non-medical 24-hour care at home does not. The National Institute on Aging says nursing homes focus more on medical care than most assisted living or board and care homes.

Home care is also flexible. Many families do not need 24 hours. If your parent needs help for six hours a day, the bill is far lower. Our comparison of home care, assisted living and nursing homes shows where the break-even points fall.

What else affects the price besides the hourly rate?

The hourly median is only one input. Four other things move a real quote up or down:

• Level of help. Hands-on help with bathing, toileting and transfers, or care for a person with dementia who is up at night, may be priced above basic companionship.
• Number of caregivers. Shift care needs several caregivers to cover each day. A live-in setup needs one main caregiver plus a backup for days off.
• Short notice and holidays. Some providers add a premium for last-minute starts or holiday shifts. Ask before you sign.
• Local labor market. CareScout’s medians run from $27 to $42 an hour across our nine states. A big city in a low-cost state can still price above the state median.

CareScout also notes that costs for a specific provider may differ from the median and vary by location, type of service and level of support.

Who pays for 24-hour and live-in care?

Most families pay privately. Medicare says it does not pay for long-term care, including non-medical care at home or in a nursing home. It describes most long-term care as non-medical care that you pay for yourself. Medicaid may help depending on state rules, and some people use long-term care insurance. See our guide on what Medicare does not cover.

Custodial care is the term for help with daily living. Insurance policies often use it. Read your policy for the exact wording and for any waiting period before benefits begin.

Ask a care advisor which payment options apply to your situation. A tax professional or an elder law attorney can advise on taxes, benefits and legal questions.

How can I keep the cost down?

You can lower the cost by matching hours to real needs, not by cutting safety. Many families start with a few hours a day and add overnight coverage later. Here are practical steps:

1. List the hours when your parent truly needs help. Nights, mornings and evenings are often the hard parts.
2. Ask providers to price three setups: hourly shifts, overnight only and live-in.
3. Ask how sleep time, breaks, holidays and overtime are billed.
4. Ask what happens when a caregiver is sick or on a day off, and who covers.
5. Ask how hours are tracked and billed so you can check each invoice.
6. Review the plan every month. Needs change after a fall, a hospital stay or a new diagnosis.

HomeCare.com says families can choose the number of visits and the hours per visit, with no minimums and no contracts. It also says its app confirms the caregiver is at the house on time and that billed hours are accurate.

Next step

If you are weighing live-in against shift care, a care advisor can walk through your schedule and explain the options. Call 800-974-3458 or request a call from a care advisor, and ask what each setup would involve.