--- title: "Home Care vs Assisted Living vs Nursing Home Costs | HomeCare.com" description: "Home care vs assisted living cost, with a break-even point in hours a day and a state table for AL, AZ, CO, MD, MI, NC, OH, TX and VA from CareScout 2025." url: https://homecare.preview.multisites.ai/guides/home-care-vs-assisted-living-vs-nursing-home/ publisher: HomeCare.com phone: 800-974-3458 start: https://care.homecare.com/?source=homecare.com --- Guide: Costs # Home Care, Assisted Living or Nursing Home: Cost and Care Compared Home care costs less than assisted living until your parent needs about 6 hours of paid help a day, based on CareScout's 2025 national medians. Beyond that, a facility often costs less. Nursing homes cost the most per month but offer 24-hour nursing care. Needs, not price alone, should decide. Updated October 15, 20268 min readBy HomeCare.com 01 ## Break-even is about 6 hours a day At national medians, paid home care costs less than assisted living up to roughly 5.8 hours a day. The point moves with your state. 02 ## Nursing homes cost the most A semi-private room is $315 a day nationally, about $9,581 a month by our math. It includes nursing care around the clock. 03 ## Assisted living price is a base rate Residents often pay more as care needs rise, and the monthly figure may not include every service. 04 ## Medicare covers little of this Medicare does not pay for assisted living or long-term custodial care. Check coverage rules before you plan the budget. On this page 1. Is home care cheaper than assisted living or a nursing home? 2. What do these three options give your parent? 3. At how many hours a day does home care cost more than assisted living? 4. How do the costs compare in each of our states? 5. When does a nursing home make sense? 6. Can someone with dementia stay home? 7. What costs does each option leave out? 8. Who pays for each option? 9. How do I decide? 10. Next step Questions about care for your family? [800-974-3458](tel:+18009743458) ## Is home care cheaper than assisted living or a nursing home? Home care is cheaper when your parent needs a few hours of help a day. It stops being cheaper at around 6 hours a day, based on national medians. A nursing home costs the most per month. The right choice depends on how much help your parent needs and what kind. Here are CareScout’s 2025 national medians. CareScout surveyed about 16,000 providers from July through November 2025. Option Median price (CareScout 2025) Monthly cost Home care, non-medical caregiver $35 an hour Varies with hours (see below) Assisted living $6,200 a month $6,200 Nursing home, semi-private room $315 a day about $9,581 (estimate: $315 x 365 / 12) Nursing home, private room $355 a day about $10,798 (estimate: $355 x 365 / 12) CareScout’s own calculator assumes 44 hours a week of home care. At that schedule, the national figure is about $6,673 a month (estimate: $35 x 44 x 52 / 12). That is close to the $6,200 assisted living price. ## What do these three options give your parent? Each option answers a different need. Home care brings help to the house. [Assisted living](https://homecare.preview.multisites.ai/glossary/assisted-living/) moves your parent to a residence with staff. A [nursing home](https://homecare.preview.multisites.ai/glossary/nursing-home/) adds nursing care around the clock. What to compare Home care Assisted living Nursing home Where Your parent’s own home A residence with a room or apartment A facility with on-site nursing Help with daily tasks Yes, by hours you choose Yes, by facility level of care Yes Nursing care Not from non-medical caregivers Varies by facility Yes, 24 hours a day One-on-one attention Yes, during paid hours Shared with other residents Shared with other residents Pricing Hourly, so cost follows hours Monthly, often with care-level add-ons Daily rate The National Institute on Aging describes assisted living as for people who need help with daily care but not as much as a nursing home provides. It lists meals, personal care, help with medications and housekeeping, and 24-hour supervision. It says nursing homes offer nursing care, 24-hour supervision, meals and help with everyday activities, plus rehabilitation services. HomeCare.com care is non-medical. Its caregivers can help with companionship, meals, mobility, personal care and medication reminders. They do not give medication, treat wounds or provide skilled nursing. ## At how many hours a day does home care cost more than assisted living? At national medians, home care costs more than assisted living once your parent needs about 5.8 hours of paid help a day. The math is an estimate: $6,200 / ($35 x 365 / 12) = 5.8 hours a day, or about 41 hours a week. Use this table to see how home care grows with hours. All home care figures are estimates at $35 an hour. Daily hours of home care Math Estimated monthly cost Compared with $6,200 assisted living 2 hours $35 x 2 x 365 / 12 about $2,129 Lower 4 hours $35 x 4 x 365 / 12 about $4,258 Lower 6 hours $35 x 6 x 365 / 12 about $6,388 About the same 8 hours $35 x 8 x 365 / 12 about $8,517 Higher 12 hours $35 x 12 x 365 / 12 about $12,775 Higher 24 hours $35 x 24 x 365 / 12 about $25,550 Much higher This is a rough guide. It leaves out three things: - Assisted living rates are base rates. NIA says residents pay more if they need extra services or special care. - Home care does not include rent, food or home upkeep. Assisted living covers housing and meals in its price. If your parent owns the home, those costs continue. - Home care can change by the week. Facility moves are harder to reverse. Our guide to [24-hour and live-in care costs](https://homecare.preview.multisites.ai/guides/24-hour-and-live-in-care-cost/) explains the high end of the home care scale. ## How do the costs compare in each of our states? In most of our states, the break-even sits between 5 and 7 hours a day. The table uses each state’s 2025 CareScout medians. Monthly nursing home figures are our estimate: the daily rate x 365 / 12. The break-even column is our estimate: assisted living monthly rate / (hourly rate x 365 / 12). State Home care per hour Assisted living per month Nursing home semi-private, est. per month Nursing home private, est. per month Est. break-even, hours a day National $35 $6,200 $9,581 $10,798 5.8 Alabama $27 $4,425 $8,334 $8,790 5.4 Arizona $38 $6,250 $8,365 $11,437 5.4 Colorado $42 $6,584 $10,159 $12,197 5.2 Maryland $35 $7,173 $12,927 $14,448 6.7 Michigan $35 $5,818 $11,254 $11,984 5.5 North Carolina $30 $6,496 $9,733 $10,798 7.1 Ohio $34 $6,103 $9,186 $10,402 5.9 Texas $30 $5,666 $5,627 $7,604 6.2 Virginia $35 $6,945 $10,250 $11,680 6.5 Texas stands out. CareScout’s median semi-private nursing home rate there is $185 a day, which is lower than its median assisted living rate of $5,666 a month by our math. Check local prices, because medians hide wide gaps between cities. Our [cost of home care page](https://homecare.preview.multisites.ai/cost-of-home-care/) lists market medians by location. ## When does a nursing home make sense? A nursing home makes sense when your parent needs skilled nursing or medical care that cannot be given at home or in assisted living. Examples are daily skilled treatment, complex wound care or ongoing therapy after a hospital stay. A doctor or discharge planner can tell you if your parent needs that level. Medicare covers some short stays. Medicare.gov says Part A covers skilled nursing facility care only if you meet conditions, including a qualifying inpatient hospital stay and a provider’s finding that you need daily skilled care. For 2026, Medicare lists $0 a day for days 1 to 20 after the deductible, $217 a day for days 21 to 100 and all costs from day 101. Medicare also says it does not pay for long-term care, including a long stay in a nursing home. Plans and rules can change, so confirm with Medicare. ## Can someone with dementia stay home? Many people with dementia stay home safely with the right support. Safety needs a plan, though. The National Institute on Aging says not to leave a person with Alzheimer’s who has a history of wandering unattended. It suggests locks, door alarms and ID bracelets as safeguards. Night is often the hardest time. Home care can add overnight or live-in help as needs grow. Some assisted living communities and nursing homes have special units for [memory care](https://homecare.preview.multisites.ai/glossary/memory-care/). They may suit a person who needs a secure setting. Talk with your parent’s doctor about what is safe. [Aging in place](https://homecare.preview.multisites.ai/glossary/aging-in-place/) works best when the plan can change. Start with a few hours, add nights if needed and review often. Our [24-hour care](https://homecare.preview.multisites.ai/24-hour-care/) service page explains how round-the-clock coverage works at HomeCare.com. ## What costs does each option leave out? No monthly figure tells the whole story. Check what each price includes before you compare. - **Home care:** The hourly rate covers the caregiver’s time. It does not cover rent or a mortgage, food, utilities, home repairs or safety changes such as grab bars. Your parent keeps paying those. - **Assisted living:** The monthly rate usually covers housing, meals and a base level of help. Ask what each added service costs, and how the price changes if needs grow. Ask about one-time community or move-in fees too. - **Nursing home:** The daily rate covers the room and nursing care. Ask what is billed separately, such as therapy, supplies or a private room. Add these extras to each side before you decide. A fair comparison counts your parent’s full monthly spending in each setting. If your parent would keep the house, a facility adds a second bill. If your parent would sell it, that changes the math. An elder law attorney or a financial planner can help with that choice. For a hybrid plan, [live-in care](https://homecare.preview.multisites.ai/live-in-care/) may sit between part-time home care and a facility. ## Who pays for each option? Most families pay out of pocket for all three. Medicare does not pay for assisted living, according to the National Institute on Aging. Medicare.gov says it does not pay for long-term care, including non-medical care at home. Medicaid may cover part of some options depending on state rules and eligibility. Some long-term care insurance policies pay for home care, assisted living or nursing homes. Read your policy. See our guide on [what Medicare does not cover](https://homecare.preview.multisites.ai/home-care-resources/what-medicare-doesnt-cover/). An elder law attorney can explain Medicaid rules in your state. Ask a care advisor which payment options apply to your situation. ## How do I decide? Decide by matching needs to setting, then check the budget. Walk through these steps with your family and your parent’s doctor: 1. List what your parent needs help with each day, and at what times. 2. Ask the doctor whether any needs are skilled or medical. 3. Count the hours of help needed on a normal day, including nights. 4. Use the table above to see where those hours land against assisted living. 5. Ask your parent what matters most. Many people strongly prefer to stay in their own home. 6. Choose a plan you can change. Review it every month or after any hospital stay. ## Next step If you are weighing home care against a move, a care advisor can help you size the hours and see what home care would involve. Call 800-974-3458 or [request a call from a care advisor](https://homecare.preview.multisites.ai/contact/) to talk it through. ## Frequently asked questions ### Is home care cheaper than assisted living? It depends on the hours. At CareScout's 2025 national medians, home care at $35 an hour costs less than a $6,200 assisted living month until about 5.8 hours a day (about 41 hours a week). Past that point, assisted living costs less on paper. Extra assisted living fees can move the line. ### At how many hours a day does assisted living cost less? Nationally, about 5.8 hours a day. The math is $6,200 / ($35 x 365 / 12) = 5.8. By state it ranges from about 5.2 hours in Colorado to 7.1 in North Carolina. This is an estimate that ignores extra assisted living fees and the cost of housing. ### When is a nursing home necessary? A nursing home fits people who need skilled nursing or medical care around the clock, which home care and most assisted living cannot supply. A doctor or hospital discharge planner can say whether your parent needs that level. Many people with high daily needs but no skilled need stay home with help. ### Can someone with dementia stay home? Often yes, with the right support, but safety comes first. The National Institute on Aging says a person with Alzheimer's who has a history of wandering should not be left unattended. Many families add overnight or live-in care as needs grow. Ask a doctor when home stops being safe. ### Does Medicare pay for assisted living? No. The National Institute on Aging states that Medicare does not pay for assisted living. Medicare also does not pay for long-term custodial care. Medicaid may cover some assisted living services depending on your state, and some long-term care insurance policies pay part of the cost. ## Sources 1. [CareScout: 2025 Cost of Care Survey](https://www.carescout.com/cost-of-care) 2. [National Institute on Aging: Long-Term Care Facilities, Assisted Living, Nursing Homes, and Other Residential Care](https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/assisted-living-and-nursing-homes/long-term-care-facilities-assisted-living-nursing-homes) 3. [Medicare.gov: Long-term care](https://www.medicare.gov/coverage/long-term-care) 4. [Medicare.gov: Skilled nursing facility (SNF) care](https://www.medicare.gov/coverage/skilled-nursing-facility-snf-care) 5. [National Institute on Aging: Coping With Alzheimer's Behaviors, Wandering and Getting Lost](https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/alzheimers-changes-behavior-and-communication/coping-alzheimers-behaviors-wandering-and) ## Terms in this guide - [Skilled nursing facility (SNF)](https://homecare.preview.multisites.ai/glossary/skilled-nursing-facility/) - [Long-term care insurance](https://homecare.preview.multisites.ai/glossary/long-term-care-insurance/) - [Elder law attorney](https://homecare.preview.multisites.ai/glossary/elder-law-attorney/) - [Cost of home care](https://homecare.preview.multisites.ai/glossary/cost-of-home-care/) - [Assisted living](https://homecare.preview.multisites.ai/glossary/assisted-living/) - [Medicare Part A](https://homecare.preview.multisites.ai/glossary/medicare-part-a/) - [Aging in place](https://homecare.preview.multisites.ai/glossary/aging-in-place/) - [Personal care](https://homecare.preview.multisites.ai/glossary/personal-care/) - [24-hour care](https://homecare.preview.multisites.ai/glossary/24-hour-care/) - [Care advisor](https://homecare.preview.multisites.ai/glossary/care-advisor/) ## Keep reading - [**What 24-Hour and Live-In Home Care Really Cost**At the national median of $35 an hour, round-the-clock care by shifts works out to an estimated $840 a day, $5,880 a week and about $25,550 a month. Live-in...](https://homecare.preview.multisites.ai/guides/24-hour-and-live-in-care-cost/) - [**What Medicare Doesn't Cover**Although Medicare helps with the cost of health care, it doesn’t cover all medical expenses or ANY of the cost of long-term care. See what Medicare covers.](https://homecare.preview.multisites.ai/home-care-resources/what-medicare-doesnt-cover/) - [**Dementia Care at Home: A Stage-by-Stage Plan for Families**Dementia care at home can work for years if the level of care rises with each stage. Early stage often needs reminders and check-ins. Middle stage needs...](https://homecare.preview.multisites.ai/guides/dementia-care-at-home/) - [**Home Care vs Home Health Care: Which Does Your Parent Need?**Home care is non-medical help with daily life, such as bathing, meals, rides and company. Home health care is skilled medical care, like nursing or therapy,...](https://homecare.preview.multisites.ai/guides/home-care-vs-home-health-care/) - [**How Many Hours of Home Care Does Your Parent Need? A Simple Needs Checklist**Count what your parent cannot do alone, and when. A few tasks a week may need two to four hours of visits. Help with bathing, meals and mobility every day...](https://homecare.preview.multisites.ai/guides/how-many-hours-of-home-care-do-i-need/) - [**Live-In Care vs 24-Hour Care: How to Choose**Live-in care means one caregiver lives in the home and needs breaks and sleep. 24-hour care means a team of caregivers works shifts, so someone is always...](https://homecare.preview.multisites.ai/guides/live-in-vs-24-hour-care/) ## Talk to a care advisor today. Free consultation. No minimums, no contracts. 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