Assisted Living Cost Questions
How much does assisted living cost by ZIP code?
Start from your state's median on our state pages (for example $4,750 a month in Florida and $6,250 in California), then adjust for the metro area: this calculator starts from your state median and adds a metro premium (10 to 25 percent) for ZIP codes in New York City, Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay Area, Boston, Washington DC, Seattle, Miami, Chicago and Denver; every other ZIP uses the state median. Facility quotes also vary by apartment size and care level, so treat the number as a planning midpoint and get three local quotes.
Is this also a senior living cost calculator for independent living and memory care?
Yes. Choose the level of care in the form. Independent living is estimated at about 65 percent of the local assisted living rate and memory care at about 135 percent, which matches the Genworth and CareScout survey pattern where memory care runs $6,000 to $8,000+ a month.
What are the low income assisted living options?
Medicaid home and community based services (HCBS) waivers pay for care services inside assisted living in most states, though not room and board. Many states add an optional state supplement to SSI for residents of licensed residential care, and HUD Section 202 and Low Income Housing Tax Credit senior apartments cover the housing side with in-home services added separately. Start with your state Medicaid office or the Eldercare Locator at 1-800-677-1116, and see our Medicare, Medicaid and VA long-term care reference.
How much has the average cost of assisted living by state changed since 2021?
Genworth's 2021 survey put the national median at $4,500 a month ($54,000 a year). The 2024 Genworth and CareScout survey puts it at $5,900 ($70,800), a rise of roughly 31 percent in three years. Our assisted living cost by state table lists the current figure for every state.
How long will savings last in assisted living?
Divide savings by the monthly shortfall after income. At the $5,900 median, a parent with $2,500 a month in Social Security and pension income has a $3,400 monthly gap, so $200,000 in savings lasts about 59 months, just under five years. The calculator runs this math for your ZIP, care level and income.
What is the average cost of assisted living in my area?
Start with the US median of $5,900 a month ($70,800 a year) from the 2024 Genworth and CareScout survey, then look up your state: our 2026 planning medians run from $4,000 in Louisiana to $7,250 in Alaska. Large metros such as New York City, San Francisco, Boston and Washington DC run 15 to 25 percent above their state median. Enter your ZIP code in the calculator for an estimate, then get three local quotes.
Why does assisted living cost vary by ZIP code?
Monthly rates reflect local wages for caregivers and nurses, real estate costs, state licensing rules and how much care a community includes. A dense, high-wage metro pushes all of those up, while smaller towns in the South and Midwest sit near the bottom of the range. Care level matters as much as location: memory care costs about a third more than standard assisted living.
Which state has the cheapest assisted living?
In our 2026 table, Louisiana and Mississippi are lowest at $4,000 a month, followed by Kentucky and Missouri. The most expensive are Alaska ($7,250), Massachusetts ($7,200) and New Jersey ($6,850). A cheaper state is not always cheaper for your family once travel to visit is counted.
Is there an official list of assisted living prices by ZIP code?
No. Assisted living is licensed by each state, there is no federal price database, and facilities set their own rates. Cost surveys publish state and metro medians. The reliable ZIP-level numbers come from written quotes from licensed communities near your parent, which your state ombudsman or the Eldercare Locator (1-800-677-1116) can help you find.
How accurate is the ZIP code estimate in this calculator?
Treat it as a planning midpoint, usually within 15 to 20 percent of what a mid-priced community in that area charges. It does not include one-time community fees, which often run $1,000 to $5,000 or more, or the extra care-level fees many facilities add.
How ZIP Code and Metro Area Change Assisted Living Costs
There is no official federal table of assisted living prices by ZIP code. Assisted living is regulated and priced state by state, and the national cost surveys (the Genworth and CareScout Cost of Care Survey is the one most families cite) publish medians by state and by large metro area, not by five-digit ZIP. So the practical answer to "assisted living costs by zip code" has three layers: start with the state median, adjust for your metro area, then confirm with local quotes. This page's calculator does the first two for you.
Step 1: Start with the state median
Our 2026 planning medians run from $4,000 a month in Louisiana and Mississippi up to $7,250 in Alaska, against a US median of $5,900. The five most expensive entries are Alaska ($7,250), Massachusetts ($7,200), New Jersey ($6,850), Connecticut ($6,800), New Hampshire ($6,800); the five least expensive are Louisiana ($4,000), Mississippi ($4,000), Kentucky ($4,100), Missouri ($4,100), Arkansas ($4,150). The full table is below.
Step 2: Adjust for the metro area
Within one state, a ZIP code in a dense, high-wage metro costs more than a small town: the staffing, real estate and licensing costs behind the monthly rate are all higher. The calculator above applies these metro adjustments to the state median when your ZIP code starts with one of the listed prefixes. Every other ZIP code uses the plain state median, so treat the result for a rural or small-city ZIP as a midpoint that local quotes may beat.
| Metro area (ZIP prefix) | State median | Metro adjustment | Calculator estimate, assisted living |
|---|
| New York City (ZIP 100-102) | New York: $5,800 | x 1.25 | $7,250 |
| Bronx and Staten Island (ZIP 103-104) | New York: $5,800 | x 1.20 | $6,960 |
| Los Angeles (ZIP 900-902) | California: $6,250 | x 1.20 | $7,500 |
| Inglewood and Santa Monica area (ZIP 903-904) | California: $6,250 | x 1.15 | $7,187 |
| San Francisco and Peninsula (ZIP 941, 944) | California: $6,250 | x 1.25 | $7,812 |
| Palo Alto and South Bay (ZIP 940, 943) | California: $6,250 | x 1.20 | $7,500 |
| Boston (ZIP 020-022) | Massachusetts: $7,200 | x 1.15 | $8,280 |
| Washington DC (ZIP 200, 202, 203) | District of Columbia: $6,500 | x 1.20 | $7,800 |
| Seattle (ZIP 980-981) | Washington: $5,800 | x 1.15 | $6,670 |
| Miami (ZIP 330-332) | Florida: $4,750 | x 1.10 | $5,225 |
| Chicago (ZIP 605-606) | Illinois: $5,500 | x 1.10 | $6,050 |
| Denver (ZIP 802-803) | Colorado: $5,500 | x 1.10 | $6,050 |
Step 3: Adjust for care level, then confirm locally
The figures above are for a private one-bedroom in standard assisted living. Independent living is estimated at about 65 percent of that rate, memory care at about 135 percent, and the calculator adds 15 percent when a parent with dementia is in standard assisted living because higher care levels are billed on top of the base rent. Real facilities price in tiers, so ask each one for its base rent, its care-level fees and its community or entrance fee in writing. Your state's long-term care ombudsman and the Eldercare Locator (1-800-677-1116) can name licensed communities near any ZIP code.
What is and is not in the monthly rate
Most base rates include the apartment, utilities, meals, housekeeping, activities and transportation. Medication management, bathing and dressing help, incontinence care and transfer assistance are usually added by care level and can add several hundred to over a thousand dollars a month. Medicare does not pay for assisted living. Medicaid pays for care services (not room and board) through waivers in most states.
Before You Commit: Aging in Place Costs a Fraction
At $3,600 to $6,500 a month, one year of assisted living costs $43,000 to $78,000. Many families delay that move by a year or more with a few thousand dollars of home equipment, which is why doctors and occupational therapists usually suggest trying aging-in-place upgrades first. These are the categories that make the biggest difference:
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