Assisted living costs about $6,200 a month across the country, but that national median hides a wide gap from one state to the next.

Three things move the minute you cross a state line: what assisted living costs, what the setting is even called and how it's licensed, and whether Medicaid pays anything toward it. This guide walks through all three, then sends you to a full guide for every state so you can jump straight to your own.

In This Guide

What Assisted Living Costs From State to State

Here's the national number to anchor on. According to the CareScout 2025 Cost of Care Survey, the median cost of assisted living runs about $6,200 a month, or roughly $74,400 a year. That's an industry survey figure from CareScout, not a government one.

The word "median" is doing a lot of work, though. It's a midpoint, not a price, and the spread between the cheapest and the priciest states is large. Georgia, for example, runs below the national line at about $5,300 a month (roughly $63,600 a year). Hawaii sits at the top of the list. CareScout's data tables put it at about $12,096 a month ($145,155 a year), while its Hawaii state release gives $145,065 a year; either way, it's the highest of any state and close to double the national figure. Senior care as a whole works the same way: the $6,200 figure is a national median, and actual costs vary widely by state and metro area.

So the national median is a starting point, not an answer. What your family will actually pay depends on your state, and often on your metro area within it. A couple of things worth knowing before you compare quotes:

  • A median isn't a quote. CareScout warns that what you actually pay depends on your parent's care needs, which providers are available, and local market conditions, so ask each place for a written price at the level of care your parent needs.
  • The figure that matters is your state's median, not the national one. Pull up your state's guide below for its own numbers.

How States License and Regulate Assisted Living

This is the part that trips families up first, before cost even comes into it: the same kind of place goes by different names depending on the state. There's no national license called "assisted living." Each state sets its own categories, its own licensing agency, and its own rules for what a facility can and can't do.

A few examples show how far the terminology drifts:

Why does this matter to you and not just to lawyers? Because the label controls what the place is allowed to do. A category licensed for a higher level of care can keep your parent as their needs grow; a lighter-touch license may have to discharge them when care needs cross a line. When you're comparing options, find out which category a facility holds and what that category permits in your state. Your state's guide below spells out the local names and who does the licensing. If a problem comes up after the move, see how to file a complaint about an assisted living facility.

What varies Why it changes Where to find your state's answer
Cost Local market conditions move the median, and it can differ from one metro area to the next Your state's assisted living guide
The name and license Each state defines its own categories and picks its own regulator Your state's licensing agency
Medicaid coverage States run their own home and community-based waivers Your state's how-to-pay guide

How Medicaid Coverage for Assisted Living Differs by State

Here's the half-truth a lot of families arrive with: "Medicaid will cover it." The honest answer is that Medicaid can cover part of it, and never the part most people assume.

The rule that governs every state's answer is federal. Medicaid can pay for the care and supportive services a resident receives in assisted living, but it cannot pay for room and board, meaning the housing and the meals. Section 1915(c)(1) of the Social Security Act authorizes Medicaid waivers to pay for home and community-based services "other than room and board," and 42 CFR 441.310(a)(2) blocks federal Medicaid dollars from covering room and board except in two narrow situations: respite care in a state-approved facility that isn't a private residence, and the share of rent and food tied to an unrelated caregiver who lives in the beneficiary's household (and even then, not when the beneficiary lives in the caregiver's home). So if your parent lives in assisted living, no state's Medicaid program pays the rent. What varies is how much of the care it covers, and through which program.

Most states cover assisted-living services through a home and community-based services (HCBS) waiver, the same 1915(c) authority the federal rule names. Georgia is a clear example: its Medicaid program can cover supportive care services in some personal care homes and assisted living communities through two waivers, the Community Care Services Program (CCSP) and SOURCE, while a resident living there under those waivers still pays room and board directly to the facility.

States handle the room-and-board piece differently too. Colorado, for instance, sets a uniform cap on what a facility can charge a Medicaid member for room and board in an alternative care facility, $810 a month in 2026, paid out of the member's own income rather than by Medicaid. Other states handle it their own way, so check your state's guide. Either way, for a resident that housing cost lands on the family, not the program.

The practical takeaway: whether Medicaid helps, which waiver applies, whether there's a waitlist, and what you'll owe for room and board are all state questions. Start with how to pay for assisted living for the national playbook, then check your state's own how-to-pay guide for the waiver names and income limits that apply where your parent lives.

Is Assisted Living the Right Setting?

Before you price anything, it's worth being sure assisted living is even the setting your parent needs. It sits in the middle of a range. Below it is home care and independent living; above it is memory care for dementia and skilled nursing for around-the-clock medical needs. Assisted living fits someone who needs daily help with things like bathing, dressing, medications, and meals, but not full-time nursing.

If your parent has dementia, or if you're weighing assisted living against a nursing home, that's a different comparison with different costs and different Medicaid rules. Your state's assisted-living guide links out to those side-by-side comparisons, and how to pay for senior care walks through the funding options across all of them. Get the setting right first, then the cost and coverage questions on this page will actually apply.

Find Your State's Assisted Living Guide

Pick your state for a detailed guide to assisted living there: what it's called and who licenses it, what it costs locally, how Medicaid coverage works, and how to find and pay for a place.

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51 states

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Medicaid pay for assisted living?

Partly, and it depends on your state. Medicaid can cover the care and supportive services a resident gets in assisted living, usually through a home and community-based waiver. What it cannot cover for a resident, in any state, is room and board, meaning the rent and meals. That's a federal rule, with only narrow exceptions such as some respite stays. So plan for the housing cost to fall to the family even when a waiver picks up the care.

How much is assisted living, and how much does the state matter?

Nationally the median is about $6,200 a month, but your state matters more than that number. State medians range widely: about $5,300 a month in a lower-cost state like Georgia, and about $12,096 a month in Hawaii, the most expensive., Check your state's guide for the local figure.

Is assisted living the same as a nursing home?

No. Assisted living is for people who need daily help with things like bathing, dressing, and medications but not full-time medical care. A nursing home provides skilled, around-the-clock nursing. They differ in cost, in licensing, and in how Medicaid treats them, which is why your state's guide covers each separately.

Which states are cheapest and most expensive for assisted living?

Among the states we've priced, Georgia sits on the lower end at about $5,300 a month (43rd of 50 states, so seven cost less), and Hawaii is the most expensive at roughly $12,096 a month., Most states fall in between, and costs can vary within a state too, from one metro area to the next. Your state's guide has its own median.

Learn More

FinancialHow to Pay for Assisted LivingHow to pay for assisted living in 2026: what it costs and how private pay, Medicaid waivers, VA Aid and Attendance, and long-term care insurance each fit. FinancialHow to Pay for Senior CareHow to pay for senior care: what it costs nationally and how Medicaid, Medicare, VA benefits, and private pay each fit. Who qualifies, what's covered, in 2026. FinancialHow Much Long-Term Care Costs and How Long You'll Need ItHow much long-term care costs and how long you'll likely need it: the almost 70% lifetime odds, national price tables, and who actually pays the bill in 2026. FinancialSenior Property Tax Relief by StateWhich states freeze property taxes for seniors, where low-income seniors can owe none, and how exemptions, credits and deferrals work, plus a guide per state. Care TypesAdult Day Care: What It Costs and Who PaysThe national median for adult day health care is about $95 a day. Here's what that covers, who pays (Medicaid, Medicare, the VA), and how to lower the cost. Care TypesHow to Choose an Assisted Living FacilityHow to choose an assisted living facility: check the state license and inspection record, tour twice, and read the contract and fees before you sign.

Find personalized help choosing and paying for assisted living in your state at brevy.com.

The information on Brevy.com is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional legal, financial, or medical advice. Rules vary by state and program and change frequently. Always verify with the relevant agency or a qualified professional. Brevy is not a law firm, financial advisor, or healthcare provider.

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Expert eldercare guidance from Brevy's team of healthcare professionals and researchers.