A nursing home provides nursing care and 24-hour supervision, and at national median rates it costs more than assisted living, in-home care or adult day care., If you are comparing nursing homes by state, what it costs, who pays, and how facilities are rated all share a federal floor but come down to where you live: nursing-facility care is a mandatory benefit in every state's Medicaid plan, while the income and asset limits to qualify are set state by state. This guide walks the rules that hold nationwide, then points you to a full guide for your state.

In This Guide

How Much Does a Nursing Home Cost?

In CareScout's 2025 Cost of Care Survey, released in March 2026, the national median for a nursing home was $315 a day for a semi-private (shared) room, or $114,975 a year, and $355 a day for a private room, or $129,575 a year. CareScout states those nursing-home rates by the day and by the year, so if you budget monthly, divide the annual figure by 12 yourself: that comes to about $9,581 a month for a semi-private room and about $10,798 a month for a private room. For comparison, the same survey puts assisted living at a national median of $6,200 a month, so a semi-private nursing-home room costs roughly one and a half times as much. Those are national medians, not prices; the actual price where you live can differ from them with local market conditions, which is one reason the who-pays question below matters so much.

Room type Per day Per month (annual divided by 12) Per year
Semi-private (shared) room $315 about $9,581 $114,975
Private room $355 about $10,798 $129,575

The monthly column is our own arithmetic on CareScout's annual figures, not a separate CareScout number. Costs also climb over time: the Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program (FLTCIP) puts its own national average for a semi-private room at $112,420 a year, from a different survey, and projects that the same year of care would reach almost $186,000 in 20 years with continued inflation.

Who Pays: Medicaid and Nursing Homes

For a long nursing-home stay, the program to understand is Medicaid. Under federal law, nursing-facility care for adults 21 and over is a mandatory Medicaid benefit, so it is part of every state's Medicaid plan. That federal floor covers people who qualify as categorically needy, and some groups, such as certain noncitizens, can get only limited services. This is different from most other long-term care: nursing-facility care and home health are the only two mandatory Medicaid long-term care benefits, while home and community-based services are optional and exist only where a state has elected them. A state that offers them through a waiver can limit them to specific groups and cap enrollment, which is what produces waiting lists.

Qualifying is where your state comes in. Nursing-home Medicaid has an income test and an asset test, and both are set within a federal frame but with state-specific numbers. A state can cover nursing-home residents under a special income limit, and federal law ties Medicaid matching funds for that group to income no higher than 300% of the SSI federal benefit rate, as SSI counts income: $2,982 a month for an individual in 2026. That federal figure is not an income limit every state publishes. The level is the state's to specify, so your state's own figure is the one that applies, and it does not always read $2,982: Idaho lists $3,002 for 2026. A single applicant commonly faces a countable-asset limit of about $2,000, drawn from the federal SSI resource standard, though the exact figure is set by each state and some states have raised or eliminated it. Because those thresholds and how a state applies them vary, your state's guide is where the real numbers live.

How Nursing Homes Are Regulated and Rated

Here the news is reassuring: nursing homes answer to one federal set of requirements. Under Social Security Act sections 1819 and 1919 and the federal rules at 42 CFR part 483, every Medicare- or Medicaid-certified nursing home in the country is measured against the same federal participation requirements, a floor that federal regulators can add to. State survey agencies inspect facilities regularly under federal guidance, CMS can fine a facility that falls short and in some cases end its participation, and CMS uses those inspection results, along with staffing and quality measures, to rate nursing homes on its public comparison site, now Medicare's Care Compare. That gives every family the same national yardstick for comparing facilities, wherever they live.

Assisted living works differently: it is licensed and regulated state by state, so what it is called, what it requires and what it covers differ from one state to the next. Its one federal overlay is a Medicaid settings rule that applies only to residences taking Medicaid payment for services, not a national licensing standard like the one nursing homes meet. When you are comparing nursing homes, start with Care Compare for the federal ratings, then check your state's guide for local costs, a facility's inspection history, and how oversight works where you live.

Is a Nursing Home the Right Setting?

A nursing home, also called a skilled nursing facility, focuses more on medical care than most assisted living or board and care homes. Services typically include nursing care, 24-hour supervision, meals and help with everyday activities, with physical, occupational and speech therapy available. Medicare pays for skilled nursing only on a short-term, post-acute basis, such as recovery after a hospital stay, and does not pay for long-term custodial care.

If the person mainly needs help with daily activities such as bathing and dressing rather than skilled medical care, that is custodial care, and Medicare does not pay for it when it is the only care needed. Medicaid personal care services, where a state offers them, deliver that kind of help to people living at home rather than in a nursing facility., Matching the setting to the level of care needed comes first; the cost and coverage above follow from it.

What Varies by State

The federal floor is the same everywhere: nursing-facility care is a mandatory benefit in every state's Medicaid plan, certified facilities are measured against one set of federal requirements and rated on Care Compare, and Medicare pays only for short skilled stays.,, What differs is the detail that decides an individual case, such as the exact income and asset limits, how your state applies them, local costs, and the state survey agency that inspects facilities where you live. That is why the smartest next step is not to learn all fifty sets of rules but to read the one that applies to you.

Find Your State

Pick your state for a full nursing-home guide: local costs, your state's Medicaid income and asset limits, and how to find and compare facilities where you live.

Find Your State's Nursing Home Guide

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Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a nursing home cost?

In CareScout's 2025 survey, released in March 2026, the national median for a nursing home was $315 a day for a semi-private room, or $114,975 a year, and $355 a day for a private room, or $129,575 a year, which works out to about $9,581 and $10,798 a month once the annual figure is divided by 12. Local costs vary widely, so check your state's guide.

Does Medicaid pay for nursing homes?

Yes, if you qualify. Nursing-facility care for adults 21 and over is a mandatory Medicaid benefit, so it is part of every state's Medicaid plan, though some groups, such as certain noncitizens, can get only limited services. You must meet your state's income and asset limits to qualify.

What is the income limit for nursing home Medicaid?

Federal Medicaid matching funds for a state's special income limit are tied to 300% of the SSI federal benefit rate, $2,982 a month for an individual in 2026, but the state's own published limit is the one that applies, and it does not always read $2,982 (Idaho lists $3,002). Countable assets are commonly capped at about $2,000. The exact limits are set by each state, so confirm yours.

Does Medicare pay for a nursing home?

Only for short, skilled, post-acute stays, such as recovery after a hospital admission. Medicare does not pay for long-term custodial nursing-home care, but Medicaid may cover it if you meet your state's eligibility rules.

How do I compare nursing homes?

Every certified nursing home is inspected by state survey agencies against one set of federal requirements, and CMS uses those results to rate facilities on Medicare's Care Compare, so start there for the national ratings. Then use your state's guide for local costs and the state survey agency that inspects facilities there.

Learn More

Care TypesThe Cost of Senior Care by StateThe 2026 national median cost of assisted living, memory care, nursing homes, and in-home care, why your state differs, and your state's own cost guide. Care TypesAssisted Living vs. Nursing Home by StateAssisted living is custodial care; a nursing home is 24/7 skilled care. See what each costs, who pays (Medicaid differs by state), and your state's guide. MedicaidNursing Home Medicaid by StateMedicaid pays for nursing-home care in every state, but the income cap, level-of-care test, and rules vary. The federal floor, what changes, and your state. 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. Care TypesNursing Home vs. Home CareNursing home vs. home care: 2026 national costs, what each provides, what Medicare and Medicaid pay in each setting, and the signs that tell you which one fits.
Your next step Weighing a nursing home for a parent and not sure how to pay for it? Brevy's care navigator can help you understand the costs and Medicaid rules in your state.

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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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