Paying for assisted living in Texas usually means combining several sources, because no single program covers the full monthly cost.
Assisted living in Texas runs about $4,570 a month, and most families piece together the bill from personal income and savings, long-term care insurance, VA benefits for those who served, and, for low-income seniors, the STAR+PLUS Medicaid waiver, which helps with care services but never room and board. This guide walks through each source so you can build a realistic plan for your family.
In This Guide
- What Assisted Living Costs in Texas
- Private Pay
- Long-Term Care Insurance
- VA Aid and Attendance
- Medicaid and the STAR+PLUS Waiver
- Frequently Asked Questions
What Assisted Living Costs in Texas
Assisted living in Texas runs about $4,570 a month as of 2026, below the national median, with costs ranging from roughly $3,500 to $5,500 or more depending on location and the level of care. Major metros like Austin and Dallas run higher, rural areas lower, and a memory-care unit or a higher care level adds to the base. Treat that median as a planning anchor, not a quote, and ask each community for an all-in monthly price that separates the base rent from the care-level add-ons.
That monthly number is the starting point for everything below: the goal is to assemble enough from the sources that follow to cover it for as long as your parent needs care.
Private Pay
Most assisted living in Texas is paid for privately, at least at first. The common sources families draw on are:
- Income: Social Security, pensions, and retirement-account withdrawals are the steadiest base.
- Savings and investments: drawn down on a planned schedule so you know how many months or years they will cover at about $4,570 a month.
- The family home: selling the home, or borrowing against it through a home-equity line or a reverse mortgage if a spouse still lives there, frees up a large share of many families' net worth.
- Annuities and life-insurance conversions: some families convert a life-insurance policy to a long-term-care benefit or use an annuity to turn a lump sum into predictable monthly income.
Build a written timeline of how long private funds will last. Knowing the month at which savings would run low is what makes it possible to apply for Medicaid in time, rather than in a crisis.
Long-Term Care Insurance
If your parent bought a long-term care insurance policy, it can cover a large part of the assisted living bill. Read the policy for three things: the daily or monthly benefit amount, the elimination period (the days you pay out of pocket before benefits start, often 30 to 90 days), and whether assisted living, not just nursing-home care, is a covered setting. Most modern policies cover assisted living, but older ones sometimes do not. File the claim early, because the elimination period does not start until the claim is approved and care has begun.
VA Aid and Attendance
A wartime veteran or a surviving spouse who needs help with daily activities may qualify for VA Aid and Attendance, an add-on to the VA pension that provides extra monthly income that can be applied to assisted living. The maximum benefit runs up to about $2,424 a month for a veteran, with higher amounts for a veteran with dependents and lower maximums for a surviving spouse. Eligibility depends on wartime service, a doctor-documented need for assistance, and income and asset limits, so it is worth applying with help from an accredited VA representative even if you are unsure your parent qualifies.
Medicaid and the STAR+PLUS Waiver
Texas Medicaid does not pay the room-and-board cost of assisted living. What it can do, for eligible low-income seniors, is pay for the personal-care services portion through the STAR+PLUS Home and Community-Based Services waiver, which covers help with bathing, dressing, meals, medication, and similar services in an assisted living facility, while the resident pays room and board. Because the waiver has a limited number of slots, there can be an interest list (wait) for assisted-living services, and the facility must accept STAR+PLUS.
To qualify for STAR+PLUS, a person must meet both a nursing-facility level of care and Texas Medicaid's financial rules. If your parent's finances are near the limits, getting advice before applying can prevent costly missteps and timing problems with the interest list.
How to Put It Together
Most Texas families layer these sources: private income and savings cover the early months, VA Aid and Attendance or long-term care insurance fills part of the gap for those who qualify, and the STAR+PLUS waiver becomes the backstop for personal-care services once income and assets are low enough. The key planning move is to map out, in advance, how long private funds last, when to get on the STAR+PLUS interest list, and when each program would come into play.
Frequently Asked Questions
Texas Medicaid does not pay the room-and-board cost of assisted living. Through the STAR+PLUS waiver, it can pay for personal-care services in an assisted living facility for eligible low-income seniors, while the resident covers room and board. The waiver has limited slots and an interest list.
About $4,570 a month as of 2026, below the national median, ranging from roughly $3,500 to $5,500 or more depending on location and care level.
Yes. A wartime veteran or surviving spouse who needs help with daily activities may qualify for VA Aid and Attendance, up to about $2,424 a month for a veteran, which can be applied to assisted living.
Qualify for STAR+PLUS by meeting a nursing-facility level of care and Texas Medicaid's financial rules, then enroll through a managed-care plan and get on the interest list for assisted-living services, choosing a facility that accepts STAR+PLUS.
Usually yes for modern policies, though older ones may cover only nursing-home care. Check the benefit amount, the elimination period, and whether assisted living is a covered setting, and file the claim as soon as care begins.
Learn More
- Assisted Living in Texas
- Cost of Senior Care in Texas
- Memory Care in Texas
- Nursing Homes in Texas
- Assisted Living vs. Memory Care in Texas
- Memory Care vs. Nursing Home in Texas
Find personalized help paying for assisted living in Texas 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.