Annual median cost of care, all 12 states
Sorted by private nursing home room, most to least expensive. Each state name links to that state's full guide. Genworth and CareScout Cost of Care Survey, 2024 medians.
| State | Home health aide | Assisted living | Nursing home, semi private | Nursing home, private |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | $97,240 | $135,735 | $181,040 | $196,370 |
| New York | $77,792 | $75,600 | $176,660 | $186,698 |
| California | $89,232 | $88,200 | $140,343 | $182,135 |
| Nevada | $86,944 | $73,320 | $134,503 | $153,483 |
| Colorado | $96,096 | $70,521 | $120,450 | $139,795 |
| Michigan | $77,792 | $72,480 | $127,750 | $138,883 |
| Florida | $68,640 | $63,885 | $124,100 | $138,700 |
| Idaho | $76,648 | $55,200 | $120,815 | $128,480 |
| Arizona | $82,368 | $76,446 | $91,250 | $125,925 |
| Kansas | $73,216 | $71,400 | $93,075 | $102,200 |
| Arkansas | $59,488 | $56,688 | $85,775 | $92,528 |
| Texas | $68,640 | $63,000 | $65,700 | $85,045 |
What stands out in the data
- Hawaii is the most expensive state we serve on every measure, with assisted living alone at $135,735 a year, about 54 percent more than California, the next highest.
- Texas and Arkansas are the two most affordable for nursing home care, and Texas costs less than half of what Californians pay. Idaho is the cheapest for assisted living at $55,200.
- New York and California each cross $180,000 a year for a private room, which is why hybrid policies and partnership program protection matter most in high cost states.
- A home health aide runs $59,000 to $97,000 a year everywhere we checked, so aging at home is a six figure plan in every state, not a budget alternative.
- Moving states in retirement can change lifetime care exposure by more than a million dollars over a decade, which is worth knowing before you pick where to retire.
Where these numbers come from
Every figure is the state median from the Genworth and CareScout Cost of Care Survey, 2024 edition, the same source cited on each of our individual state guides. Where the survey publishes monthly medians we annualized at 12 months, following the survey's own convention. Costs are medians, so half of providers in a state charge more. Medicare does not pay for ongoing custodial long term care in any state, which is exactly why these numbers belong in your retirement planning.
Lara Goulson compares long term care and hybrid policies in the states where she is licensed, at no cost: (818) 472-5484.
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