15th
OVERALL STATE RANK
In Pennsylvania, assisted living residences provide food, shelter, personal care, and supplemental health care services to individuals requiring assistance or supervision with activities of daily living or medication administration. On average, assisted living in Pennsylvania costs $5,100 per month or $61,200 annually, according to A Place for Mom’s proprietary data.[01] To keep up with Pennsylvania’s increasing senior population, the state offers a range of assisted living communities to accommodate various budgets, care needs, and lifestyles.
Overall state ranking out of 50
State scorecard
How we determine rankings
Our 2023 state ranking for assisted living uses A Place for Mom’s proprietary data collected from our community partners. First, we sorted through our metrics and grouped them into three pillars that are key in a quality assisted living experience. We weighted these pillars differently based on insights from our senior living experts. Then, we used these categories and their weighting to determine how each state ranks.
Top ranked Pennsylvania cities for assisted living overall
The cost of assisted living can greatly vary given the range of options. However, the approximate monthly cost range of assisted living in Pennsylvania falls between $3,000 and $7,500 per month, according to A Place for Mom’s internal data. This range is an estimate based on what referred families actually paid at our partnering assisted living facilities in Pennsylvania. It accounts for all costs including room and board, care, and access to on-site amenities.
Pennsylvania assisted living costs are reflective of average nationwide costs, but prices can vary depending on location, floor plan, care needs, and amenities. Some Pennsylvania communities offer luxurious amenities — like 24-hour concierge, fully equipped fitness rooms, spacious lounge areas, and robust wellness programs — that lead to a higher cost. Fortunately, there are still many affordable options that focus on providing quality care along with a few essential amenities. Additionally, seniors can reduce some care costs with programs like Medicaid or Medicare.
Average monthly costs
Pennsylvania
US National average
Average monthly costs
Pennsylvania
Maryland
District of Columbia
Delaware
New Jersey
Average monthly costs
Average monthly costs
Our free tool provides options, advice, and next steps based on your unique situation.
There are several payment methods for assisted living available to families in Pennsylvania, and families who start planning early tend to have the most options. Many families combine private and public resources to cover assisted living expenses. In this section, you’ll find a variety of potential options and resources. For a quick overview of payment options, you can also visit our guide to paying for long-term care.
The private pay options available to your senior loved one will depend on their current situation. Options may include savings accounts, retirement pensions, and any of the options listed below.
Pennsylvania seniors often choose to downsize by selling their homes to fund assisted living costs.
If selling their home isn’t feasible, Pennsylvania seniors can take out a loan based on their home’s equity to pay for assisted living expenses.
Seniors in Pennsylvania can use a health savings account, also known as an HSA, to cover medical expenses and some assisted living care costs.
Some life insurance policies can be borrowed from, surrendered, or sold to help Pennsylvania seniors cover assisted living expenses.
Long-term care insurance policies greatly vary in what they cover, but they may cover some care services at a Pennsylvania assisted living facility.
Social Security benefits for assisted living
Qualifying Pennsylvania seniors can use Social Security benefits to fund monthly assisted living expenses.
Pennsylvania assisted living facilities must be licensed and regulated by the Office of Long-Term Living’s Bureau of Human Services Licensing operated by the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services.[02]
The department performs inspections on assisted living facilities every 24 months to check for compliance in the following areas:[02]
To access information on inspections of Pennsylvania assisted living facilities, also referred to as personal care homes, you can visit the health department’s annual reports page. If you’d like more information on assisted living regulations in Pennsylvania, you can visit the personal care home and assisted living residence licensing page on the Department of Human Services website.
Our free tool provides options, advice, and next steps based on your unique situation.
We developed a system to rate each state on how easy — or difficult — it is to find important assisted living records and reports, and we compiled tips to help you in your search.
States with the most transparent records allow you to look up important information about each assisted living facility online, including inspections, complaints, survey results, violations, capacity, and whether the facility accepts Medicaid.
Public access to assisted living records and reports for the state of Pennsylvania is exceptional. Key findings that informed this rating include:
We developed a standard methodology for state data collection and evaluation, and we based our rating primarily on the objective, state-specific accessibility criteria outlined in these questions:
Very happy overall. Staff is very attentive and helpful. Easy to get info and updates from management. The facility is kept very clean. The staff is friendly and helpful. Everyone says "hello" and are...
We are very happy with the facility and the care- they make every effort to keep residents in the assisted living level as long as possible.
I moved here a year ago from Florida and was very nervous, but everyone here was so caring and I felt at ease. It never felt like I was in a facility, it felt like home and the staff felt like family. You...
Overall the Pinnacle is a good place. My mom is happy and safe. At times, personal care services (assistance with showering, trash pick up, and laundry) have been a bit inconsistent. I recently met with the...
The staff at The Birches in Newton is kind and caring. Residents in the Memory Care but are treated with dignity and respect. The facility is clean and cheerful. One really can feel at home here.
They have friendly staff. They did their best to engage residents in scheduled activities. Limited night and weekend activities.
Thank you. I am very pleased about the quality of service my loved one has received. I highly recommend the facility. The other facilities appeared to have dorm like or nursing room like settings or they...
I am currently a resident at Fountain View at Logan Square. The only real negative is due to the ongoing renovations, the lack of efficient elevator service due to elevator replacements, and a mouse...
Great staff, very helpful. Facility is very clean. Happy with our decision to put our family member there. We just liked everything about the place overall.
It has been excellent! Beautiful place, extremely clean, kind and caring staff, lots of activities every day, excellent food with the ability to order off of a menu. We picked this community because of...
I would definitely recommend the facility. The staff is both kind and helpful. The facility has a lovely dining room with access to the outside, weather permitting. The menu has both good selection and...
The facility is convenient and in a good location. Merrill Gardens should pay more attention to cleanliness of the Garden Center (memory care) and the main dining room on the first floor. The caregivers are...
The staff. Well trained, friendly, always available, engages with residents & well staffed (always enough people). We would recommend the Sunrise of Westtown community to other families who may need a place...
I have recommended Arbor Terrace to others already. [name removed] is fabulous. Their food service staff is so very personal. It was what was needed for our folks at the time.
A Place for Mom. (2022-2023). A Place for Mom proprietary data.
Pennsylvania Department of Human Services. (2023). Personal care home and assisted living residence licensing.
Overview of assisted living in PA
Find assisted living near you
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