The national median monthly cost of a residential care home — also known as board and care homes or group homes — is $5,000 for a private room and $4,000 for a semi-private room. Location, the level of care provided, and room type affect the cost. Located in residential neighborhoods, care homes are usually private houses modified for senior care needs and typically accommodate 10 or fewer residents. Care services are similar to those provided in larger assisted living communities. Most, but not all, states require care homes to be licensed. Explore the costs of residential care homes in your state.
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The national monthly median starting cost of rent in a residential care home for the elderly is $5,000 for a private room and $4,000 for a semi-private room.[01] As with other senior living options, location, care services provided, and room type affect the total cost.
The following table provides the monthly median cost of rent in a residential care home in most U.S. states, according to A Place for Mom’s proprietary cost data.[01]
| State | Private Room | Semi-private Room | Community Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama* | $3,100 | $3,300 | – |
| Alaska* | $7,000 | $7,000 | – |
| Arizona | $4,500 | $3,500 | $500 |
| Arkansas* | – | – | – |
| California | $5,500 | $4,200 | $1,000 |
| Colorado | $6,800 | $5,800 | $3,500 |
| Connecticut* | $3,500 | $3,300 | – |
| Delaware* | – | – | – |
| Florida | $4,250 | $3,250 | $1,500 |
| Georgia | $3,400 | $2,500 | $500 |
| Hawaii* | $6,500 | $6,250 | – |
| Idaho* | $4,950 | $3,400 | $2,000 |
| Illinois* | $4,500 | $4,800 | $1,500 |
| Indiana* | – | – | – |
| Iowa* | – | – | – |
| Kansas* | $7,000 | $6,000 | $1,500 |
| Kentucky* | $3,900 | – | $1,325 |
| Louisiana* | $5,400 | $4,200 | – |
| Maine* | – | – | – |
| Maryland | $4,500 | $3,500 | $3,000 |
| Massachusetts* | $4,500 | $4,000 | – |
| Michigan | $4,800 | $4,000 | $500 |
| Minnesota | $7,500 | $9,250 | $500 |
| Mississippi* | $3,400 | $2,600 | – |
| Missouri* | $3,100 | $3,000 | – |
| Montana* | $3,500 | – | – |
| Nebraska* | – | – | – |
| Nevada* | – | – | – |
| New Hampshire* | $4,263 | $4,900 | $650 |
| New Jersey* | $4,750 | $2,750 | – |
| New Mexico | $6,000 | $4,700 | $1,500 |
| New York | $4,500 | $3,250 | $1,000 |
| North Carolina | $7,750 | $7,000 | $7,500 |
| North Dakota* | – | – | – |
| Ohio | $3,500 | $3,000 | $5,000 |
| Oklahoma* | $4,000 | – | – |
| Oregon | $5,000 | $4,000 | $800 |
| Pennsylvania* | $2,000 | $1,775 | – |
| Rhode Island* | – | – | – |
| South Carolina* | – | – | – |
| South Dakota* | – | – | – |
| Tennessee* | $5,000 | – | $2,500 |
| Texas | $5,000 | $4,000 | $1,800 |
| Utah* | $3,200 | – | $500 |
| Vermont* | – | – | – |
| Virginia | $5,800 | $4,500 | $5,000 |
| Washington | $7,000 | $6,000 | $1,000 |
| West Virginia* | – | – | – |
| Wisconsin | $5,000 | $4,975 | $2,000 |
| Wyoming* | – | – | – |
*These states have fewer than 10 communities reporting cost data.
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The base fee and other upfront costs of a room in a care home usually include:
Typically, the base monthly fee in a care home also includes the cost of personal care assistance that your loved one may need, such as help with the following tasks:
Some care homes offer 24-hour caregiver assistance, while others have limited assistance for residents at night. Care homes usually charge an additional fee to provide on-site caregiver help at night.
While many care homes include the cost of activities and outings in their base monthly fees, some may charge extra. Some care homes may also charge extra for additional services, such as administering medication. The national median medication administration fee in residential care homes is $250 per month.[01]
As you tour care homes, ask the following questions to learn more about their costs:
Families often pay for senior care with a combination of sources: savings and retirement income, long-term care insurance, proceeds from the sale of a home, or other alternatives.
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There’s not much data available on the cost of unlicensed care homes compared with licensed homes. Generally, licensed care professionals are paid more than unlicensed caregivers, but it’s not necessarily the case that licensed care homes cost more than those without a license.
Many states regulate care homes, and the rules — including requirements for staff and facility licensing — vary by state. In some states, residential care homes may be required to meet regulations for assisted living communities. Other states may make a greater distinction between assisted living and residential care homes. Check with your loved one’s state to learn whether (and how) it regulates care homes.
Residential care homes are like assisted living communities in terms of the types of care provided, services, and amenities. However, care homes are generally much smaller and have fewer residents.
In 2025, the national median monthly cost of assisted living is $5,190, a little more than a residential care home. If your loved one has been diagnosed with dementia, the median monthly cost of memory care is $6,450. Some assisted living communities and care homes may offer memory care services at an additional cost.
While it may be easy to find assisted living options near your loved one, you might have a harder time finding residential care homes because they typically advertise less often than larger communities.
If you’d like some help connecting with residential care homes in your loved one’s state, consider working with A Place for Mom’s Senior Living Advisors. Our experts can guide you through choosing the right senior living option for your loved one. They’ll consider their care needs, lifestyle, and budget to help find a community that’s a great fit — all at no cost to your family.
Key Takeaways
A Place for Mom Proprietary Data. (2025). A Place for Mom proprietary data.
The information contained on this page is for informational purposes only and is not intended to constitute medical, legal or financial advice or create a professional relationship between A Place for Mom and the reader. Always seek the advice of your health care provider, attorney or financial advisor with respect to any particular matter, and do not act or refrain from acting on the basis of anything you have read on this site. Links to third-party websites are only for the convenience of the reader; A Place for Mom does not endorse the contents of the third-party sites.
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