Nursing Homes in Texas

Texas Nursing Home Regulations

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is a federal agency that regulates and provides ratings for nursing homes and skilled nursing facilities. CMS offers guidance to state Medicaid services regarding rules for facilities that are Medicaid-certified. Medicare provides a national nursing home website to view the audit and licensing history of Medicare-approved nursing homes.

Each state regulates senior living communities differently, but you can use APFM’s guide to assisted living regulations to learn more about access to facility records in Texas.

In Texas, nursing homes — also called convalescent homes or skilled nursing facilities — are intended for seniors who require 24-hour monitoring and medical assistance. These communities are designed to promote independence among seniors who require constant nursing care to perform activities of daily living (ADLs), but do not require hospital-level care.

Cost of Living

Overall, the cost of living in Texas is considered to be more affordable than the national average. All index scores are based on a scale with the national average set at 100.

Price Indexes

• Cost of Living: 91
• Groceries: 89
• Housing: 85
• Utilities: 102
• Transportation: 91

Demographics

About 13% of Texas’s population are seniors. In the 2016 presidential election, Texas leaned conservative. However, many of its counties with larger cities — like Houston, Dallas, and Austin — tend to be more progressive.

2016 Presidential Election

• 43% voted Democratic
• 52% voted Republican
• 5% voted third party or abstained

Population

• Median age: 35
• Over the age of 55: 24%
• 2018 population: 28,701,845
• 2020 population: 29,475,394
• Estimated 2025 population: 31,501,710

Miscellaneous

• 42% regularly attend a religious service
• 31% consider themselves atheist, agnostic, or a non-believer
• Across the state there are a total of 27,848 congregations
• There are 1,292 Masonic lodges in the state

Climate and Weather

Given Texas’s size, its regions have different climate classifications, so weather patterns vary across the state. The central, northern, and eastern sections of Texas have a humid subtropical climate. Much of the state’s southern border with Mexico along the Rio Grande has a hot semi-arid climate, whereas the northernmost area of the state — the “Texas Panhandle,” which is part of the Great Plains region of the U.S. — has a cold semi-arid climate. A small section in the far western corner of the state has a cold desert climate. Despite the different climate classifications, Texas overall has warmer temperatures than much of the country. The eastern section of the state is more humid with higher precipitation, whereas the western parts are much drier.

Humidity and Precipitation

• Average humidity level: 65%
• Average monthly precipitation: 3”
• Average maximum monthly precipitation: 7” (June)

Air Quality

• Average air quality index rating: 37 (Good)
• Average maximum air quality rating: 51 in July (Moderate)

Moderate air quality means that those who are sensitive to particulates in the air should limit the amount of time they spend on outdoor exertion.

Seasonal Temperatures

• Average temperature: 65°F
• Average summer temperature: 82°F
• Typical summer high: 102°F (June)
• Typical summer low: 56°F (June)
• Average winter temperature: 48°F
• Typical winter high: 75°F (February)
• Typical winter low: 16°F (January)