Assisted living costs $6,200/month nationally in 2024
That's $74,400/year at the median, up 5% from the prior year. Here's what the number covers, why your local price can differ, and three concrete ways to bring it down.
Data: 2024 Cost of Care Survey (CareScout)
What the monthly fee covers
The $6,200/month median covers a private or shared living unit, meals, housekeeping, and a base level of help with daily activities (bathing, dressing, medication reminders). It does not automatically include memory care, higher care tiers as a resident's needs increase, transportation, or physical therapy — those are typically billed separately.
| Care type | Monthly (2024 median) | Annual |
|---|---|---|
| Assisted Living Community | $6,200 | $74,400 |
Compare this against in-home care or nursing homes in the care cost calculator.
Why your state's price differs
$6,200/month is a national median — it blends high-cost metro areas with lower-cost rural markets. Local prices can differ from the national median by up to 40% in either direction. This site doesn't yet publish verified state-level medians, so treat the national figure as a planning baseline and confirm with quotes from communities in your area.
Three ways to lower the cost
- Ask for the base care tier in writing. Many communities quote a low "starting at" rate that assumes the lowest care tier, then move residents up after move-in. Get the tier your parent will actually need priced out before signing.
- Compare a studio vs. a shared room. Shared (companion) rooms commonly run 20-30% below a private unit at the same community — ask specifically for that rate.
- Run the numbers against in-home care first. Below a certain number of care hours per week, in-home care is cheaper than assisted living. Use the calculator to find your crossover point at 35$/hour.
Frequently asked questions
Is $6,200/month for a private or shared room?
CareScout's 2024 median of $6,200/month is reported as a monthly rate without a room-type split in the national figure. Individual communities quote private, semi-private, and studio rates separately — ask for the room type when you get a quote.
Does $6,200/month include memory care?
No. Memory care is priced and reported separately from standard assisted living and typically costs more due to higher staffing ratios. This page's figure is for standard assisted living only.
What's not included in the base monthly fee?
Most communities bill medication management, higher care tiers (as residents need more assistance), transportation, and some therapies as add-ons on top of the base rate. Ask for a full fee schedule, not just the headline number.
How much did assisted living cost go up in the past year?
CareScout's 2024 survey recorded a 5% year-over-year increase for assisted living communities, the largest increase among the five care types it tracks.