Assisted Living vs. Home Care Affordability Calculator

Assisted Living or Home Care?

Estimating Assisted Living Costs

Estimating one’s projected assisted living costs is easier than projecting one’s home care costs. One simply needs to determine their assisted living needs and the average costs of care for their geographic area. Nationwide, the average monthly cost of assisted living is approximately $4,000. State by state averages range dramatically, from as low as $2,844 to as much as $9,266.

Alzheimer’s and dementia care cost approximately $1,150 additional per month. Therefore, average assisted living costs range from $2,500 / month for basic care service in the least expensive states to just over $7,150 / month for higher level care in the most expensive states.

To calculate your monthly cost estimate, use our cost calculator or look at the average cost of assisted living by state and add $1,000 if higher level care, such as for Alzheimer’s care is required. (Please keep in mind that the cost of dementia care, just like the cost of basic assisted living, can vary dramatically between states and even within the same state).

Estimating Home Care Costs (the Quick Way)

Calculating the cost of home care for an accurate comparison to assisted living is a much harder process. We provide both a simple method and a more thorough and accurate approach.

For the simple method, estimate the number of hours per month that home care is required and multiply that by the average costs of home care in your state. The average hourly cost of home care ranges from approximately $16 / hour in the least expensive states, mostly in the southeastern area of the country, to $28 / hour in Washington. Alternatively, for regional averages within a state, use our calculator.

Estimating Home Care Costs (the Accurate Way)

This approach consists of 5 Steps in a worksheet format to assist families in projecting their true cost of home care. Print This Page.

1) Determine the Types of Care Required

Look at a typical week for the individual needing care and break it into the types and amount of care required without thinking about who will provide the care. There are 168 hours in a week and the 4 Types of Care should add up to 168 hours.

2) Determine Providers for Each Type of Care

Personal care is often provided by friends, family and unpaid respite care providers from national organizations and non-profits. Additionally personal care can be provided in an adult day care center at a lower cost than at home. Break the personal care hours into the different provider options.

3) Determine Cost for Each Type of Care

The cost of care varies from state to state. Use the national averages or look up the specific costs for your state by following the links in the table below.

4) Determine Other Monthly Cost Savings

There are other monthly costs that would not exist if an individual were to move from their home to an assisted living community. However if one’s spouse continues to live at home, some of these expenses will not be eliminated.

5) Calculate Total Monthly Costs

In Step 3, we calculated the total weekly cost of care. We need to convert this to a monthly cost and include the Other Monthly Cost Saving from Step 4 to calculate Total Monthly Home Care Costs.