What is the average cost of assisted living in 2026?

The national median is about $6,200 a month, according to CareScout's 2025 Cost of Care Survey — up roughly 5% from the prior year. That figure covers a base rate only; most residents also pay a care-level fee on top of it.

Why does assisted living cost so much more in some states?

Local labor costs, real estate, and state staffing requirements all feed into the rate. Coastal and high-cost-of-living states tend to run well above the national median; states with lower wages and housing costs tend to run below it.

Is the advertised price the real monthly cost?

Rarely. The advertised or "starting at" rate is usually the base fee for the smallest apartment at the lowest care level. A resident's real monthly cost adds the assessed care-level fee and any recurring add-ons — see our guide to comparing costs between communities.

Where can I find the cost for a specific facility?

Ask the community directly for its current fee schedule for the specific apartment you're considering — published averages are a planning starting point, not a quote. CareCheck's free calculator turns a real fee schedule into a true monthly number.

An older couple reviewing financial documents together on a laptop at home.

Assisted Living Costs by State (2026)

Reviewed September 2026 · CareCheck

Key takeaways

The national median cost of assisted living is about $6,200 a month (CareScout's 2025 Cost of Care Survey), up roughly 5% from the year before.
State and regional cost differences are large — often a two-to-one spread between the lowest- and highest-cost states.
The advertised or "starting at" price is almost always a base rate; most residents pay a care-level fee on top of it.
Treat any published average as a planning starting point, not a quote — get the real fee schedule for the specific community and apartment.

The national median cost of assisted living is about $6,200 a month, according to CareScout's 2025 Cost of Care Survey (CareScout is the Genworth-owned company that has published this annual survey for over 20 years) — up roughly 5% from the year before. But a single national number hides two things that matter far more to any one family: where the community is, and how much care the resident actually needs.

Why the number you see rarely matches your bill

Published averages describe a base rate — usually the smallest apartment at the lowest care level. Almost no resident pays only that. The real monthly cost is the base fee for the actual apartment, plus the fee for the assessed care level, plus any recurring add-ons. See hidden and additional fees for where those add-ons usually sit, and use the true cost calculator to build the real number from a facility's own fee schedule.

Why costs vary so much by state

Local labor costs, real estate, and state staffing requirements all feed into the rate a community charges. High-cost-of-living coastal states and states with strict staffing ratios tend to run well above the national median; states with lower wages and housing costs tend to run below it. The spread between the lowest- and highest-cost states is often close to two-to-one — which is why a "national average" is a starting point for budgeting, not a number to plan around.

What actually drives the cost for one resident

Care level. The single biggest driver after location — see how care levels are set and priced.
Room type. A private apartment costs more than a shared one; a studio costs less than a one-bedroom.
Add-on services. Medication management, incontinence care, and a second-person fee for couples can add several hundred dollars a month.
The specific community. Newer buildings and communities with more amenities generally charge more than older, smaller ones in the same area.

Memory care and nursing home costs, for comparison

Memory care typically runs 15–25% above standard assisted living in the same market — see assisted living vs. memory care. Skilled nursing care costs substantially more again, reflecting around-the-clock licensed medical staff — see assisted living vs. nursing home.

Questions worth asking in writing

What is the base fee for this specific apartment, not the starting-at price?
What is the monthly fee at the care level this assessment supports?
What add-on services will this resident likely need, and what do they cost?
How does this compare to your published average, and why?

Have the actual documents?

CareCheck reads the residency agreement, fee schedule, care assessment, and any written offer as one set — pulling out every fee, linking each to the page it came from, and flagging where the documents disagree.

Check a contract Try the cost calculator