Estimate nursing home, assisted living, and memory care costs by state — and see your real out-of-pocket after Medicare and insurance.
Your Care Plan
Skilled Nursing only · max 100 days
Your Cost Estimate
Net Out-of-Pocket Cost
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Enter your care plan to see your estimate.
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Annual Cost (Year 1)
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Total Over Stay
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Medicare Covers
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LTC Insurance Covers
Annual = Monthly × State Index × 12Total = Σ Annual × (1 + inflation)ⁿOOP = Total − Medicare − Insurance
Annual Cost by State
Annual cost of the selected care type across states. Your selected state is highlighted.
Medicaid Spend-Down Planning
Asset limit (single applicant)
$2,000
Most states require a single applicant to have no more than about $2,000 in countable assets to qualify for long-term-care Medicaid. A home, one vehicle, and personal belongings are usually exempt.
The 5-year look-back
Medicaid reviews asset transfers made in the 60 months before applying. Gifts or below-market transfers during this window trigger a penalty period of ineligibility. Plan transfers well in advance.
What Medicaid covers
Once eligible, Medicaid pays for ongoing custodial nursing-home care that Medicare will not — the long-term care most residents actually need. Assisted living coverage varies by state through waivers.
Spend-down, done right
"Spending down" means using excess assets on care, home modifications, or paying off debt — not giving money away. An elder-law attorney can help protect a spouse's assets through allowances.
ℹThis is general information, not legal advice. Medicaid rules vary by state — consult a qualified elder-law attorney before making transfers.
3 min read3 steps7 terms2 examples5 FAQsannual = base_monthly x state_index x 12
Long-term care is one of the largest expenses most families never plan for, and the sticker price varies enormously by the type of care and where you live.
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Walk-through
How to Use This Calculator
1
Pick care type and state
Choose the level of care — assisted living, memory care, skilled nursing, independent living, or in-home care — and your state. The annual cost updates to the state-adjusted 2024 median.
2
Set length of stay and inflation
Enter how many years of care you expect and an annual cost-inflation rate (3% is typical). The tool compounds each year forward to a realistic multi-year total.
3
Add Medicare and insurance
Enter Medicare-covered skilled-nursing days and any long-term-care insurance monthly benefit. The result shows your net out-of-pocket cost and the Medicaid spend-down level.
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Reference
Formula & Methodology
Annual cost
annual = base_monthly x state_index x 12
The national 2024 median monthly cost for the chosen care type, scaled by a state cost index, times twelve months.
Total over stay
total = sum over y of [ annual x (1 + inflation)^y ]
Each year's cost is grown by the inflation rate and summed across the length of stay, so later years cost more than the first.
Net out-of-pocket
out_of_pocket = total - medicare_covered - insurance_covered
Medicare (skilled nursing only, days 1-100) and any long-term-care insurance benefit are subtracted from the total to give your real cost.
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YMYL
Trust, Methodology & Sources
Written by Calculover Editorial TeamUpdated 2026-05-303 sourcesMethodology & limitations▸
Editorial accountability
Author: {{^authorProfileUrl}}Calculover Editorial Team{{/authorProfileUrl}} - Personal finance research
Annual cost = 2024 national median monthly cost for the selected care type (Genworth / CareScout Cost of Care Survey) multiplied by a state cost index and twelve months. Totals compound each year by the user's inflation rate. Medicare skilled-nursing coverage applies days 1-20 in full and days 21-100 minus a $194/day copay (per the project spec; the 2024 CMS figure is $204). Long-term-care insurance subtracts a fixed monthly benefit. Medicaid eligibility is shown at the common $2,000 single-applicant asset limit.
Assumption: Costs start from 2024 national medians and are scaled by an approximate state cost index relative to the national figure.
Assumption: The full stay is at the same care level; transitions between care types are not modeled.
Assumption: Medicare coverage applies only to a Skilled Nursing Facility stay following a qualifying hospital admission.
Limitations & guidance
State averages vary widely by metro area and facility; actual written quotes will differ from the estimate.
Medicare does not cover long-term custodial care, assisted living, or memory care.
Medicaid asset and income limits, waiver programs, and spend-down rules differ by state and change over time.
Professional guidance: This calculator is for educational and planning purposes only and is not financial, legal, tax, or medical advice. Care prices vary by facility and region — obtain written quotes and consult a qualified financial planner or elder-law attorney before making decisions.
Assisted livingHousing with help for daily activities like bathing, dressing, and medication, but without round-the-clock skilled medical care. Median cost about $4,995/month in 2024.
Memory careA specialized form of assisted living for people with Alzheimer's or dementia, with secured units and trained staff. It costs roughly 20-30% more than standard assisted living.
Skilled nursing facility (SNF)A nursing home providing 24-hour licensed nursing and rehabilitation. The most expensive option, with a 2024 median near $9,733/month for a private room.
Custodial careNon-medical help with daily living (eating, bathing, mobility). It is the care most seniors need long-term, and the care Medicare specifically does not cover.
Medicaid spend-downUsing excess assets on care and approved expenses until you fall under your state's asset limit (about $2,000 for a single person) to qualify for Medicaid.
Five-year look-backMedicaid reviews asset transfers made in the 60 months before applying. Gifts or below-market transfers in that window create a penalty period of ineligibility.
Show all 7 terms▸
Long-term care (LTC) insuranceA policy that pays a fixed daily or monthly benefit toward custodial care. Premiums are far lower if purchased in your 50s than after a diagnosis.
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Scenarios
Real-World Examples
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Planning ahead in California
3 years of assisted living
Care type Assisted LivingState CaliforniaYears 3Inflation 3%
At California's higher cost index, assisted living runs about $70,700 in year one. With 3% inflation over three years the total reaches roughly $218,600 — all out-of-pocket, since neither Medicare nor Medicaid covers routine assisted living.
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Recovering after surgery
Short skilled-nursing stay
Care type Skilled NursingYears 0.25Medicare days 100
A three-month rehab stay in skilled nursing is where Medicare actually helps: it pays days 1-20 fully and days 21-100 minus a daily copay, cutting a large share of the bill. Out-of-pocket is far lower than a long custodial stay of the same length.
Long-term care is one of the largest expenses most families never plan for, and the sticker price varies enormously by the type of care and where you live. This calculator estimates the cost of assisted living, memory care, skilled nursing, independent living, or in-home care by state, projects the total over your expected stay with inflation, and shows what Medicare, long-term-care insurance, and Medicaid actually pay so you can see the real number you would owe.
How the Retirement Home Cost Calculator works
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The tool starts from the 2024 national median monthly cost for the care type you choose, then multiplies by a state cost index so a Mississippi estimate differs from a Massachusetts one. That state-adjusted figure becomes the annual cost, which is compounded forward by your inflation rate for each year of the stay. Medicare coverage (only for short skilled-nursing stays) and any long-term-care insurance benefit are subtracted to give the net out-of-pocket total. Cost medians are drawn from the Genworth / CareScout Cost of Care Survey.
What Medicare and Medicaid actually pay
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This is the most misunderstood part of senior care. Medicare only pays for short-term, medically necessary skilled nursing after a qualifying hospital stay — days 1-20 in full and days 21-100 with a daily copay, then nothing. It never covers long-term custodial care, assisted living, or memory care. Medicaid does cover long-term custodial nursing care, but only after you spend down assets to roughly $2,000 for a single applicant, subject to a five-year look-back on transfers.
Limits and edge cases
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These are planning estimates, not quotes. Real facility prices vary widely within a state, semi-private rooms cost less than private, and high-acuity or specialized care costs more. The state index is an approximation of regional cost levels, and Medicaid asset limits and waiver rules differ by state. Use this number to budget and compare options, then get written quotes from facilities and consult a financial planner or elder-law attorney before making decisions.
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Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average nursing home cost per month?+
The 2024 national median for a private room in a skilled nursing facility is about $9,733 per month, or roughly $116,800 a year. A semi-private room is closer to $8,500. Assisted living averages about $4,995 a month and memory care about $5,800. Costs vary widely by state.
Does Medicare pay for nursing home care?+
Only short-term. After a qualifying 3-day hospital stay, Medicare covers skilled nursing days 1-20 in full and days 21-100 with a daily copay, then pays nothing. It never covers long-term custodial care, assisted living, or memory care — the care most residents actually need.
When does Medicaid cover nursing home costs?+
Medicaid covers long-term nursing home care once you meet your state's income and asset limits — typically about $2,000 in countable assets for a single person. Most people qualify by spending down savings, and a five-year look-back penalizes asset transfers made to qualify sooner.
Is long-term care insurance worth it?+
It can be, if you have assets to protect and buy in your 50s or early 60s while premiums are affordable. A policy pays a fixed monthly benefit toward care. Compare your lifetime premiums against the out-of-pocket total this calculator projects for your expected stay before deciding.
How much more does memory care cost than assisted living?+
Memory care typically runs 20–30% more than standard assisted living because of secured units and specialized dementia-trained staff. Nationally that's roughly $5,800 a month for memory care versus about $4,995 for assisted living, before state adjustments.
Cost figures are based on the Genworth / CareScout Cost of Care Survey (2023–2024) national medians, adjusted by state with regional cost indices. Medicare skilled-nursing cost-sharing follows published CMS figures, and Medicaid asset limits reflect federal baselines. All math is reviewed against the cited sources.
Disclaimer: This calculator is for educational and planning purposes only and is not financial, legal, tax, or medical advice. Care prices vary widely by facility and region — obtain written quotes and consult a financial planner or elder-law attorney for decisions.