Assisted living costs vary by state from a median of $4,369 a month in Mississippi to $12,096 in Hawaii, according to the 2025 CareScout Cost of Care Survey. The national median was $6,200. Alaska, Massachusetts, Connecticut and New Jersey were also above $8,500, while Alabama, Arkansas, North Dakota and South Dakota were under $5,000.
Maybe your parent lives in one state and you live in another, and you're wondering whether a move closer to you would cost more or less. Or you just want to know whether the quote in your hand is normal for the area. Below is every state's 2025 median from the same survey, what the figures measure, and how to find the number for your parent's actual metro area.
Assisted living cost in every state (2025)
These are the median monthly and annual costs for a private one-bedroom in an assisted living community, from CareScout's published 2025 data tables. The last column is the difference from the $6,200 national median, calculated from the table.
| State | Monthly median | Annual median | vs. national median |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States (national) | $6,200 | $74,400 | same |
| Alabama | $4,425 | $53,100 | −$1,775 |
| Alaska | $9,882 | $118,578 | +$3,682 |
| Arizona | $6,250 | $75,000 | +$50 |
| Arkansas | $4,637 | $55,644 | −$1,563 |
| California | $7,000 | $84,000 | +$800 |
| Colorado | $6,584 | $79,005 | +$384 |
| Connecticut | $9,118 | $109,410 | +$2,918 |
| Delaware | $7,600 | $91,200 | +$1,400 |
| Florida | $5,610 | $67,320 | −$590 |
| Georgia | $5,300 | $63,600 | −$900 |
| Hawaii | $12,096 | $145,155 | +$5,896 |
| Idaho | $5,175 | $62,100 | −$1,025 |
| Illinois | $6,219 | $74,628 | +$19 |
| Indiana | $5,639 | $67,665 | −$561 |
| Iowa | $5,381 | $64,566 | −$819 |
| Kansas | $5,975 | $71,700 | −$225 |
| Kentucky | $5,528 | $66,330 | −$672 |
| Louisiana | $5,163 | $61,950 | −$1,037 |
| Maine | $8,205 | $98,460 | +$2,005 |
| Maryland | $7,173 | $86,070 | +$973 |
| Massachusetts | $9,600 | $115,200 | +$3,400 |
| Michigan | $5,818 | $69,816 | −$382 |
| Minnesota | $6,573 | $78,870 | +$373 |
| Mississippi | $4,369 | $52,425 | −$1,831 |
| Missouri | $5,400 | $64,800 | −$800 |
| Montana | $6,075 | $72,900 | −$125 |
| Nebraska | $6,350 | $76,200 | +$150 |
| Nevada | $6,241 | $74,895 | +$41 |
| New Hampshire | $8,025 | $96,300 | +$1,825 |
| New Jersey | $8,710 | $104,520 | +$2,510 |
| New Mexico | $5,950 | $71,400 | −$250 |
| New York | $7,110 | $85,320 | +$910 |
| North Carolina | $6,496 | $77,955 | +$296 |
| North Dakota | $4,729 | $56,745 | −$1,471 |
| Ohio | $6,103 | $73,230 | −$97 |
| Oklahoma | $6,150 | $73,800 | −$50 |
| Oregon | $6,875 | $82,494 | +$675 |
| Pennsylvania | $6,480 | $77,760 | +$280 |
| Rhode Island | $7,781 | $93,366 | +$1,581 |
| South Carolina | $5,350 | $64,200 | −$850 |
| South Dakota | $4,900 | $58,800 | −$1,300 |
| Tennessee | $5,845 | $70,140 | −$355 |
| Texas | $5,666 | $67,992 | −$534 |
| Utah | $5,475 | $65,700 | −$725 |
| Vermont | $8,597 | $103,167 | +$2,397 |
| Virginia | $6,945 | $83,340 | +$745 |
| Washington | $7,600 | $91,200 | +$1,400 |
| West Virginia | $6,340 | $76,080 | +$140 |
| Wisconsin | $6,540 | $78,480 | +$340 |
| Wyoming | $5,325 | $63,900 | −$875 |
A few patterns stand out. The five highest states (Hawaii, Alaska, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey) are all at least $2,500 a month above the national median. The five lowest (Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas, North Dakota, South Dakota) are all at least $1,300 below it. Neighboring states can differ a lot: Idaho's median is $5,175 while Washington's is $7,600.
What these state figures measure, and what they miss
Each figure is the median of monthly private-pay rates that assisted living communities reported to CareScout surveyors between July and November 2025. The survey asked for one-bedroom rates ranging from basic care to more substantial care, and used the midpoint when a community gave a range. The annual figure is the monthly fee multiplied by 12.
What a state median can't tell you:
- Metro differences. A state median blends expensive cities and cheaper rural areas.
- Your parent's care level. A resident who needs help with bathing, dressing and medications may pay well above the median in the same building.
- Memory care. Memory care rates are not broken out in these assisted living medians.
- One-time fees. The survey noted whether communities charge a non-refundable community or entrance fee, but the monthly medians don't include it.
- Next year. The national median rose 5% from 2024 to 2025. Plan for increases.
There is also a naming quirk. CareScout's methodology notes more than 70 different names for facilities licensed as some form of assisted care, and in California these communities are called Residential Care Facilities for the Elderly. When you search locally, use your state's term as well as "assisted living."
How to find the cost in your parent's city or region
CareScout's online Cost of Care tool breaks the 2025 survey down into 434 regions across the 50 states and DC. That is the closest free benchmark to what you will actually be quoted.
- Go to the CareScout Cost of Care page and choose "Assisted living community."
- Enter the ZIP code or city where your parent would live, not where they live now if a move is planned.
- Note the regional monthly median and write down the survey year next to it.
- Compare it with the state row above. If the region is much higher, the state figure will mislead your budget.
Then check the benchmark against reality. Call or email three communities in that area and ask for their current fee schedule, including care levels. If all three are far above the regional median for the care your parent needs, trust the quotes. If one is far below, ask what the base rate leaves out. The guide to what assisted living costs explains what is and isn't usually in the monthly price.
Comparing two states: near you or near your parent
Price is one input when you're deciding where your parent should live, and it's easy to calculate. Say your mom lives in Florida and you live in New Jersey. From the table, the state medians differ by $3,100 a month, which is $37,200 a year before any increases. Over a three-year stay, that is more than $110,000 at today's medians.
That doesn't settle the question. Being close to family changes how often someone visits, notices problems, and joins care plan meetings. It also changes your travel costs and time off work. The near you or near your parent post weighs those factors. If you do decide on a move across state lines, moving a parent to assisted living in another state covers the paperwork that changes, from licensing to Medicaid.
What to say to your parent: "Mom, assisted living near me would cost about this much more each month. Before we decide, I want to know what matters most to you: staying near your friends and church, or being close enough that I can drop by every week?"
What changes across state lines besides the price
Assisted living is licensed by each state, so moving from one state to another changes more than the rent.
- Medicaid. A 2026 GAO report found that 44 state Medicaid programs covered assisted living services as of March 2025. Of those, 29 used home- and community-based services waivers, which let states cap enrollment. If your parent has Medicaid now or may need it later, ask the destination state's Medicaid agency how and when to apply there before the move. See does Medicaid pay for assisted living.
- Licensing and inspection reports. Each state's licensing agency sets its own rules and publishes inspections in its own format.
- Contract rules. Notice periods for rate increases, refund rules and discharge protections are set state by state.
Compare communities in both states on one sheet
Parent Move Plan includes 41 tour questions and a weighted comparison of 12 criteria, cost among them, so a Florida community and a New Jersey community can be scored the same way. The day-by-day plan then counts every task back from the move-in date.
Build your plan in 2 minutesA five-step check before you trust any figure
Use this checklist whenever you see an assisted living cost figure online, including the ones on this page.
- Which survey, which year? A figure without a named source and survey year is not a benchmark. The 2023 national median was about 14% below the 2025 one.
- Median or average, monthly or annual? Mixing them produces errors of thousands of dollars.
- What unit and care level? CareScout uses a private one-bedroom. A studio or a shared companion suite is priced differently.
- State or metro? Use the metro figure for budgeting.
- Does it match real quotes? Three written fee schedules from local communities beat any survey.
Once you have a realistic monthly figure, the next step is to see how long your parent's income and savings would cover it. The ways families pay for assisted living post lays out the options side by side.
Frequently asked questions
Which state has the cheapest assisted living?
In the 2025 CareScout Cost of Care Survey, Mississippi had the lowest state median at $4,369 a month, followed by Alabama ($4,425), Arkansas ($4,637) and North Dakota ($4,729). Individual communities can still cost far more or less than the state median.
Which state has the most expensive assisted living?
Hawaii had the highest 2025 state median at $12,096 a month, followed by Alaska ($9,882), Massachusetts ($9,600) and Connecticut ($9,118), according to CareScout's 2025 survey.
Is assisted living cheaper in Florida?
Florida's 2025 median was $5,610 a month, below the national median of $6,200, per the CareScout survey. Prices vary widely between Florida metro areas, so look up the specific region before you plan around the state figure.
Why isn't Washington, DC in the table?
CareScout surveyed providers in all 50 states and DC, but its published state data table for assisted living lists the 50 states only. Use the CareScout online tool to check the Washington metro region instead.
Do Medicaid rules for assisted living differ by state?
Yes. According to a 2026 GAO report, 44 state Medicaid programs covered assisted living services as of March 2025, using different program types, eligibility rules and enrollment caps. Check with the Medicaid agency in the state where your parent will live.
Sources
- CareScout: Cost of Care Survey 2025 (accessed Sept 2026)
- CareScout: Cost of Care Survey 2025, Median Cost Data Tables (accessed Sept 2026)
- CareScout: Cost of Care Survey 2025, Ranked Median Costs by State (accessed Sept 2026)
- CareScout: Cost of Care Survey 2025, Methodology (accessed Sept 2026)
- U.S. GAO: Assisted Living Facilities, Information on Federal Spending and Medicaid (GAO-26-107884) (accessed Sept 2026)