Assisted living operators nationwide in 2019 charged average monthly prices from $4,241 for a studio apartment to $5,248 for a two-bedroom unit, but pricing varied greatly based on location, according to the results of LTCG’s annual What Care Costs study, released Thursday.
For a studio apartment in assisted living, the most expensive state, based on average charge, was Maine, at $5,996 per month or $71,952 per year. The least expensive state was Louisiana, at $3,054 per month or $36,648 per year. Generally speaking, LTCG said, operators with the lowest charges were located in the Midwest or South.
The national average of $4,241 per month for a studio apartment calculated to $50,892 per year, representing a 2.6% year-over-year increase, consistent with the five-year growth trend of 2.5%, LTCG said.
For a one-bedroom unit in assisted living, the most expensive state, based on average charge, was New Jersey at $6,888 per month or $82,656 per year. The least expensive state was North Dakota, at $3,505 per month or $42,060 per year. The national average was $4,872 per month, or $58,464 per year.
For a two-bedroom unit in assisted living, the most expensive state, based on average charge, was New Jersey, at $7,922 per month or $95,064 per year. The least expensive state was North Dakota, at $3,471 per month or $41,652 per year. The national average of $5,248 per month translated to $62,976 per year.
The What Care Costs website includes long-term-care cost information for home health aides, assisted living communities and skilled nursing facilities for states and metropolitan areas across the country. The 2019 data indicate that charges have continued to increase for all categories, with the five-year compound annual growth rate in cost between 2% to 3%.
Data can be sorted by type of care and geography. To see the data, enter the code “Lincoln” in the upper right corner of the site.
The survey represents responses from more than 15,000 providers, LTCG said.
