California Home Help

Cost of careAssisted living

Assisted living

Cost of assisted living in California

Updated September 16, 2026. Reviewed September 16, 2026 against public CDSS, DHCS, Medicare.gov, VA, and CareScout 2025 California tables. County wages, hours, and wait times still change. Official .gov pages decide.

Assisted living in California is usually a licensed residential care facility for the elderly. Communities bill a monthly fee, not an hourly aide rate. This page uses the CareScout 2025 California median of $7,000 per month for a private one-bedroom, with a labeled ±20% planning band. It is not an admission quote.

Planning estimate only. Figures use CareScout 2025 California statewide medians plus labeled planning bands. They are not a quote, not a facility admission, not a Medi-Cal or IHSS eligibility result, and not an hours authorization. Agency and community prices vary by county and by acuity. IHSS hours and provider pay are county and Medi-Cal decisions. This site does not calculate an IHSS paycheck. Licensed home care organizations and residential communities set their own private-pay terms. County IHSS staff authorize tasks. County Medi-Cal staff decide coverage and any share of cost. Ask those offices and providers for the number that counts.

Skip to the live calculatorFull cost calculatorCompare care optionsAsk for help lining up paperwork

Short answer

The published midpoint is $7,000 per month, or $84,000 per year. The planning band is $5,600 to $8,400. Hours of help at home do not change this facility fee. The calculator still prices licensed private home care for the same weekly hours so you can compare staying in the house.

How this number is sourced

Mid is the CareScout 2025 California median monthly fee for a private one-bedroom residential care facility ($7,000). Low and high are a ±20% planning band around that median. County, community, and acuity add-ons vary.

IHSS and Medi-Cal at home

IHSS is an own-home program. A licensed residential care facility is not that home. If a parent moves into assisted living, ask the county what happens to any open IHSS file. Do not assume hours continue.

Related tools and resources

Official sources

Official California sources

Official program pages: CDSS: In-Home Supportive Services, CDSS: IHSS for children, County IHSS offices, CDSS: IHSS providers, CDSS: county IHSS wage rates, CDSS: provider orientation, CDSS: Electronic Visit Verification, CDSS: Electronic Services Portal, DHCS: Medi-Cal, Apply for Medi-Cal, BenefitsCal, CDSS: hearing requests, CDSS: forms catalog, CDSS: IHSS overtime and workweek, DDS: regional centers.

Planning estimate only. Not a quote, not a facility admission, not a Medi-Cal or IHSS eligibility result, and not an hours authorization. Rates vary by county, agency, and facility. IHSS hours and provider pay are county and Medi-Cal decisions. We do not calculate IHSS paycheck amounts. Licensed agencies and facilities set their own private-pay terms. County IHSS staff authorize tasks. County Medi-Cal staff decide coverage and any share of cost. Ask those offices and providers for the number that counts.

Illustrative cost planner

Live dollar totals for private-pay settings, using CareScout 2025 California medians. IHSS is shown as a program path, not as a household paycheck.

Hours of help per week

Private home care is billed by the hour. CareScout publishes its California home-care median on a 44 hour/week basis. Facility rows stay monthly fees even if you change hours.

About 2.9 hours/day across 7 days

Days per week (optional)

Used to show hours/day and to model live-in framing as 12 billed hours times the days you choose. Facility fees do not change with this number.

Which setting are you pricing?

Estimated private-pay cost

Assisted living (RCFE)

$5,600 to $8,400monthly

Low
$5,600
Midpoint
$7,000
High
$8,400

Annual: $67,200 to $100,800Midpoint $84,000 per year

This setting is billed as a monthly fee. The hours slider still prices licensed private home care for the same weekly help so you can compare staying home. Private-pay home care at 20 hours/week: $3,033 to $3,900 per month.

How this number was calculated

Monthly community fee from the CareScout 2025 California assisted living median ($7,000/month), with a ±20% planning band. Hours/week do not change this facility fee. Private home care for the same 20 hours/week is shown as a comparison.

Compare settings at these hours

Private home care (licensed HCO)

$3,467/month mid

$3,033 to $3,900 monthly · $41,600 per year at midpoint · 20 hours/week

Live-in home care (hourly framing)

$14,560/month mid

$12,740 to $16,380 monthly · $174,720 per year at midpoint · 84 hours/week

Assisted living (RCFE)

$7,000/month mid

$5,600 to $8,400 monthly · $84,000 per year at midpoint

Memory care

$9,100/month mid

$8,400 to $9,800 monthly · $109,200 per year at midpoint

Nursing home

$13,673/month mid

$12,167 to $15,178 monthly · $164,076 per year at midpoint

IHSS / Medi-Cal path

Wage set by county

Private-pay alternative: $3,033 to $3,900 per month for the same hours.

Assumptions and sources

CareScout Cost of Care Survey 2025, July through November 2025. California statewide median. Published 2025 by CareScout.

  • Private home care midpoint uses the CareScout 2025 California non-medical caregiver median of $40 per hour.
  • Assisted living midpoint uses the CareScout 2025 California median of $7,000 per month for a private one-bedroom residential care facility.
  • Memory care is a 20% / 30% / 40% planning premium on that assisted living median. CareScout does not publish a separate memory-care row.
  • Nursing home low and high are the published semi-private and private-room medians.
  • Live-in framing bills 12 hours/day, not 24 times the hourly rate.
  • If a county authorizes in-home help, the program may cover those authorized services. A family member may be paid as the provider after enrollment. Hours and the hourly wage are county and Medi-Cal decisions. This planner does not calculate an IHSS paycheck and does not say anyone will receive a set amount.

Paying for care and official pages

Questions people ask

How much does assisted living cost in California?
CareScout’s 2025 California median for a private one-bedroom residential care facility is $7,000 per month. A ±20% planning band is $5,600 to $8,400. Care add-ons, deposits, and county markets vary.
Does Medi-Cal pay for assisted living?
Usually not as a room-and-board bill the way a nursing facility can bill Medi-Cal long-term care. Some home-and-community-based options exist in limited programs. Ask DHCS and the county. Do not treat this page as a coverage decision.
Can IHSS pay the assisted living rent?
No. IHSS authorizes in-home tasks for someone living in their own home. A licensed RCFE is a different setting. Read the own-home rule before counting on IHSS inside a community.
How does this compare with staying home?
Move the hours slider on this page. Private home care at 20 hours/week plans to about $3,033 to $3,900 per month at the CareScout hourly median. That is an apples-to-oranges comparison on purpose: one is an hourly aide, the other is a community fee.
Is memory care the same price?
Usually not. Memory care is often a secured unit with heavier staffing. CareScout does not publish a separate California memory-care median. See the memory-care page for the labeled planning premium.

See if IHSS may apply

A coordinator can walk through Medi-Cal, county forms, and the home visit with you. The county still decides eligibility and hours.

For example: starting an IHSS application, provider enrollment, or county forms. Keep medical records and diagnoses for the county packet.