California Home Help

Cost of carePrivate home care

Private home care

Cost of home care 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.

If a parent can stay in the house they already chose, families usually price a licensed Home Care Organization by the hour and, in parallel, ask whether In-Home Supportive Services can cover authorized tasks. This page uses the CareScout 2025 California non-medical caregiver median of $40/hour. It is a planning estimate, not an agency quote and not an IHSS wage.

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.

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Short answer

At $40/hour, 20 hours/week is about $3,467/month at the midpoint ($3,033 to $3,900). The CareScout published 44-hour basis is about $7,627/month. Live-in framing uses 12 billed hours/day, not 24 times the hourly rate.

How this number is sourced

Mid is the CareScout 2025 California median for a non-medical caregiver ($40/hour, as reported hourly). Low and high are a planning band of $35 to $45 around that median to illustrate county and agency variation. They are not published percentiles.

IHSS and Medi-Cal at home

IHSS may pay an enrolled family member or other individual provider for authorized tasks in the same home. That wage is a county figure. Keep private agency hours and IHSS timesheets on separate calendars.

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

Private home care (licensed HCO)

$3,033 to $3,900monthly

Low
$3,033
Midpoint
$3,467
High
$3,900

Annual: $36,400 to $46,800Midpoint $41,600 per year

How this number was calculated

20 hours/week × $40/hour × (52 ÷ 12) weeks = $3,467/month at the midpoint. Low uses $35/hour. High uses $45/hour. 52 ÷ 12 is about 4.33 weeks.

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 in-home care cost in California?
The CareScout 2025 California median is $40 per hour for a non-medical caregiver. A 20-hour week plans to about $3,033 to $3,900 per month. A 44-hour week, the published CareScout basis, plans to about $6,673 to $8,580 per month.
Is that the same as an IHSS paycheck?
No. IHSS hours and the hourly wage are set by the county after assessment and provider enrollment. This calculator shows the private-pay alternative for the same hours. It does not invent an IHSS warrant.
What is live-in home care in this calculator?
Live-in is modeled as 12 billed hours per day, not 24 times the hourly rate. Agencies often quote a daily package instead. CareScout does not publish a California live-in daily median.
Does Medicare pay for a home-care aide?
Medicare’s public pages describe limited skilled home health, which is not the same as ongoing help with bathing and meals. Custodial home care is usually private pay, IHSS, or another non-Medicare payer.
Can we mix IHSS and a licensed agency?
Yes, as two calendars. IHSS covers only authorized tasks. Extra agency hours are usually private pay. Do not blend the two on one timesheet.

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.