Nursing Home Costs Average $181 Per Day in U.S. 2003 MetLife Market Survey Reports Costs Vary Widely from Region to Region The average nursing home cost in the United States is $181 per day for a private room, but there are large variations from area to area, according to a recent market study released by the MetLife Mature Market Institute. Alaska has the highest average rates at $420 per day while the Shreveport, Louisiana area has the lowest average rates at $96 per day. The nationwide average jumped 8% since April of last year when the last MetLife survey was conducted, from $168 per day.(*) The study found that the cost of a home health care aide averaged $18 per hour nationally, a 2.9% increase from last year. Home health care is most expensive in Fort Worth, Texas at $27 per hour and least expensive in New Orleans, Louisiana at $12 per hour.(*) Sandra Timmermann, Ed.D., Director of the MetLife Mature Market Institute, said these costs have been rising from year to year and as the population ages, Americans should be preparing for their long-term care needs. "There are 35 million people who are over age 65 today," said Timmermann, "and that figure will reach more than 70 million by 2030. As people get older, they are more likely to develop chronic conditions or physical and cognitive disabilities, which will require on-going assistance with day-to-day activities. "While we all hope that we will never need long-term care services, many of us will find ourselves in that position at some point in our lives. Since nursing home and home care costs are already very high and will continue to increase over time, it is important to make sure that we will be able to pay for care when we need it. A financial professional can help us determine our income and asset requirements in retirement, and the role that long-term care insurance can play in covering the costs of care," said Timmermann. Studies indicate that the average nursing home stay is 2.4 years. The projected cost in 2003 is $66,153 per year, or $158,766 for the average stay. Here are the average daily nursing home costs per market for a private room: Statewide Alaska, AK $419.80 Birmingham, AL $123.36 Montgomery, AL $139.34 Little Rock, AR $117.00 Phoenix, AZ $173.60 Tucson, AZ $188.61 Los Angeles, CA $162.27 San Diego, CA $194.46 San Francisco, CA $311.96 Colorado Springs, CO $151.80 Denver, CO $151.80 Hartford, CT $273.13 Stamford, CT $331.44 Washington, DC $230.60 Wilmington, DE $184.54 Jacksonville, FL $150.60 Miami, FL $194.00 Orlando, FL $152.80 Alpharetta, GA $138.07 Atlanta, GA $155.83
Honolulu, HI $215.16 Des Moines, IA $224.80 Boise, ID $160.00 Chicago, IL $171.53 Highland Park, IL $186.07 Peoria, IL $166.60 Fort Wayne, IN $168.20 Indianapolis, IN $164.75 Wichita, KS $127.43 Lexington, KY $156.20 Louisville, KY $141.84 New Orleans, LA $128.65 Shreveport, LA $ 95.56 Boston, MA $232.10 Worcester, MA $263.00 Baltimore, MD $183.11 Silver Spring, MD $176.40 Brunswick, ME $211.60 Detroit, MI $136.97 Grand Rapids, MI $160.80 Minneapolis, MN $184.58 Saint Paul, MN $203.04 Kansas City, MO $120.83 St. Louis, MO $133.21 Jackson, MS $124.01 Billings, MT $144.00 Charlotte, NC $160.95 Raleigh, NC $149.40 Fargo, ND $187.43 Omaha, NE $205.00 Manchester, NH $207.20 Bridgewater, NJ $222.00 Cherry Hill, NJ $248.94 Albuquerque, NM $189.15 Las Vegas, NV $158.70 New York, NY $345.50 Rochester, NY $234.82 Syracuse, NY $230.19 Akron, OH $176.20 Cleveland, OH $184.01 Columbus, OH $182.64 Oklahoma City, OK $137.00 Tulsa, OK $146.00 Eugene, OR $198.00 Portland, OR $159.50 Philadelphia, PA $204.75 Pittsburgh, PA $188.90 Scranton, PA $165.60 Providence, RI $204.00 Charleston, SC $135.50 Columbia, SC $147.13 Dell Rapids, SD $127.60 Memphis, TN $158.50 Nashville, TN $182.10 Dallas, TX $146.69 Fort Worth, TX $149.80
Houston, TX $139.83 Salt Lake City, UT $137.60 Arlington, VA $219.86 Richmond, VA $176.60 Rutland, VT $197.89 Seattle, WA $185.00 Spokane, WA $174.80 Madison, WI $184.00 Milwaukee, WI $188.00 Martinsburg, WV $164.00 Worland, WY $141.94 AVERAGE $181.24 Here are the average hourly home health care aide costs per market from licensed agencies: Statewide, AK $24.15 Birmingham, AL $14.23 Montgomery, AL $13.30 Little Rock, AR $15.65 Phoenix, AZ $17.77 Tucson, AZ $16.00 Los Angeles, CA $15.80 San Diego, CA $17.90 San Francisco, CA $20.40 Colorado Springs, CO $25.40 Denver, CO $25.74 Hartford, CT $25.25 Stamford, CT $22.56 Washington, DC $16.95 Wilmington, DE $17.65 Jacksonville, FL $16.99 Miami, FL $15.44 Orlando, FL $15.90 Alpharetta, GA $16.64 Atlanta, GA $17.70 Honolulu, HI $18.93 Des Moines, IA $21.77 Boise, ID $15.80 Chicago, IL $18.16 Highland Park, IL $20.57 Peoria, IL $17.39 Fort Wayne, IN $18.00 Indianapolis, IN $20.70 Wichita, KS $17.40 Lexington, KY $19.50 Louisville, KY $16.90 New Orleans, LA $12.20 Shreveport, LA $12.90 Boston, MA $20.75 Worcester, MA $22.14 Baltimore, MD $16.26 Silver Spring, MD $16.08 Brunswick, ME $20.00 Detroit, MI $15.65
Grand Rapids, MI $17.00 Minneapolis, MN $21.45 Saint Paul, MN $23.90 Kansas City, MO $16.38 St. Louis, MO $16.47 Jackson, MS $13.80 Billings, MT $16.58 Charlotte, NC $17.29 Raleigh, NC $17.70 Fargo, ND $17.24 Omaha, NE $19.47 Manchester, NH $21.60 Bridgewater, NJ $20.10 Cherry Hill, NJ $18.05 Albuquerque, NM $17.00 Las Vegas, NV $22.58 New York, NY $15.19 Rochester, NY $19.32 Syracuse, NY $16.59 Akron, OH $16.38 Cleveland, OH $15.23 Columbus, OH $17.85 Oklahoma City, OK $16.93 Tulsa, OK $17.88 Eugene, OR $17.32 Portland, OR $18.64 Philadelphia, PA $17.75 Pittsburgh, PA $17.93 Scranton, PA $19.19 Providence, RI $19.47 Charleston, SC $15.80 Columbia, SC $14.67 Dell Rapids, SD $16.20 Memphis, TN $18.34 Nashville, TN $17.75 Dallas, TX $16.62 Fort Worth, TX $26.54 Houston, TX $16.61 Salt Lake City, UT $18.86 Arlington, VA $18.49 Richmond, VA $14.90 Rutland, VT $19.10 Seattle, WA $20.12 Spokane, WA $16.44 Madison, WI $20.06 Milwaukee, WI $20.40 Martinsburg, WV $13.82 Statewide, WY $17.25 AVERAGE $18.12 The two-part survey of nursing homes and home care agencies in 87 markets in the 50 states and the District of Columbia was conducted by telephone in June of 2003. Ten percent of all nursing home/home care agencies in each selected area, or five nursing home/home care agencies, whichever was greater, were surveyed, for a total of 476 nursing homes and 513 home care agencies. The rates surveyed were based on private pay rates.
According to the U.S. Administration on Aging, on average, men and women who reach age 65 can expect to live until the age of 81 and 84 respectively. The longer people live, the greater the chance they will require assistance with Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) like toileting, transferring, bathing, dressing and eating. Statistics show that new nursing home residents require assistance with at least four ADLs, making it difficult for them to receive home care.