Care costs rose 1–5% this year — except adult day care
The survey behind every figure on this site reports how each care type changed year over year. Four of the five went up. One went down, and it is the one families most often skip without pricing.
Data: CareScout Cost of Care Survey — 2025 national medians
Fieldwork July–November 2025.
| Care type | Previous survey | 2025 median | Change | Over a year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| In-home caregiver | $34/hour | $35/hour | +3% | at the survey's 44 hrs/week assumption: $2,288 a year more |
| Adult day health care | $100/day | $95/day | −5% | at 5 days a week (260 days): -$1,300 a year |
| Assisted living | $5,900/month | $6,200/month | +5% | $3,600 a year more |
| Nursing home — semi-private | $9,277/month | $9,581/month | +3% | $3,651 a year more |
| Nursing home — private | $10,646/month | $10,798/month | +1% | $1,823 a year more |
Data: CareScout Cost of Care Survey — 2025 national medians. Fieldwork July–November 2025. Percentages are the survey's own year-over-year figures; dollar changes are those percentages applied to the published medians. National medians — local prices vary.
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The one that went down
Adult day health care fell 5% — from $100 to $95 a day nationally. It is the only care type in the survey that got cheaper, and at five days a week it is about $1,300 a year less than the prior year's median.
It is also still the cheapest care type the survey tracks: $2,058 a month at 260 days a year, against $6,200 for assisted living and $6,673 for 44 hours a week of in-home care.
Why the hourly one is the hardest to compare
A 3% rise on an hourly rate is not a 3% rise on a bill. At the survey's 44 hours a week, a dollar an hour is about $2,288 a year. At 15 hours a week — enough for meals, medication reminders and bathing — the same dollar is about $780. The rate moved once; the bill depends on how many hours you actually need.
What to do with this
- If you priced a community a year ago, re-quote it. A 5% rise on $5,900 is $300 a month.
- If you have not priced adult day care, price it. It is the cheapest option here and the only one that fell.
- Budget from the current median, not from this change — this page reports what happened, not what comes next.
Run your own hours through the care cost calculator for a monthly and annual figure.
Frequently asked questions
Why did adult day care get cheaper while everything else got more expensive?
The survey publishes the change but not a reason for it, so this site does not offer one. What we can say is what the two columns show: the daily rate went from $100 to $95 nationally. A national median falling does not mean every centre in the country cut its price — it means the middle of the range moved down.
Which care type rose the most?
Assisted living, at 5% year over year — from $5,900 to $6,200 a month at the national median. Over a year that is about $3,600 more for the same room type, which is why it is worth re-quoting a community you priced 12 months ago.
Is a 3% increase a big deal for in-home care?
It depends on the hours, because in-home care is billed hourly. A dollar an hour at the survey's 44 hours a week is about $2,288 more a year. At 15 hours a week the same increase is about $780 — the rate moved the same amount; the bill moved differently.
Are these increases the same everywhere in the country?
No. These are national medians, and the survey itself notes that an individual provider can differ significantly from the median for its market. Use the calculator for the national picture, then ask two local providers for their current rates — a local quote is the only figure that applies to your decision.
Should I use last year's number to budget for next year?
Not as a forecast. This page reports what already happened between the two survey years; it is not a prediction. If you need a planning figure, budget the current median and ask the provider about its own scheduled increases — many communities raise rates on a set annual date.
Next, price out the other options
- In-home caregiver cost
Every care type here is priced per month except this one, which is billed by the hour. That one difference is what makes in-home care cheap at 15 hours a week and the most expensive option at 50.
- Adult day health care cost
The cheapest care type in the survey, and the one families most often skip past without pricing. Here is what a day of attendance buys compared with the same hours of in-home care.
- Assisted living cost
The most common step up from care at home. What the monthly fee covers, what gets billed on top of it, and the two line items to ask for in writing before signing.
- Nursing home costs
Two published rates, and a $14,600-a-year gap between them. Room type and billing period (31-day months cost more than 28-day months) are the two things that move this number.