You can expect a national median cost of $34 per hour for private nonmedical in-home care in 2026; median state costs range from $25 to $44 per hour. In-home care has become increasingly popular for people who prefer to age in place, and there’s evidence that people who receive even small amounts of support with day-to-day tasks remain independent longer than those who don’t. Several factors affect the overall cost of in-home care, including a senior’s care needs, the agency, and location. This guide provides the median cost of home care in each state.
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To estimate your monthly home care cost, multiply the hourly rate by the number of hours of care per week, then multiply by 4.33 to reflect the average number of weeks in a month. Estimated monthly costs for typical care schedules at the national median hourly rate of $34 are as follows:
| Typical care schedule | Hours of care per week | Estimated monthly cost (private pay) |
|---|---|---|
| Occasional help or companionship | 7 hours | $1,031 per month |
| Part-time help with daily activities | 15 hours | $2,208 per month |
| Regular weekday support | 30 hours | $4,416 per month |
| Extensive in-home support | 44 hours | $6,478 per month |
Agencies and private caregivers have different price structures for more intensive schedules like 24/7 home care and live-in home care. The costs of these types of care can vary greatly.
Home care can end up being more expensive than senior living. Assisted living may be a better option than home care for seniors who require frequent support with activities of daily living (ADLs).
The following table provides the median hourly rates for in-home care in each state, according to A Place for Mom’s 2026 Costs of Long-Term Care and Senior Living Report. While people often think in terms of average costs, the median cost is more meaningful. A median, or middle value, gives families a better idea of what they can expect to pay by filtering out the effects of very high or very low rates.
| State | Hourly rate |
|---|---|
| Alabama | $26 |
| Alaska | $37.50 |
| Arizona | $36 |
| Arkansas | $30 |
| California | $38.50 |
| Colorado | $40 |
| Connecticut | $34 |
| Delaware | $35 |
| District of Columbia | $30 |
| Florida | $31 |
| Georgia | $31 |
| Hawaii | $40 |
| Idaho | $35 |
| Illinois | $35 |
| Indiana | $34 |
| Iowa | $34 |
| Kansas | $34 |
| Kentucky | $33 |
| Louisiana | $26 |
| Maine | $40 |
| Maryland | $35 |
| Massachusetts | $39 |
| Michigan | $33 |
| Minnesota | $42 |
| Mississippi | $25 |
| Missouri | $33 |
| Montana | $42 |
| Nebraska | $34 |
| Nevada | $34 |
| New Hampshire | $41 |
| New Jersey | $36 |
| New Mexico | $32 |
| New York | $35 |
| North Carolina | $30 |
| North Dakota | $35 |
| Ohio | $34 |
| Oklahoma | $30 |
| Oregon | $40 |
| Pennsylvania | $34 |
| Rhode Island | $39 |
| South Carolina | $32 |
| South Dakota | $44 |
| Tennessee | $32 |
| Texas | $30 |
| Utah | $35 |
| Vermont | $43 |
| Virginia | $35 |
| Washington | $42 |
| West Virginia | $28.50 |
| Wisconsin | $35 |
| Wyoming | $35.50 |
These examples reflect private pay rates for nonmedical home care and are meant for planning purposes. Actual costs vary by state, city, local agency rates, minimum hour requirements, and care needs.
If the cost of care feels out of reach, learn where to start when your parent needs care but you’re worried about the cost.
Can you afford home care?
Let our free assessment guide you to the best senior living options, tailored to your budget.
Cost of living, geography, and regulations can affect the cost of home care in each state. South Dakota is the most expensive state for home care with a median cost of $44 per hour, while Mississippi is the most affordable state with a median cost of $25 per hour.[01]
The following maps highlight the 10 most and least expensive states for home care in 2026.
How much your family will pay for home care depends on a few factors, including what type of care services your loved one needs and where they live.
Before beginning your search for in-home care, consider what kind of help your loved one needs. Do they require intensive help due to changes in physical or cognitive abilities? Or do they live independently but want assistance with a few chores? Nonmedical in-home care for elderly people usually includes services such as housekeeping, bathing support, and companionship.
“There’s evidence that even small amounts of in-home care, such as helping someone with meals or light housekeeping, can extend their independence,” says Vicki Demirozu, founder of Giving Care with Grace, a soft skills training program for caregivers.
If you’re unsure, agencies can help you understand what your loved one needs. They’ll perform a care assessment and work with you to develop a personalized care plan. This might include companionship, homemaker services, hands-on help with ADLs such as dressing and bathing, or some combination of these. Services that require a higher level of training, such as dementia care, or that are provided more frequently, like live-in care, may cost more.
In-home care costs vary based on local costs of living. State regulations also affect the cost of care. For example, several states require that agencies and/or their caregivers be certified. More qualified caregivers tend to cost more.
Read more:How to Pay for Home Care
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“In companion care or homemaker care, caregivers do a lot of things. They provide social support, companionship, light housekeeping, meal prep, and transportation assistance, but they don’t provide any hands-on care,” Demirozu explains.
Home health care differs from home care in that care is provided by trained medical professionals, such as a nurse or physical therapist, and must be ordered by a physician.
Because short-term home health care services are typically prescribed by a doctor, Medicare, Medicaid, and private health insurance plans will usually cover at least some of these costs if a senior meets certain criteria.
“For medication management, which may include filling a pill box, you need a registered nurse (RN),” says Demirozu.
Medically necessary services, such as injections, wound care, and physical and occupational therapy — in addition to prescribed durable medical equipment — are usually covered by insurance. Nonmedical services such as assistance with ADLs may also be covered if these services are part of your loved one’s prescribed care plan.
By starting home care services early, seniors may be able to age in place longer without worrying about social isolation, poor nutrition, or household responsibilities.
Demirozu recommends that family caregivers talk about in-home care before it’s needed, if possible.
“Then when things change — and they can change rapidly — you aren’t in a crisis. If someone’s been coming to help Mom make lunch and do a little housekeeping, she’s already used to having someone else around to help, so it’s not an abrupt change if she needs care after a surgery, for example,” Demirozu explains.
Families looking for in-home caregivers have two options: hiring an independent caregiver or using a home care agency. There are benefits and drawbacks to each, but both options are usually paid for privately.
Finding the care option that fits your loved one’s needs can be a challenge. If you’re still unsure of the right care type for your loved one, reach out to one of our Senior Living Advisors. They’ll listen to your concerns and provide information on a variety of local care options that fit your family’s budget, including in-home care, independent living, assisted living, and memory care.
While there isn’t a specific tax deduction for in-home care, unreimbursed medical expenses that exceed 7.5% of one’s adjusted gross income can be claimed as an itemized deduction. For example, help with housekeeping isn’t deductible, but medically necessary help with ADLs such as bathing or dressing may deductible.
Depending on your loved one’s needs and physical and cognitive abilities, community services such as Meals on Wheels, adult day care, senior programs at community centers such as the YMCA, and even senior transportation programs can provide additional low-cost or no-cost social support and assistance.
Hiring a private caregiver may be less expensive than working with an agency, but agencies provide important benefits. They conduct background checks, provide training and worker’s compensation insurance, handle payroll and taxes, cover the primary caregiver’s sick days, and tend to be more reliable.
A Place for Mom. (2026). A Place for Mom proprietary data.
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