The 2025 elder-care cost ladder: $2,557 to $11,983 a month
National median monthly costs climb from $2,557 for adult day care to $11,983 for a private nursing-home room, a 4.7× spread, with home care landing above assisted living.
Research
Original data research from the PlainElderCare editorial process. Every page derives at least one statistic from our own database, cites primary sources inline, and documents its methodology and limits.
What does the data actually show?
Where nursing homes cost the most, and least (2025)
A semi-private room runs $27,831 a month in Alaska and $5,627 in Texas, a five-fold gap for the same level of care, mapped across all 50 states.
How America's nursing homes actually score on CMS's five stars
Across 14,574 rated homes the overall stars split almost evenly, about 20% in each band, for a national mean of 3.0. Why the rating is graded on a curve.
Does paying more buy better care? Cost vs CMS rating by state
Arizona and Arkansas deliver above-average quality at well below the national cost, while several mid-priced states score near the bottom. Price is a weak predictor of quality.
The staffing signal: ownership, staffing stars, and quality
Non-profit homes average 3.55 CMS stars; for-profit LLCs average 2.68, a near full-star gap. And only 12% of homes earn five staffing stars.