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The Least Expensive States for Long-Term Care - And What It Would Actually Cost You to Age There

These states could make long-term care far more affordable.

By Kristin Hitchcock , Edited by Melinda Sineriz, ABFP®

Updated July 30, 2026

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Long-term care is expensive almost everywhere. CareScout's 2025 Cost of Care Survey places the national median at $129,575 for a private nursing home room, $114,975 for a semi-private room, and $74,400 for assisted living. Adult day health care costs roughly $24,700 per year.

But those national figures hide enormous differences between states. Choosing a lower-cost place to age could help you save money in retirement, especially if you eventually need many years of care. These states have some of the lowest long-term care costs, including nursing homes, assisted living, and in-home care.

Editor's note: Long-term care cost data taken from CareScout's 2025 Cost of Care Survey, unless otherwise stated.

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Texas

Private nursing home room: $91,250
Assisted living: $67,992
In-home caregiver: $68,640

Texas ties Missouri for the lowest private nursing home cost reported in the survey. A private room costs about $38,000 less than the national median, while semi-private care is even lower. Assisted living and home care also remain below their national medians, making Texas one of the cheapest all-around states.

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Missouri

Private nursing home room: $91,250
Assisted living: $64,800
In-home caregiver: $75,504

Missouri matches Texas for the country's lowest private-room nursing home cost. Its assisted living means is also more than $9,000 below the national figure. Home care costs more than it does in Texas, but still comes in below the national median of $80,080 for 44 hours of weekly help.

Oklahoma

Private nursing home room: $93,075
Assisted living: $73,800
In-home caregiver: $75,504

Oklahoma has the third-lowest private nursing home cost in CareScout's ranking. Assisted living is only modestly below the national median, but home care remains relatively affordable. Adult day health care costs another $23,920 per year, giving families a lower-cost option when round-the-clock supervision is not necessary.

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Arkansas

Private nursing home room: $96,725
Assisted living: $55,644
In-home caregiver: $57,200

Arkansas stands out because its costs remain low across nearly every major category. Assisted living is about $19,000 below the national median, while non-medical home care is the second-cheapest in the country. Adult day care costs $19,760 annually. CareScout reported insufficient data for private-duty nursing in home.

Louisiana

Private nursing home room: $96,908
Assisted living: $61,950
In-home caregiver: $59,488

Louisiana's private nursing home median remains below $100,000, a threshold most states have already crossed. Assisted living costs about $5,000 per month, while full-time non-medical home care costs just under $60,000 annually. CareScout did not have enough Louisiana data to publish a private-duty home nursing estimate.

Alabama

Private nursing home room: $105,441
Assisted living: $53,100
In-home caregiver: $61,776

Alabama has the second-lowest assisted living median in the country, trailing only Mississippi. At $4,425 per month, assisted living costs around $21,000 less per year than the national median. Adult day health care is also especially inexpensive at $14,950 annually, the lowest figure among states with sufficient data.

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Kansas

Private nursing home room: $108,770
Assisted living: $71,700
In-home caregiver: $77,220

Kansas is cheaper than the national median for all three major care settings we reviewed. A private nursing home room costs roughly $9,064 per month, while assisted living averages just under $6,000. One notable exception is adult day health care, which costs $52,000 annually and ranks among the country's most expensive.

Mississippi

Private nursing home room: $118,625
Assisted living: $52,425
In-home caregiver: $54,912

Mississippi does not have the very cheapest nursing home rooms, but it offers the lowest assisted living and non-medical home-care costs in the survey. Assisted living averages about $4,369 per month, while extensive in-home help costs roughly $4,576 monthly. That range could make it easier to delay or avoid institutional care.

Georgia

Private nursing home room: $113,150
Assisted living: $63,600
In-home caregiver: $73,216

Georgia combines below-average costs in all three care categories. Assisted living comes in at $5,300 a month, and a private nursing home room is about $16,000 below the national annual median. Adult day health care costs $23,400, which also falls slightly below the national benchmark.

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Illinois

Private nursing home room: $110,595
Assisted living: $74,628
In-home caregiver: $82,368

Illinois offers relatively inexpensive nursing home care, although it is not uniformly cheap. Its private-room median is nearly $19,000 below the national figure, and assisted living remains slightly above average. Extensive in-home care costs more than the national median, so aging at home may not produce savings.

Bottom line

The least expensive state depends heavily on the type of care you need. Texas and Missouri are especially affordable for nursing homes, while Mississippi, Alabama, and Arkansas stand out for assisted living or home care. That makes care setting just as important as location when building a retirement plan.

It is also worth comparing several years of projected costs, not just one annual figure. Even a $15,000 yearly difference can add up to $45,000 over a three-year stay, so checking local rates alongside taxes, housing, and access to family can give you a more realistic picture.

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