Nursing Home Costs Rise Sharply in 2017
The median cost of a private nursing home room in the United States has increased to $97,455 a year, up 5.5 percent from 2016, according to Genworth’s 2017 Cost of Care survey, which the insurer conducts annually. Genworth reports that the median cost of a semi-private room in a nursing home is $85,775, up 4.44 percent from 2016. The rise in prices is much larger than the 1.24 percent and 2.27 percent gains, respectively, in 2016.The price rise was slightly less for assisted living facilities, where the median rate rose 3.36 percent, to $3,750 a month. The national median rate for the services of a home health aide was $22 an hour, up from $20 in 2016, and the cost of adult day care, which provides support services in a protective setting during part of the day, rose from $68 to $70 a day.Alaska continues to be the costliest state for nursing home care, with the median annual cost of a private nursing home room totaling $292,000. Oklahoma again was found to be the most affordable state, with a median annual cost of a private room of $63,510.
Posted on October 6, 2017 (updated on November 26, 2024)

The 2017 survey was based on responses from more than 15,000 nursing homes, assisted living facilities, adult day health facilities and home care providers. The survey was conducted by phone during May and June of 2017.
As the survey indicates, nursing home care is growing ever more expensive. Contact your elder law attorney to learn how you can protect some or all of your family’s assets.
For more on Genworth’s 2017 Cost of Care Survey, including costs for your state, click here.
More from our blog...
October 22, 2026
Social Security benefits will rise 3.6% in 2027. See what that means in dollars, when payments change, and how Medicare and SSI affect the amount…
October 22, 2026
According to Trust & Will's 2026 Estate Planning Report, 56 percent of U.S. adults have no estate plan at all. No will. No power of…
October 18, 2026
The signs are usually gradual. Unopened bills accumulating on the counter. A late notice on a utility account that has been paid on time for…
October 15, 2026
An IRA does not pass through your will. It does not go through probate. It transfers directly to whoever you named as beneficiary on the…
Back To blog