Aging in Place Cost Calculator
Most families assume staying home is automatically cheaper than a facility. Sometimes it is, and sometimes it is not. It depends almost entirely on how many hours of paid care a parent needs.
This calculator estimates the monthly cost of aging in place and lays it next to assisted living and a nursing home, so you can see your own crossover point. Move the sliders to match your parent's real situation. Nothing is saved or sent anywhere, this is just for you.
Estimated monthly care cost
At $33/hour, home care passes assisted living at about 43 hours of paid help a week.
At this level, staying home costs less
About $2,858 a month in paid care is less than assisted living ($6,200) and far less than a nursing home ($10,800). When help is light to moderate, home is usually the cheaper option.
One honest note. The bars above are carecosts. A facility's monthly fee already includes housing and meals. If your parent rents or still has a mortgage, add that to the home column for a true comparison. Most families who own their home outright still find home cheaper until care gets heavy, which is the whole point of running your own numbers.
Your estimate, all together
After the first year, plan on about $2,858 a month, with the one-time setup behind you. Compare that monthly figure to assisted living ($6,200) and a nursing home ($10,800) above, remembering those already include housing and meals.
Bigger than you hoped? See seven ways to lower the cost of aging in place, from Medicaid waivers to adult day programs.
This is an estimate to help you plan, not financial or medical advice. Costs vary widely by state and by your parent's exact needs. For the full picture, read our guide to aging in place, compare home versus assisted living, or reach out if you want to talk it through.
How much does aging in place cost?
For light help, staying home costs far less than a facility. A part-time home aide of around 20 hours a week runs roughly $2,400 to $2,800 a month, against an assisted living median near $6,200. But the cost of home care rises with every added hour, and it crosses past assisted living at roughly full-time care (about $6,700 a month). Around-the-clock live-in care can exceed $15,000 a month, well above even a nursing home at about $10,800. The honest answer is that home is usually cheaper until care gets heavy, which is exactly why it pays to run your parent's real numbers.
Where is the crossover between home care and a facility?
At a national rate of about $30 to $35 an hour, paid home care passes the assisted living median at roughly 43 to 44 hours of help a week. That is the point most families do not see coming. Below it, home tends to be the cheaper choice. Above it, a facility may cost less, and the decision shifts to care quality and what your parent actually wants.
Where do these numbers come from?
Assisted living and nursing home figures are national medians from the CareScout 2025 Cost of Care Survey. Home-care costs are estimated from 2026 hourly rates, the same method we use across the site. Home modification ranges come from 2026 contractor cost data (Angi and Homewyse), plus our own stair lift and walk-in tub guides. Incontinence supply ranges reflect typical retail spending reported by GoodRx, and supplement ranges are anchored to an NIH study of older-adult supplement spending. All of these are planning estimates, not quotes, and real costs vary widely by state, brand, and need. This tool does not give financial or medical advice. For a true comparison, remember that a facility's fee already includes housing and meals, so add rent or mortgage to the home column if your parent still pays it.
Ready to go deeper? Read our full guide to aging in place, weigh home versus assisted living, or see who pays for home modifications. The safest place for most parents is the home they love, with the right support around them.