Assisted Living Costs Increase 10% from April 2002 per MetLife Survey
Information from the MetLife Mature Market Institute
MetLife
57 Greens Farms Road
Westport, CT 06880
ASSISTED LIVING AVERAGES $2,379 PER MONTH IN U.S., 10.2% INCREASE
METLIFE MATURE MARKET INSTITUTE SURVEY FINDS
(Westport, CT –Monday, October 13, 2003) The average cost of an assisted living facility in the U.S. is $2,379 per month, or $28,548 per year, according to the 2003 MetLife Market Survey of Assisted Living Costs. The national average increased by 10.2 percent from April 2002. The survey, released by the MetLife Mature Market Institute, found that the highest monthly average was Washington, D.C. at $4,429 while the lowest was Jackson, Mississippi at $1,020.
Assisted living facilities provide a way for older adults to live independently in a residential atmosphere with some assistance and support. While the types and sizes of facilities vary, all provide meals in a social setting and are staffed with people who can provide different levels of help with Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) like bathing and dressing and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADLs) such as shopping, cleaning and medication management. Assisted living facilities can range from a small home to a large apartment-style complex.
“With medical progress and an increasing population of older Americans, assisted living facilities will continue to grow in the U.S.,” said Sandra Timmermann, Ed.D., director of the MetLife Mature Market Institute. “As people seek a supportive environment in their later years they will, in many cases, choose assisted living facilities which offer a combination of social, physical and emotional support and promote independence.”
“While assisted living might be an appropriate choice for many older adults, it can be costly. According to a 2001 National Center for Assisted Living survey, approximately two-thirds of assisted living residents paid for their stay out-of-pocket. Most long-term care insurance plans provide coverage for assisted living. Medicare does not provide this coverage,” added Dr. Timmermann.
Here is a listing of costs for various regions in the 50 states and the District of Columbia:
Average Assisted Living Cost
| Locality | Monthly | Annually | |
Locality | Monthly | Annually |
| Statewide, AK | $4,036 | $48,432 | Billings, MT | $2,815 | $33,780 | |
| Birmingham, AL | $1,944 | $23,328 | Charlotte, NC | $2,114 | $25,368 | |
| Montgomery, AL | $1,922 | $23,064 | Raleigh, NC | $2,820 | $33,840 | |
| Little Rock, AR | $1,587 | $19,044 | Fargo, ND | $1,994 | $23,928 | |
| Phoenix, AZ | $1,536 | $18,432 | Omaha, NE | $2,508 | $30,096 | |
| Tucson, AZ | $2,423 | $29,076 | Manchester, NH | $1,904 | $22,848 | |
| Los Angeles, CA | $2,226 | $26,712 | Bridgewater, NJ | $3,886 | $46,632 | |
| San Diego, CA | $1,992 | $23,904 | Cherry Hill, NJ | $3,045 | $36,540 | |
| San Francisco, CA | $2,795 | $33,540 | Albuquerque, NM | $2,005 | $24,060 | |
| Colorado Springs, CO | $1,820 | $21,840 | Las Vegas, NV | $2,014 | $24,168 | |
| Denver, CO | $1,564 | $18,768 | New York, NY | $3,830 | $45,960 | |
| Hartford, CT | $2,580 | $30,960 | Rochester, NY | $2,681 | $32,172 | |
| Stamford, CT | $4,073 | $48,876 | Syracuse, NY | $1,901 | $22,812 | |
| Washington, DC | $4,429 | $53,148 | Akron, OH | $2,616 | $31,392 | |
| Wilmington, DE | $3,383 | $40,596 | Cleveland, OH | $2,720 | $32,640 | |
| Jacksonville, FL | $1,987 | $23,844 | Columbus, OH | $2,560 | $30,720 | |
| Miami, FL | $1,830 | $21,960 | Oklahoma City, OK | $1,914 | $22,968 | |
| Orlando, FL | $1,973 | $23,676 | Tulsa, OK | $2,494 | $29,928 | |
| Alpharetta, GA | $2,194 | $26,328 | Eugene, OR | $2,251 | $27,012 | |
| Atlanta, GA | $2,459 | $29,508 | Portland, OR | $2,270 | $27,240 | |
| Honolulu, HI | $2,990 | $35,880 | Philadelphia, PA | $1,680 | $20,160 | |
| Des Moines, IA | $2,351 | $28,212 | Pittsburgh, PA | $2,052 | $24,624 | |
| Boise, ID | $2,239 | $26,868 | Scranton, PA | $1,444 | $17,328 | |
| Chicago, IL | $3,659 | $43,908 | Providence, RI | $2,688 | $32,256 | |
| Highland Park, IL | $3,775 | $45,300 | Charleston, SC | $1,900 | $22,800 | |
| Indianapolis, IN | $1,956 | $23,472 | Columbia, SC | $1,281 | $15,372 | |
| Wichita, KS | $2,117 | $25,404 | Dell Rapids, SD | $1,557 | $18,684 | |
| Lexington, KY | $2,315 | $27,780 | Memphis, TN | $2,573 | $30,876 | |
| Louisville, KY | $2,973 | $35,676 | Nashville, TN | $1,718 | $20,616 | |
| New Orleans, LA | $2,819 | $33,828 | Dallas, TX | $2,566 | $30,792 | |
| Shreveport, LA | $1,865 | $22,380 | Ft. Worth, TX | $2,094 | $25,128 | |
| Boston, MA | $2,454 | $29,448 | Houston, TX | $1,983 | $23,796 | |
| Worcester, MA | $3,090 | $37,080 | Salt Lake City, UT | $1,776 | $21,312 | |
| Baltimore, MD | $2,133 | $25,596 | Arlington, VA | $3,163 | $37,956 | |
| Silver Spring, MD | $2,410 | $28,920 | Richmond, VA | $2,667 | $32,004 | |
| Brunswick, ME | $3,297 | $39,564 | Rutland, VT | $1,980 | $23,760 | |
| Detroit, MI | $1,297 | $15,564 | Seattle, WA | $2,783 | $33,396 | |
| Grand Rapids, MI | $1,381 | $16,572 | Spokane, WA | $2,575 | $30,900 | |
| Minneapolis, MN | $2,110 | $25,320 | Madison, WI | $3,210 | $38,520 | |
| St. Paul, MN | $2,906 | $34,872 | Milwaukee, WI | $2,390 | $28,680 | |
| Kansas City, MO | $1,608 | $19,296 | Statewide, WV | $2,320 | $27,840 | |
| St. Louis, MO | $2,281 | $27,372 | Statewide, WY | $2,059 | $24,708 | |
| Average | $2,379 | $28,548 |
*There may be extra charges for ADL assistance beyond the base rate,
or for Alzheimer’s disease or related conditions.
**Rates rounded to the nearest dollar.
As of 2000, approximately 800,000 individuals in the U.S. resided in assisted living facilities. According to the National Academy for State Health Policy, in 2002 there were 36,399 assisted living facilities in the country, an increase of 48 percent from 1998. The typical assisted living resident is female, between the ages of 75 and 85. Males comprise 31 percent of assisted living residents.
The 2003 MetLife Market Survey of Assisted Living Costs was conducted by telephone in 87 markets in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Five facilities, or 10 percent (whichever was greater), were surveyed in each market. All facilities surveyed were licensed according to each state’s standards for licensure. These included freestanding as well as multi-level care complexes and did not include continuing care retirement communities.
The MetLife Since You Care Guide, “Choosing an Assisted Living Facility,” provides information for families about what to look for in assisted living, checklists and a cost calculator. It is available from the MetLife Mature Market Institute. For a free copy, visit the Mature Market Institute Web site at www.MatureMarketInstitute.com. You can also write the MetLife Mature Market Institute, 57 Greens Farms Road, Westport, CT 06880, call (203) 221-6580 or e-mail: MatureMarketInstitute@metlife.com.
The MetLife Mature Market Institute is the company’s focal point and resource center for issues concerning aging, retirement, long-term care and the mature market. The Institute, staffed by gerontologists, provides training and education, consultation and information to support MetLife, its corporate customers and business partners.
MetLife, a subsidiary of MetLife, Inc. (NYSE: MET), is a leading provider of insurance and other financial services to individual and institutional customers. The MetLife companies serve approximately 12 million individuals in the U.S. and provide benefits to 37 million employees and family members through their plan sponsors. Outside the U.S., the MetLife companies have insurance operations in 12 countries serving approximately 8 million customers. For more information about MetLife, please visit the company’s Web site at www.metlife.com.
