Cost Guide

Home care cost in 2026: national + state averages

The complete 2026 home care cost guide. National average $33/hour. Use the live calculator and 50-state cost grid to estimate your home care cost.

By Calvin Nesvig, Founding Partner·Updated May 3, 2026·9 min read
Quick answer
  • National average: $33/hour for non-medical home care in 2026.
  • Lowest cost states: MS, AR, KY, LA, AL ($25-$26/hour).
  • Highest cost states: MA, CA, NY, WA, AK, NH, MN ($38-$41/hour).
  • 20 hours per week at $33/hour = ~$2,860 / month, ~$34,320 / year.
  • Long-term care insurance, Medicaid HCBS, VA aid-and-attendance can reduce out-of-pocket significantly.

Live home care cost calculator

Adjust the sliders to see weekly, monthly, and yearly cost estimates.

Live cost calculator
Hours per week20 hrs
Hourly rate$33/hr
Weekly
$660
Monthly
$2,858
Yearly
$34,320

50-state home care cost grid (2026)

Sorted low-to-high. Estimates based on Genworth Cost of Care 2024 + BLS wage data, adjusted for 2026 inflation.

MS
Mississippi
$25/hr
AL
Alabama
$26/hr
AR
Arkansas
$26/hr
KY
Kentucky
$26/hr
LA
Louisiana
$26/hr
OK
Oklahoma
$26/hr
WV
West Virginia
$26/hr
SC
South Carolina
$27/hr
TN
Tennessee
$27/hr
GA
Georgia
$28/hr
MO
Missouri
$28/hr
NM
New Mexico
$28/hr
NC
North Carolina
$28/hr
TX
Texas
$28/hr
FL
Florida
$30/hr
IN
Indiana
$30/hr
KS
Kansas
$30/hr
OH
Ohio
$30/hr
PA
Pennsylvania
$30/hr
VA
Virginia
$30/hr
UT
Utah
$31/hr
ID
Idaho
$32/hr
IL
Illinois
$32/hr
IA
Iowa
$32/hr
MI
Michigan
$32/hr
NE
Nebraska
$32/hr
WI
Wisconsin
$32/hr
AZ
Arizona
$33/hr
MT
Montana
$33/hr
NV
Nevada
$33/hr
SD
South Dakota
$33/hr
WY
Wyoming
$33/hr
DE
Delaware
$35/hr
ME
Maine
$35/hr
MD
Maryland
$35/hr
CO
Colorado
$36/hr
HI
Hawaii
$36/hr
MN
Minnesota
$36/hr
NJ
New Jersey
$36/hr
OR
Oregon
$36/hr
RI
Rhode Island
$36/hr
VT
Vermont
$36/hr
AK
Alaska
$38/hr
CT
Connecticut
$38/hr
NH
New Hampshire
$38/hr
NY
New York
$38/hr
ND
North Dakota
$38/hr
WA
Washington
$38/hr
MA
Massachusetts
$40/hr
CA
California
$41/hr
National average: $33/hour. Sorted low-to-high. Estimates based on Genworth Cost of Care 2024 data, BLS wage data, and adjusted for 2026.

6 ways to reduce home care cost

Long-term care insurance

If you have a policy, file a claim. Most LTC policies reimburse non-medical home care at $4,000-$8,000 per month.

Medicaid HCBS waiver

If income/asset eligible, your state Medicaid program covers non-medical home care visits with EVV.

Veterans Affairs Aid & Attendance

Wartime veterans and surviving spouses can qualify for $1,500-$2,800 per month toward home care.

Family caregiver pay programs

In CDPAP/CDS states (NY, others), Medicaid pays family members or friends to provide care.

Live-in vs hourly

Live-in care (24-hour residence) often costs less per day than rotating-shift 24-hour hourly care.

Bundle services with ADLs

Some agencies offer discount pricing when you commit to 20+ hours/week or recurring weekly schedules.

AveeCare's role

AveeCare is the software home care agencies use to schedule visits, capture EVV, and bill payers. We do not directly provide in-home care to families. If you are evaluating agencies, the per-hour rate they charge you depends on geography, service type, and payer — not on the software they use.

Frequently asked questions

CN
Calvin Nesvig
Founding Partner, AveeCare

Builds home care software full-time and works with home care agencies on workflow and software fit every week.

Run a home care agency?

See AveeCare. $6 / active client / month. Public pricing.