Independent, From Federal Data, No Paid Listings
Choose Senior Care With the Facts
Find nursing homes, assisted living and memory care near you: every nursing home's federal star ratings, staffing and inspections, state-licensed assisted living and memory care, and how to pay for the care your family needs.
Free help finding local aging services: the Eldercare Locator, 1-800-677-1116 (U.S. Administration for Community Living)
How Do You Find a Good Nursing Home?
CMS Care Compare rates 14,686 certified nursing homes (data from October 2026): 3,154 hold 5 stars and 5,982 hold 4 or 5. Compare ratings, nursing hours, staff turnover, inspections and fines for any home, then visit before you choose. Search by ZIP code, or start with your state.
- 14,686certified nursing homes
- 3,154rated 5 stars by CMS
- 5,982rated 4 or 5 stars
- 7,961with no fines in 3 years
- 1,401carry CMS's abuse icon
- 3.7 hoursmedian nursing per resident per day
What Do You Need Help With?
The Kinds of Senior Care, From Least to Most Help
- In-home careHelp with daily tasks at home
- Adult day careDaytime programs and a break for caregivers
- Assisted livingA home with daily help and supervision
- Memory careSecured dementia care
- Nursing home24-hour nursing care
- HospiceComfort care at the end of life
Not sure which fits? The care options guide asks five questions.
Types of Care
- Memory CareSecured dementia care in assisted living and nursing homes, state rules and how to pay
- Assisted Living vs Nursing HomeHow the two settings differ in care, rules and who pays
- Memory Care vs Assisted LivingWhen a person with dementia needs a secured memory care unit
- In-Home CarePersonal care, homemaker help and how Medicaid and VA pay for it
- Home Health vs Home CareThe difference between Medicare home health and paid personal care
- Adult Day CareDaytime programs, health services and coverage
- Respite CareIn-home, adult day and short-stay respite and who pays
- Hospice CareThe Medicare hospice benefit at home and in nursing homes
- Senior Housing OptionsThe full range of senior housing and care settings
- Dementia Care OptionsWhich care settings fit each stage of dementia
Paying for Care
- Medicare and Nursing HomesSkilled nursing facility coverage, the 3-day stay rule and costs
- Medicaid for Nursing HomesIncome and asset limits, spousal protections and the look-back period
- Medicaid WaiversHome and community-based services waivers by state
- VA Long-Term CareVA nursing home care, state veterans homes and pension benefits
- Long-Term Care InsuranceWhat policies cover, partnership programs and alternatives
- Paying for a Nursing HomeMedicare, Medicaid, VA, insurance and private pay compared
Choosing a Facility
- Choosing a Nursing HomeRatings, inspections, staffing and the questions to ask on a visit
- Star Ratings ExplainedWhat each Care Compare star rating measures and its limits
- Inspection ReportsDeficiencies, scope and severity, fines and where to find reports
- Staffing and TurnoverNurse staffing hours, turnover and the federal staffing data
- Antipsychotic UseThe FDA warning for dementia, CMS's measure and what to ask
- Abuse Warning SignsWarning signs, CMS's abuse icon and who to call
- Residents' RightsFederal residents' rights and the free ombudsman program
- Choosing Assisted LivingState licensing, contracts and the questions to ask
Caregiving
Tools
- Nursing Home FinderSearch 14,686 CMS-certified nursing homes by ZIP code, star rating, inspections and staffing.
- Nursing Home ComparisonPick up to three nursing homes and see CMS's ratings, staffing, turnover, inspections, fines and dementia-care measures side by side.
- Medicaid Long-Term Care CheckerPick your state and marital status to see the 2026 income and asset rules for nursing home Medicaid, the spousal protections and your state's home care waivers.
- Care Options GuideAnswer a few questions about the help needed to see which kinds of care fit, what each involves and who usually pays.
Nursing Homes and Senior Care by State
- Senior care in Alabama 224
- Senior care in Alaska 20
- Senior care in Arizona 140
- Senior care in Arkansas 222
- Senior care in California 1,165
- Senior care in Colorado 210
- Senior care in Connecticut 191
- Senior care in Delaware 44
- Senior care in District of Columbia 16
- Senior care in Florida 694
- Senior care in Georgia 356
- Senior care in Hawaii 43
- Senior care in Idaho 80
- Senior care in Illinois 664
- Senior care in Indiana 507
- Senior care in Iowa 387
- Senior care in Kansas 296
- Senior care in Kentucky 266
- Senior care in Louisiana 265
- Senior care in Maine 78
- Senior care in Maryland 221
- Senior care in Massachusetts 341
- Senior care in Michigan 422
- Senior care in Minnesota 337
- Senior care in Mississippi 202
- Senior care in Missouri 486
- Senior care in Montana 61
- Senior care in Nebraska 180
- Senior care in Nevada 66
- Senior care in New Hampshire 73
- Senior care in New Jersey 348
- Senior care in New Mexico 68
- Senior care in New York 592
- Senior care in North Carolina 419
- Senior care in North Dakota 72
- Senior care in Ohio 924
- Senior care in Oklahoma 283
- Senior care in Oregon 128
- Senior care in Pennsylvania 656
- Senior care in Rhode Island 72
- Senior care in South Carolina 187
- Senior care in South Dakota 96
- Senior care in Tennessee 303
- Senior care in Texas 1,177
- Senior care in Utah 97
- Senior care in Vermont 33
- Senior care in Virginia 289
- Senior care in Washington 193
- Senior care in West Virginia 123
- Senior care in Wisconsin 323
- Senior care in Wyoming 36
- Senior care in Puerto Rico 9
- Senior care in Guam 1
Frequently Asked Questions
How Can I Tell if a Nursing Home Is Good?
Start with its CMS star ratings and inspection results on its page here or on Medicare Care Compare, then check staffing: the national median is 3.7 hours of nursing care per resident per day. Visit at different times and read the full inspection reports before you decide.
Does Medicare Pay for a Nursing Home?
Only for a short time. Medicare Part A covers skilled nursing facility care after a qualifying hospital stay of at least 3 days, for a limited number of days. It doesn't pay for long-term custodial care; Medicaid pays for many long-term residents.
What Is Memory Care?
Memory care is secured care for people with dementia, usually in a special unit of an assisted living community or nursing home. Each state sets its own rules; your state page shows them.
Is This Site a Referral Service?
No. Senior Care Help is an independent guide. Nursing home data comes from CMS Care Compare, no facility pays to appear, and nothing you enter is sent anywhere.