By SLC Senior Advisor Care Team · September 29, 2026
CareScout's 2025 Utah medians: assisted living $62,790 a year (about $5,233 a month), nursing home semi-private $104,025, private $127,750, home care $89,804 for 44 hours a week (about $39.25 an hour) and adult day $36,400. Utah ranks 41st for assisted living cost but 15th for home care. No Salt Lake or memory care figure is published.
The 2025 Utah numbers
CareScout, the long-term care research company whose survey succeeded the old Genworth Cost of Care study, collected rates from providers between July and November 2025 and released state results on March 2, 2026. For Utah, the medians are:
| Care type | Annual median | About per month | Change since 2024 | Utah rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assisted living, private one-bedroom | $62,790 | $5,233 | +12% | 41st |
| Nursing home, semi-private room | $104,025 | $8,669 | +4% | 40th |
| Nursing home, private room | $127,750 | $10,646 | 0% | 30th |
| Home care, 44 hours a week | $89,804 | $7,484 | +3% | 15th |
| Adult day health, 5 days a week | $36,400 | $3,033 | not reported | 12th |
Ranks run from most to least expensive state, so 41st means Utah's assisted living median is lower than most states'.
The home care surprise
Utah's pattern is unusual. Facility care is relatively inexpensive by national standards, while home care and adult day care are relatively expensive. Utah's home care median of $89,804 a year is above the national $80,080; its assisted living median is well below the national $74,400.
For families, that shifts the break-even point. At about $39.25 an hour, paid home care costs more than the assisted living median once a parent needs roughly 30 or more hours a week. Many families who planned to keep a parent home with help find the math tips sooner than they expected.
The 12% jump in assisted living
The assisted living median rose 12% from 2024, more than twice the national increase of 5%. Medians move for many reasons, including which providers responded, so one year's change is not a forecast. It is a reminder to ask any facility about its history of rate increases and how much notice it gives; Utah requires the admission agreement to provide a 30-day notice before any change in established charges.
What the medians do not tell you
There is no Salt Lake City figure. CareScout collects rates at the metropolitan level but published only state and national medians for this survey, so any “Salt Lake average” you see elsewhere is not from this source. Real quotes in the valley vary widely, with newer large buildings often above the median and small homes often below it.
There is also no memory care figure anywhere. CareScout does not survey memory care as its own category. In Utah, memory care is a secure unit in a Type II license, priced by each facility.
How Salt Lake families actually pay
Most families start with private funds: income, savings, and sometimes the proceeds of selling a home. Long-term care insurance, where a parent has it, usually covers licensed assisted living and licensed home care once the policy's benefit trigger is met. Veterans and surviving spouses with limited means may qualify for VA Aid and Attendance, which raised the maximum annual pension rate to $29,093 for a single veteran for the year ending November 30, 2026.
Medicare pays only for short skilled nursing stays after a qualifying hospital admission, home health and hospice. Utah Medicaid pays long-term nursing facility care for people who qualify and, through waivers, care services at home or in assisted living, but not assisted living rent.
A worked example
Consider a parent who needs about 35 hours a week of help. At Utah's median home care rate of about $39.25 an hour, that is roughly $5,950 a month, before the costs of keeping up the house. The assisted living median is about $5,233 a month, including housing and meals. On paper, assisted living is cheaper; in practice, a family that owns a paid-off home and has relatives covering some hours may still find home care the better fit for now.
The point is not that one answer is right, but that the comparison needs real hours and real quotes rather than medians alone.
Turning medians into a plan
Use the medians to judge whether a quote is high or low, not to budget. Ask for written quotes that list base rent, the care level after assessment, medication management and any community fee. Then run the numbers over 12 to 24 months, with a realistic assumption about care-level increases.
If the plan runs short, look at payment sources early: VA Aid and Attendance for eligible veterans and survivors, long-term care insurance, and the New Choices Waiver, which can pay for services in assisted living after 365 days in a licensed facility for people who qualify for Medicaid.
Frequently asked questions
What does assisted living cost per month in Utah?
CareScout's 2025 Utah median is $62,790 a year, about $5,233 a month, for a private one-bedroom.
Is there a Salt Lake City cost of care figure?
No. CareScout published only state and national medians for its 2025 survey.
Why is home care so expensive in Utah?
CareScout does not explain state differences, but its data show Utah's home care median above the national median while its facility medians are below.
What does memory care cost in Salt Lake?
No public median exists. Ask each facility for written secure-unit pricing.
When were these cost figures collected?
CareScout collected rates from providers between July and November 2025 and released state results on March 2, 2026.
