In North Carolina, assisted living communities offer older adults a comfortable, hassle-free environment. As a Southern state famous for its diverse geography and culture, North Carolina offers plenty of charm and individuality. Its moderate cost of living and reasonable weather, in combination with stunning mountainous landscapes, historic coastal towns, and numerous state parks, make the state a remarkable place to call home.
I always rate for room to improve. Cadence has taken excellent care of our relative and we are HIGHLY pleased with him being there! I recommend it with confidence! Like most: quality of care &...
The Marketing representative was very helpful in making the transition from filling out paperwork, touring the facility, to moving in. Housekeeping does great at cleaning and food is very good and severed in...
They only stayed for three months before my FIL passed away and my MIL could not be alone, but what they received while there was top notch. I would recommend it. The facility had a house dog and bird. They...
Loved Sunrise. Could not have taken care of [name removed] without them. I would rate all of these a 5. They went out of their way to make [name removed] comfortable. The main thing about the staff is that...
I am currently a resident at MerryWood on Park and most everything has been very good for me here, so far. The food is great! The cleanliness and friendliness are good. The staff is also good. The value for...
My loved one is currently a resident at Brookdale Charlotte East. My loved one could no longer care for himself and at Brookdale Charlotte East he is safe and has the care that he needs. He has made friends...
I would highly recommend it. My Mom's only complaint besides the food is that most of the other people in in the independent living area where she is seem to have a lot of memory and other mental issues....
Harmony was an excellent place for my mother. They're capable of supporting independent and assisted living residents. The support staff was always friendly and were always looking for ways to assist my...
The small, family atmosphere and closeness of staff and residents is better than I could have imagined. They are so kind and attentive to my mom and she tells us over and over how happy she is. The staff is...
I was only able to visit a few times before my mother passed away and could only say that she was well cared for and made comfortable each time I was there. The staff that I interfaces with were always eager...
My mom has been treated extremely well and she has been happy since her first day. They make her feel safe and comfortable, and address any needs quickly. I can't say enough about the staff, they go above...
We love Morningside of Raleigh! My Mother has been at Morning side for almost a year. I moved her here from another assisted living organization. Night and day difference! The management team is responsive....
They only stayed for three months before my FIL passed away and my MIL could not be alone, but what they received while there was top notch. I would recommend it. The facility had a house dog and bird. They...
When my parents decided to move into assisted living we looked at three places. When we walked into Brookdale Reynolda we knew we had found Mom and Dad’s new home. You walk right into the entry hall which...
My loved one was previously a resident at Forest Heights Senior Living and the experience was very good. The leaders were very good and responsive, they seemed to have the best interest of the residents in...
The average cost of assisted living in North Carolina is about $5,000 per month, according to A Place for Mom’s internal data on our partner communities throughout the state. That’s about $100 less expensive than the national average.[01]
However, assisted living costs vary across communities in North Carolina. Monthly costs range between about $3,000 at the low end and $7,100 at the highest end for North Carolina assisted living communities. This is because facilities base their costs on factors such as the following:
The figures above are reflective of actual prices paid by families who were referred to an A Place for Mom partner assisted living community in North Carolina. They account for all fees paid, including amenities, services, and care. Seniors and their families often use a combination of public and private payment methods to cover these costs. Read more about various payment options below.
Average monthly costs
North Carolina
US National average
Average monthly costs
North Carolina
South Carolina
Virginia
West Virginia
District of Columbia
Average monthly costs
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Our free tool provides options, advice, and next steps based on your unique situation.
Whether you or your family can cover assisted living using personal savings, or you opt to utilize public pay options, there are a variety of methods to pay for assisted living in North Carolina. This section outlines the various payment options families often use to cover their assisted living or long-term care costs. You can also view our guide to paying for long-term care for a high-level overview.
Some families can pay for long-term care using personal savings. However, there are a number of other private pay options. Click on the cards below to learn more about some different options.
North Carolina is home to roughly 637,800 veterans.[02] The state provides a range of benefits and resources for veteran residents in need of assisted living services.
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) provides generous benefit coverage to eligible, disabled veterans and their spouses. Many veterans assume they won’t qualify for disability benefits, but many VA benefits’ eligibility criteria are more inclusive than you may think. Also, if you or a loved one acquired a disability during wartime service, additional benefits may apply. See the VA’s list of service-connected ailments to learn more about some qualification requirements. Keep in mind that the list is not exhaustive, and other situations may still qualify.
If you find you need help navigating veterans benefits, or you’re unsure what even qualifies you, you’re not alone — eligibility requirements and the benefits application processes can be quite confusing. Fortunately, North Carolina has many resources available to guide veterans and their families through it, including local VA centers and veterans service organizations (VSOs). VSOs can help veterans and spouses through the entire benefit claim process, especially disabled seniors in need of long-term, assisted living care.
Local VSOs in North Carolina include the following:
Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA) has a regional office in the Winston-Salem area. They assist disabled veterans with various legal and medical matters and can provide advocacy to those seeking VA benefits.
Medicaid is a health insurance program for individuals with a low or limited income. It’s a state and federally funded program and is administered at the state level. Medicaid won’t cover the cost of room and board, but it can help families cover some assisted living costs.
NC Medicaid is North Carolina’s state Medicaid program. NC Medicaid covers a range of services, including the following:[03]
Most people receive their health care coverage through what’s called a “Standard Plan,” which offers physical health, pharmacy, care management, and basic behavioral health services. NC Medicaid also offers a “Tailored Plan” for people who need certain mental health services or have a traumatic brain injury or intellectual/developmental disability.[04]
Additionally, NC Medicaid offers a few waivers and programs that help more people have access to health care in the community of their choice, like an assisted living facility. The home and community waivers specific to North Carolina include the following:
Accessing or understanding Medicaid benefits can sometimes feel overwhelming. For free assistance, reach out to a local long-term care ombudsman. You can contact a North Carolina long-term care ombudsman by calling 1-800-662-7030.
Medicare is a federal health insurance program designed for adults aged 65 or older and people with disabilities. While Medicare can help cover some costs of assisted living, it won’t cover the cost of room and board or nonmedical personal care. If you’d like to learn whether a specific procedure, diagnostic test, or medical device is covered, you can search for it using the Medicare coverage search tool.
To help eligible individuals pay for premiums, deductibles, and copays associated with Medicare, North Carolina offers Medicare Savings Programs. For instance, Extra Help is a Medicare program that can help individuals who meet income requirements pay for their Medicare prescription drug costs.
Other Medicare programs in North Carolina include the following:
For further assistance with navigating Medicare benefits, reach out to one of North Carolina’s local resources:
Our free tool provides options, advice, and next steps based on your unique situation.
We developed a system to rate each state on how easy — or difficult — it is to find important assisted living records and reports, and we compiled tips to help you in your search.
States with the most transparent records allow you to look up important information about each assisted living facility online, including inspections, complaints, survey results, violations, capacity, and whether the facility accepts Medicaid.
Public access to assisted living records and reports for the state of North Carolina is exceptional. Key findings that informed this rating include:
How to look up North Carolina assisted living licenses and records
We developed a standard methodology for state data collection and evaluation, and we based our rating primarily on the objective, state-specific accessibility criteria outlined in these questions:
A Place for Mom. (2023). A Place for Mom proprietary data.
United States Census Bureau. QuickFacts North Carolina.
North Carolina Medicaid Division of Health Benefits (NCDHHS). Benefits and services.
North Carolina Medicaid Division of Health Benefits (NCDHHS). Learn about NC Medicaid Managed Care.
National Center for Assisted Living (NCAL). (2022). Assisted living state regulatory review.
Overview of assisted living in NC
The information contained on this page is for informational purposes only and is not intended to constitute medical, legal or financial advice or create a professional relationship between A Place for Mom and the reader. Always seek the advice of your health care provider, attorney or financial advisor with respect to any particular matter, and do not act or refrain from acting on the basis of anything you have read on this site. Links to third-party websites are only for the convenience of the reader; A Place for Mom does not endorse the contents of the third-party sites.
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