2nd
OVERALL STATE RANK
Utah assisted living communities provide residential living and personal care services in Type I and Type II facilities. Residents who live in Type I facilities are able to independently exit the building in an emergency. Those who reside in a Type II facility require mobility assistance and 24-hour supportive services and health monitoring.[01]
The median cost of assisted living in Utah is around $4,100 per month or $49,200 annually, according to A Place for Mom’s proprietary data from its assisted living partners in the state.[02] From dramatic desert landscapes to snowcapped mountains, Utah is home to affordable assisted living communities.
State scorecard
How we determined rankings
Our 2023 state ranking for assisted living uses A Place for Mom’s proprietary data collected from our community partners. First, we sorted through our metrics and grouped them into three pillars that are key in a quality assisted living experience. We weighted these pillars differently based on insights from our senior living experts. Then, we used these categories and their weighting to determine how each state ranks. Read our full methodology
Top ranked Utah cities for assisted living overall
Key findings
State highlights
With its impressive vistas and large swaths of public land it’s no wonder Utah’s assisted living communities provide programming to satisfy resident’s desires to stay active. Nearly 84% of our partner communities have an activities director on staff. For seniors who like to venture out, 81% of the communities A Place for Mom partners with, offer off-site activities.[02]
Top ranked Utah cities - Services & Amenities
Key findings
Utah vs. the national monthly median cost of assisted living
Top ranked Utah cities - Affordability
Key findings
Top ranked Utah cities - Ratings
Legacy Village is fun! Lot of activities. Lots of interesting people to chat with. Or, you can take a quiet nap! OR a walk through Sugar House. Or sit in the on the patio! No need to be alone. Enjoy life!
My mom moved in on [date removed] into her own room and then my dad passed away on [name removed] During this difficult time the staff were great and they have been very helpful getting my mom to feel like...
Neighbors and workers are very kind and helpful. We have made lots of good friends. Activities are fun and enjoyable. Thank you to Legacy friends and neighbors for making our daily experience full of...
Legacy Village is fun! Lot of activities. Lots of interesting people to chat with. Or, you can take a quiet nap! OR a walk through Sugar House. Or sit in the on the patio! No need to be alone. Enjoy life!
The staff at Sunrise of Sandy were very caring and treated everyone with dignity. They respected my mom’s wishes and preferences. The home environment was wonderful, and my mom loved their docile, friendly...
The value for money was very reasonable, especially compared to others we looked at. More CNAs would be good but that's the case everywhere now. We were involved as a close family to let them know what we...
Legacy Village is fun! Lot of activities. Lots of interesting people to chat with. Or, you can take a quiet nap! OR a walk through Sugar House. Or sit in the on the patio! No need to be alone. Enjoy life!
The staff at Sunrise of Sandy were very caring and treated everyone with dignity. They respected my mom’s wishes and preferences. The home environment was wonderful, and my mom loved their docile, friendly...
The entire staff are kind and caring. They made Dad feel right at home and helped him to feel like he is a part of their large community.
Dad has been at Legacy Memory Care for over 6 months now and we couldn't be happier with his care! If you have a loved one that needs memory care, you know how difficult things can be. The care he has...
Taylorsville Legacy was wonderful!! They took very good care of my loved one while he was there. He passed away in February. Staff is wonderful in the memory unit. They are very friendly, kind and...
The people are friendly. I think the staff takes good care of the residents. My brother is very forward and has made some of his own problems. It is a very good place to live.
Legacy Village is fun! Lot of activities. Lots of interesting people to chat with. Or, you can take a quiet nap! OR a walk through Sugar House. Or sit in the on the patio! No need to be alone. Enjoy life!
The value for money was very reasonable, especially compared to others we looked at. More CNAs would be good but that's the case everywhere now. We were involved as a close family to let them know what we...
Capitol Hill was meant to be my home and the staff had me so excited to be a part of the friendly community. The staff mix their professional and personalities to ensure this is a place where at certain one...
In Utah, the median monthly starting cost of assisted living is around $4,100, which is lower than the national median by about $700. Monthly assisted living prices vary in Utah, ranging from $2,600 to $5,600, according to A Place for Mom’s internal data from its community partners.[02]
Assisted living costs in Utah tend to fluctuate by location, typically costing more in more populated areas such as Salt Lake City. However, there are several factors that can affect prices. For example, a senior who requires a higher level of care or round-the-clock supervision — like you may find in a Type II facility — should expect to pay more. The following factors may also influence assisted living costs in Utah:
The price of assisted living can feel overwhelming, but keep in mind that assisted living will include many expenses, such as housing, food, utilities, etc. Also some seniors may be eligible for programs or benefits that can help offset some of the costs. Qualified seniors may use Medicaid, Medicare, or veterans benefits to pay for certain services provided in assisted living communities.
Average monthly costs
Utah
US National average
Average monthly costs
Average monthly costs
Average monthly costs
Our free tool provides options, advice, and next steps based on your unique situation.
Planning ahead for assisted living provides families with more payment options. Families usually combine several payment methods, such as public assistance, long-term care insurance, and their own savings and income. For additional tips and ideas, visit our complete guide to paying for long-term care.
Most families use a combination of private pay methods to pay for assisted living. Examples of private pay includes money from a savings or retirement account and pension payments.
In Utah, selling a house is one method families use to fund assisted living.
A reverse mortgage allows a home owner in Utah to take out a loan based on their home’s equity to pay for long-term care.
Long-term care insurance can cover a wide range of medical, personal, and social services. In Utah, it may cover help with daily activities, home health care, nursing home care, or care in an assisted living community. Policies vary, so it’s important to understand what your loved one’s provider covers.
Some life insurance policies allow seniors in Utah to use their benefits to pay for long-term care while they are alive. While policies differ, your loved one’s insurance provider may offer a “long-term care rider” to be used for long-term care costs.
Health savings accounts (HSAs) can be used to pay for medical-related expenses, offsetting some costs of assisted living in Utah. HSAs vary so it’s important to check with your loved one’s provider to understand exactly what costs can be covered.
Your loved one may qualify for benefits through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) if they served in the armed forces or are the surviving spouse of a veteran. Determining and applying for benefits can be complicated, which leads to many veterans missing out on benefits that can help them pay for assisted living.
Seeking the support of a veterans service organization (VSO) can be helpful as your loved one explores benefit options. VSOs are typically recognized by the VA for their ability to assist veterans with benefits counseling and other veteran-centered programing.
Utah’s Department of Veterans and Military Affairs provides benefits eligibility information and contacts to help locate an office near you. Trained veterans service officers in these locations can provide counseling and application assistance. The department also recommends several, accredited VSOs, including the Utah American Legion and the VFW Department of Utah.
Medicaid provides health insurance to residents of Utah with qualifying low incomes. Medicaid is administered by the Utah Department of Health and Human Services and funded jointly by the state and federal governments.
Seniors 65 and over who meet income requirements may qualify for the Aged, Blind and Disabled Medicaid program in Utah. Medicaid programs typically do not cover room and board expenses at an assisted living facility, but may pay for certain care services including:[03]
• In- and out-patient hospital care
• Personal care such as bathing, dressing, and meal preparation
• Physical and occupational therapy
• Prescriptions
• Lab and X-ray services
Seniors in Utah may also qualify for Medicaid through the Aging Waiver program, a home and community based service waiver. Waivers allow Utah to extend many of the same services listed above to individuals who may not be eligible for Medicaid under federal guidelines.[04] The Aging Waiver is coordinated through local area agencies on aging in Utah. The waiver allows seniors who require a nursing facility level of care to receive supportive services where they live, which may include an assisted living facility.[05]
It’s important to note that waivers are not entitlement programs. This means that seniors who qualify are not guaranteed immediate services and may be placed on a waitlist.
Seniors become eligible for Medicare, which is a federal health insurance program, when they turn 65. There are three parts to Medicare that cover different costs related to health care:[06]
• Part A is hospital insurance and may cover skilled nursing facility care, inpatient hospital care, and home health care.
• Part B is medical insurance and helps pay for health care providers and outpatient care services.
• Part D is drug coverage and helps with the cost of vaccines and medications prescribed by a doctor.
Keep in mind that Medicare will cover some short-term rehabilitative care in a skilled nursing facility, but will not pay assisted living room and room and board.
For financial counseling and support with Medicare, connect with a Utah State Health Insurance Program (SHIP) office. Medicare cost sharing programs in Utah can help Medicare recipients pay their premiums, deductibles, prescription drugs, and coinsurance. The Long-Term Care Ombudsman in Utah works to ensure the quality of life and care for residents in long term care facilities by advocating for their rights.
Utah’s Department of Health and Human Services licenses two types of assisted living facilities (ALFs): Type I and Type II. These facilities are categorized by their size in the following way:[01]
Both Type I and Type II facilities must provide support with activities of daily living such as bathing, dressing, and personal hygiene. They must also offer social programming, daily meals, laundry services, and housekeeping. The primary difference is that residents in Type I facilities must be able to independently exit the facility in and emergency. Type II facility residents must be able to exit with the assistance of one person.[01]
Here are some other important regulations for ALFs in Utah:[01]
All assisted living facilities in Utah are required to be inspected annually to ensure compliance with state and federal safety regulations. Utah does not provide online access to inspection and violation records.
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 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 Utah is basic. Key findings that informed this rating include:
We developed a standard methodology for state data collection and evaluation, and based our rating primarily on the objective, state-specific accessibility criteria outlined in these questions:
1. Are licensed assisted living communities listed online in any form? Yes
2. If Yes to #1, is the information updated frequently? No
3. If Yes to #1, is the list of licensed communities searchable? Yes
4. Does the state post inspections, complaints, survey results, or violations online? No
5. If Yes to #4, is the information updated frequently (within 90 days)? No or N/A
6. If Yes to #2 and #4, is the enforcement information included in the same place as licensed communities? No or N/A
7. If Yes to #4 and No to #6, are violations and inspections searchable at all? Yes or N/A
8. Is information about special licensing for care shown? No or N/A
9. Is capacity shown? Yes
10. Are payment types shown (e.g., Medicaid, private pay)? Yes
11. Is the administrator/contact name shown? No
12. Can the state fine a facility? Yes
13. What is the frequency of inspections? Every 36 months
14. Does the website include pricing of facilities? No
Utah Department of Human Services. (2019, August 20). R432-270. Assisted Living Facilities
A Place for Mom. (2023). A Place for Mom proprietary data.
Utah Department of Health. (2021). Utah medicaid member guide
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Home and community based services authorities
Utah Department of Health and Human Services. Aging waiver
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Parts of Medicare
Overview of assisted living in UT
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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