The cost of senior care in Iowa is higher than the national average. It’s important to understand the main differences between living and care arrangements when deciding the best setting for an older adult transitioning to senior care. The cost of home care, assisted living, and nursing homes can be significant, depending on your location and necessary care level. Here, we describe these differences and introduce some options to help you pay for senior care in Iowa.
Cost of assisted living in Iowa
Multiple factors influence the cost of assisted living in Iowa. Many of these factors depend on the type and level of care you need. Long-term care financial company Genworth reported in 2024 that the average cost of assisted living in Iowa is $5,200 per month. This cost has increased by 19.07% since the last report in 2021.
The level of care a person requires will impact the cost of assisted living, but where you live also matters. The monthly cost varies by as much as $5,257 a month, depending on where you live in the state. The cost of assisted living ranges from a low of $4,163 in the Waterloo area to a high of $9,420 per month in the Dubuque area of Iowa.
Cost of nursing homes in Iowa
The difference between nursing homes and assisted living facilities is in their accommodations and the level of care they provide. In nursing homes, the living environment is more clinical, where residents live in a private or semi-private room without a living room or kitchen area. In assisted living facilities, residents live in apartments with a private bathroom and kitchenette.
The cost of nursing homes in Iowa is nearly 70% greater than that of assisted living facilities. The average cost for a semi-private room is $8,365 per month, and a private room is $8,973 per month. These costs vary across the state. Sioux City has the lowest average cost for a semi-private room in the state at $7,604, and Dubuque has the lowest average cost for a private room at $8,790 per month. The area with the highest average cost for a semi-private room in the state is in both Cedar Rapids and Dubuque, where the average price is $8,790, and Cedar Rapids has the highest price for a private room at $10,144 per month.
Read more: How to Pay for Nursing Home Care
Cost of home care in Iowa
If you can stay at home but need a little help, home care is an excellent alternative to moving into a facility, which allows you to stay at home and brings care to you. There are two types of home care that can help meet your needs. One option is homemaker services, where a non-medical caregiver goes to your home to help with basic living activities, like grocery shopping, meal preparation, housekeeping, and cleaning. The other option is to hire a home health aide. A home health aide assists with bathing and toileting and can provide health monitoring, like taking pulse and blood pressure readings. Home health aides can also monitor the person’s mental health condition they are helping.
The cost difference between the two care types is about 28.2%, so you should consider the type of care that is needed and research your care options based on the needs to potentially save money. The average hourly cost of a home health aide is $37.93 per hour, and the homemaker service averages $37.93 an hour. Cedar Rapids has the lowest average cost in the state, averaging about 16% below the average at $31.94 per hour. The highest average cost is in WaterlooDavenport, where the cost is 8% lower than the state average at just under $34.94 an hour.
Cost of memory care in Iowa
Memory care is the fastest-growing care segment in the U.S. as measured by the number of individuals needing the care and the number of memory care providers. Memory care specializes in the care of residents or patients with Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia. Memory care is provided at a standalone memory care facility or at an additional cost in an assisted living facility or nursing home.
Memory care is typically an additional cost above assisted living or a nursing home. The incremental cost is due to these residents’ receiving 24-hour long-term care. This additional cost is between $902 and $1,150 per month in Iowa.
