In Pennsylvania, assisted living residences provide food, shelter, personal care, and supplemental health care services to individuals requiring assistance or supervision with activities of daily living or medication administration. On average, assisted living in Pennsylvania costs $5,100 per month or $61,200 annually, according to A Place for Mom’s proprietary data.[01] To keep up with Pennsylvania’s increasing senior population, the state offers a range of assisted living communities to accommodate various budgets, care needs, and lifestyles.
State scorecard
How we determine 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.
Top ranked Pennsylvania cities for assisted living overall
Key findings
State highlights
Assisted living in Pennsylvania particularly stands out due to a robust selection providing a variety of amenities and services. Nearly 100% of our partner assisted living communities offer on-site activities with options ranging from fitness classes to game nights. Our assisted living partners also offer exceptional on-site care with over 80% of them offering rehabilitative therapy, respite care, and hospice care services.
Top ranked Pennsylvania cities - Services & Amenities
Key findings
Pennsylvania vs. the national monthly median cost of assisted living
Top ranked Pennsylvania cities - Affordability
Key findings
Top ranked Pennsylvania cities - Ratings
I moved here a year ago from Florida and was very nervous, but everyone here was so caring and I felt at ease. It never felt like I was in a facility, it felt like home and the staff felt like family. You...
My mom lived at the Gardens for a couple of years. She loved it there, she felt she was part of the "family" there. (and she was) The people living there are treated with such love and respect. I never...
My mother has dementia and we selected Personal Care (assisted living) at Pinnacle after evaluating many assisted living facilities. The Pinnacle has a separate program calendar for dementia residents and an...
The Birches has been a wonderful home for my mother. We were looking for excellent care, engaging activities, a connection to a Jewish community, good value, and a location close to family—and The Birches...
They were a pleasure to work with. And since they are a non profit- the price was very reasonable compared to other facilities. We heard about the activities, but did not get a chance to use them. It is a...
The building is nice, great location. The day to day staff is nice and has patience. The administrative staff doesn’t respond consistently to emails. You have to go into the office to get results and stay on...
5 in all areas for Lafayette. My aunt is THRILLED with her new apartment. The staff go over and above with everyone and everything. The food is well prepared. The room is not a room but a 3 room plus...
We are very happy with Oakwood Residence. My mom is very happy there. I would give a 5 but I'm not happy with the fact that every time I call to check on my mom or want her to call me, I get the rehab side...
I found both a place for mom and Brookdale to be wonderful to work with, personable, Warm, Welcoming Friendly, Respectful and Responsive in every way. My father says everyone at Brookdale is kind attentive...
Juniper is a very nice place. Clean, well organized and active. I was a little disappointed that no on from activities encouraged our resident to participate in the well organized activities that were...
Namely, I think they could do better with planning activities for people with dementia like my mother-in-law. They really try to work with her about food but she is really difficult.
The staff is professional and accommodating as well as making residents feel comfortable and at home. It has a clean and pleasant atmosphere along with a variety of activities.
4.5 for all. Great facility and highly recommend it. We love the sense of community. Everyone is so helpful, clean area, nurses and health care providers are on top of my mom's needs.
There are only 3 washers & 3 dryers in each floor. Only 3! Many times residents forget to take out their wash loads from the washer dryers. The next one takes them out and put them on top of the other...
The cost of assisted living can greatly vary given the range of options. However, the approximate monthly cost range of assisted living in Pennsylvania falls between $3,000 and $7,500 per month, according to A Place for Mom’s internal data. This range is an estimate based on what referred families actually paid at our partnering assisted living facilities in Pennsylvania. It accounts for all costs including room and board, care, and access to on-site amenities.
Pennsylvania assisted living costs are reflective of average nationwide costs, but prices can vary depending on location, floor plan, care needs, and amenities. Some Pennsylvania communities offer luxurious amenities — like 24-hour concierge, fully equipped fitness rooms, spacious lounge areas, and robust wellness programs — that lead to a higher cost. Fortunately, there are still many affordable options that focus on providing quality care along with a few essential amenities. Additionally, seniors can reduce some care costs with programs like Medicaid or Medicare.
Average monthly costs
Pennsylvania
US National average
Average monthly costs
Pennsylvania
Maryland
District of Columbia
Delaware
New Jersey
Average monthly costs
Average monthly costs
| Community type | Pennsylvania | U.S. | Cost difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assisted Living | $4,283/mo | $4,587/mo | 6.6% below national median |
| Memory Care | $5,400/mo | $5,339/mo | 1.1% above national median |
| Independent Living | $4,165/mo | $4,064/mo | 2.5% above national median |
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There are several payment methods for assisted living available to families in Pennsylvania, and families who start planning early tend to have the most options. Many families combine private and public resources to cover assisted living expenses. In this section, you’ll find a variety of potential options and resources. For a quick overview of payment options, you can also visit our guide to paying for long-term care.
The private pay options available to your senior loved one will depend on their current situation. Options may include savings accounts, retirement pensions, and any of the options listed below.
Pennsylvania seniors often choose to downsize by selling their homes to fund assisted living costs.
If selling their home isn’t feasible, Pennsylvania seniors can take out a loan based on their home’s equity to pay for assisted living expenses.
Seniors in Pennsylvania can use a health savings account, also known as an HSA, to cover medical expenses and some assisted living care costs.
Some life insurance policies can be borrowed from, surrendered, or sold to help Pennsylvania seniors cover assisted living expenses.
Long-term care insurance policies greatly vary in what they cover, but they may cover some care services at a Pennsylvania assisted living facility.
Social Security benefits for assisted living
Qualifying Pennsylvania seniors can use Social Security benefits to fund monthly assisted living expenses.
Senior loved ones who served in the military and their surviving spouses may qualify for veterans benefits from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). These VA benefits can be used to pay for assisted living and long-term care costs in Pennsylvania. Some senior veterans qualify for benefits without knowing it, so we strongly recommend receiving nonprofit benefits counseling to learn about potential options and maximize entitled benefits.
Pennsylvania has one of the largest veteran populations in the U.S., so it’s no surprise that the state offers many resources to help senior veterans. Pennsylvania veterans can receive information and assistance with their applications by contacting the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (DMVA). The department offers an initiative called PA VETConnect, which can connect you to the right resources in your city or county.
The department can help connect you with the correct nonprofit veterans service organizations (VSOs) in your area depending on your qualifications. VSOs — like the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), Disabled American Veterans (DAV), American Legion, and more — are known for supporting veterans in various ways.
Medicaid is a public health insurance program that provides coverage to seniors 65+ in Pennsylvania. It’s jointly funded by the federal and state governments, so Pennsylvania has its own unique program and guidelines. In Pennsylvania, the Medicaid program for seniors is called Medical Assistance (MA). The program covers a variety of health care services like doctor’s appointments, medications, and more.
Pennsylvania offers several Medicaid waiver programs through the Department of Human Services to help residents further save on aging costs. In recent years, Pennsylvania combined many of its Medicaid waivers for seniors into one called Community HealthChoices. This waiver program covers services like assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs), transportation services, and nursing services within an assisted living facility. To qualify for the program, seniors must require a skilled nursing facility level of care.
Medicare is a federal health insurance program for seniors 65 years or older. It doesn’t cover custodial costs like room and board at an assisted living facility in Pennsylvania, but it can help cover medically necessary care costs provided within an assisted living facility, like skilled nursing or rehabilitative therapy.
For financial assistance with Medicare in Pennsylvania, qualifying seniors can utilize the state’s Medicare cost-savings programs. Extra Help and the Medicare Savings Program can help cover some premiums, deductibles, coinsurance, copayments, and prescription costs. Seniors can also apply for PACE or PACENET, the state’s pharmaceutical assistance programs for the elderly.
To better navigate Pennsylvania Medicare, seniors can reach out to a PA MEDI (Pennsylvania Medicare Education and Decision Insight) counselor. These counselors are specially trained to answer questions about Medicare, Medicaid, and long-term care insurance. Families can also reach out to Pennsylvania’s Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program for any questions about long-term care.
Pennsylvania assisted living facilities must be licensed and regulated by the Office of Long-Term Living’s Bureau of Human Services Licensing operated by the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services.[02]
The department performs inspections on assisted living facilities every 24 months to check for compliance in the following areas:[02]
To access information on inspections of Pennsylvania assisted living facilities, also referred to as personal care homes, you can visit the health department’s annual reports page. If you’d like more information on assisted living regulations in Pennsylvania, you can visit the personal care home and assisted living residence licensing page on the Department of Human Services website.
State regulations — and a community’s track record with inspections and licensing — offer important insights into safety and quality of care in senior living communities.
Download the Guide to Senior Living Licensure and Inspection Reports to learn what to look for in inspection reports and what questions to ask when touring communities. This resource explains how to use state licensure and inspection information to evaluate a community’s compliance, care standards, and responsiveness to issues.
Let our care assessment guide you
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 Pennsylvania is exceptional. Key findings that informed this rating include:
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. (2022-2023). A Place for Mom proprietary data.
Pennsylvania Department of Human Services. (2023). Personal care home and assisted living residence licensing.
Overview of assisted living in PA
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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