Senior care in Tennessee: prices, Medicaid, and the inspection file
What Tennessee families pay for assisted living, nursing and home care, whether Medicaid helps, and how to check any facility's record - verified against official sources, town by town.
Assisted living in Tennessee runs a median $5,845 a month - ranked #32 of 50 states in the 2025 survey.
The U.S. medians for comparison: assisted living $6,200/month, nursing semi-private $9,581/month, home care $35/hour.
Tennessee families weighing home care against a community start from about $35 an hour - the crossover math is on every town page.
Yes - TennCare CHOICES (Groups 2 and 3) covers Assisted Care Living Facility (ACLF) services as a Community-Based Residential Alternative to nursing facility care, but the rule states 'Coverage shall not include the costs of Room and Board,' so the resident pays their own rent and meals. Whatever your state covers, one rule is nearly universal: waivers pay for care services, and the family still handles living costs - so a Medicaid path still needs a budget.
Tennessee: Medicaid, prices and the inspection file
| Question | Tennessee answer |
|---|---|
| Medicaid & assisted living | Yes - TennCare CHOICES (Groups 2 and 3) covers Assisted Care Living Facility (ACLF) services as a Community-Based Residential Alternative to nursing facility care, but the rule states 'Coverage shall not include the costs of Room and Board,' so the resident pays their own rent and meals. |
| State median, assisted living | $5,845/month (#32 of 50 states) |
| Licensing & inspection records | Tennessee Health Facilities Commission, Division of Licensure and Regulation |
Tennessee does not use the term 'assisted living' on the license - the license type is 'Assisted-Care Living Facility' (ACLF), and a separate, lower-care 'Home for the Aged' (Residential Home for the Aged) license also exists.
This guide is research, not advice: an independent summary of published costs and state rules. It is not a care provider, placement agency, law firm or financial advisor - care and Medicaid decisions deserve professional advice for your family's situation.
What care costs in 2026
| Care type | 2025 national median | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| In-home care | $35/hour | Non-medical help at home - meals, bathing, companionship |
| Adult day care | $95/day | Daytime supervision and activities, evenings at home |
| Assisted living | $6,200/month | Housing plus daily-living help; care-level fees extra |
| Memory care | typically 20-40% above assisted living | Secured dementia care with higher staffing |
| Nursing home (semi-private) | $9,581/month | 24/7 skilled medical care |
| Nursing home (private room) | $355/day | Same care, private room |
Compare senior care options near Tennessee
These platforms show communities and home-care agencies near you with pricing guidance. Advisors are free to families - providers pay them, as they do this site.
Disclosure: this is an independent guide. If you connect with a provider through a link here, the platform may pay this site a referral fee. That fee never changes your price - and it never changes what the inspection records say.
Why only these platforms
Ask anyone who moved a parent twice: the expensive mistake was not the rent, it was choosing on price and lobby furniture. Staffing ratios, inspection history and what-happens-when-money-runs-out answers are the real price tags - and they are free to check.
Senior care referral is an industry with real abuse - phone-blast lead sellers and pay-to-play rankings. This guide only links platforms that show you multiple named communities and let you decline: never single-facility funnels. And no platform placement replaces the one check that matters - your state's own inspection records, linked on every page of this guide.
| Platform | What you get | Background |
|---|---|---|
| A Place for Mom | Free advisor + shortlist of communities near you | Largest U.S. senior living referral network |
| Caring.com | Directory with reviews and pricing guidance | Established senior care directory |
Common questions
How do I check a facility's inspection record?
Every state has a licensing or certification agency that publishes inspection results and complaint histories - this guide links your state's agency on every page. Search every finalist before any deposit: violations, complaint patterns and how the operator responded tell you more than the tour.
What is the difference between assisted living and a nursing home?
Assisted living provides housing plus help with daily activities - meals, medication, bathing - at a median $6,200 a month. Nursing homes provide 24/7 skilled medical care at a median $9,581 a month for a semi-private room. The dividing line is medical need: wound care, feeding tubes and ventilators are nursing-home territory.
What is memory care and why does it cost more?
Memory care is assisted living specialized for dementia - secured areas, higher staffing, trained caregivers - and typically prices 20-40% above standard assisted living in the same market. If dementia is in the picture, ask specifically about memory-care rates and staff training, not the general rate.
How much does in-home care cost?
About $35 an hour at the 2025 national median - roughly $80,000 a year at 44 hours a week. Since the 2025 survey, non-medical caregivers are tracked as a single category, so quotes for 'homemaker' versus 'home health aide' services should no longer differ much for non-medical help.
Can a facility evict my parent?
Yes - discharge policies allow it for reasons like funds running out, care needs exceeding what the license covers, or behavior issues. Read the discharge clause before signing and get the funds-run-out answer in writing; involuntary moves are the outcome families regret most.
How much does assisted living cost?
The U.S. median is $6,200 a month ($74,400 a year) per the 2025 CareScout Cost of Care Survey - before care-level fees, which add hundreds more at higher need levels. State medians vary widely; this guide shows your state's number and rank on every page.
Compare senior care options near Tennessee
These platforms show communities and home-care agencies near you with pricing guidance. Advisors are free to families - providers pay them, as they do this site.
Disclosure: this is an independent guide. If you connect with a provider through a link here, the platform may pay this site a referral fee. That fee never changes your price - and it never changes what the inspection records say.
Prices by city
Adams · Adamsville · Alamo · Alcoa · Alexandria · Algood · Allardt · Altamont · Ardmore · Arlington · Ashland City · Athens · Atoka · Atwood · Auburntown · Baileyton · Baneberry · Bartlett · Baxter · Bean Station · Beersheba Springs · Bell Buckle · Belle Meade · Bells · Benton · Berry Hill · Bethel Springs · Big Sandy · Blaine · Bluff City · Bolivar · Braden · Bradford · Brentwood · Brighton · Bristol · Brownsville · Bruceton · Bulls Gap · Burlison · Burns · Byrdstown · Calhoun · Camden · Carthage · Caryville · Cedar Hill · Celina · Centertown · Centerville · Chapel Hill · Charleston · Charlotte · Chattanooga · Church Hill · Clarksburg · Clarksville · Cleveland · Clifton · Clinton · Coalmont · Collegedale · Collierville · Collinwood · Columbia · Cookeville · Coopertown · Copperhill · Cornersville · Cottage Grove · Covington · Cowan · Crab Orchard · Cross Plains · Crossville · Crump · Cumberland City · Cumberland Gap · Dandridge · Dayton · Decatur · Decaturville · Decherd · Dickson · Dover · Dowelltown · Doyle · Dresden · Ducktown · Dunlap · Dyer · Dyersburg · Eagleville · East Ridge · Eastview · Elizabethton · Elkton · Englewood · Enville · Erin · Erwin · Estill Springs · Ethridge · Etowah · Fairview · Farragut · Fayetteville · Finger · Forest Hills · Franklin · Friendship · Friendsville · Gadsden · Gainesboro · Gallatin · Gallaway · Garland · Gates · Gatlinburg · Germantown · Gibson · Gilt Edge · Gleason · Goodlettsville · Gordonsville · Grand Junction · Graysville · Greenback · Greenbrier · Greeneville · Greenfield · Gruetli-Laager · Guys · Halls · Harriman · Harrogate · Hartsville/Trousdale County · Henderson · Hendersonville · Henning · Henry · Hickory Valley · Hohenwald · Hollow Rock · Hornbeak · Hornsby · Humboldt · Huntingdon · Huntland · Huntsville · Jacksboro · Jackson · Jamestown · Jasper · Jefferson City · Jellico · Johnson City · Jonesborough · Kenton · Kimball · Kingsport · Kingston · Kingston Springs · Knoxville · La Follette · La Grange · La Vergne · Lafayette · Lakeland · Lakesite · Lawrenceburg · Lebanon · Lenoir City · Lewisburg · Lexington · Liberty · Linden · Livingston · Lobelville · Lookout Mountain · Loretto · Loudon · Louisville · Luttrell · Lynchburg · Lynnville · Madisonville · Manchester · Martin · Maryville · Mason · Maury City · Maynardville · McEwen · McKenzie · McLemoresville · McMinnville · Medina · Medon · Memphis · Michie · Middleton · Milan · Milledgeville · Millersville · Millington · Minor Hill · Mitchellville · Monteagle · Monterey · Morrison · Morristown · Moscow · Mosheim · Mount Carmel · Mount Juliet · Mount Pleasant · Mountain City · Munford · Murfreesboro · Nashville · New Hope · New Johnsonville · New Market · New Tazewell · Newbern · Newport · Niota · Nolensville · Normandy · Norris · Oak Hill · Oak Ridge · Oakdale · Oakland · Obion · Oliver Springs · Oneida · Orlinda · Orme · Palmer · Paris · Parker's Crossroads · Parrottsville · Parsons · Pegram · Petersburg · Philadelphia · Pigeon Forge · Pikeville · Piperton · Pittman Center · Plainview · Pleasant Hill · Pleasant View · Portland · Powells Crossroads · Pulaski · Puryear · Ramer · Red Bank · Red Boiling Springs · Ridgely · Ridgeside · Ridgetop · Ripley · Rives · Rockford · Rockwood · Rocky Top · Rogersville · Rossville · Rutherford · Rutledge · Saltillo · Samburg · Sardis · Saulsbury · Savannah · Scotts Hill · Selmer · Sevierville · Sharon · Shelbyville · Signal Mountain · Silerton · Slayden · Smithville · Smyrna · Sneedville · Soddy-Daisy · Somerville · South Carthage · South Fulton · South Pittsburg · Sparta · Spencer · Spring City · Spring Hill · Springfield · St. Joseph · Stanton · Stantonville · Sunbright · Surgoinsville · Sweetwater · Tazewell · Tellico Plains · Tennessee Ridge · Thompson's Station · Three Way · Tiptonville · Toone · Townsend · Tracy City · Trenton · Trezevant · Trimble · Troy · Tullahoma · Tusculum · Unicoi · Union City · Vanleer · Viola · Vonore · Walden · Wartburg · Wartrace · Watauga · Watertown · Waverly · Waynesboro · Westmoreland · White Bluff · White House · White Pine · Whiteville · Whitwell · Williston · Winchester · Winfield · Woodbury · Woodland Mills · Yorkville