Senior care in Utah: prices, Medicaid, and the inspection file
What Utah 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 Utah runs a median $5,475 a month - ranked #38 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.
Utah families weighing home care against a community start from about $35 an hour - the crossover math is on every town page.
Yes - Utah Medicaid's New Choices Waiver (a 1915(c) HCBS waiver run by the Utah Dept. of Health and Human Services, Office of Long Term Services & Supports) covers 'adult residential services' and other supports for people who live in a licensed Type I or Type II assisted living facility, but like all HCBS waivers it does not pay room and board, which the participant pays from their own income. 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.
Utah: Medicaid, prices and the inspection file
| Question | Utah answer |
|---|---|
| Medicaid & assisted living | Yes - Utah Medicaid's New Choices Waiver (a 1915(c) HCBS waiver run by the Utah Dept. of Health and Human Services, Office of Long Term Services & Supports) covers 'adult residential services' and other supports for people who live in a licensed Type I or Type II assisted living facility, but like all HCBS waivers it does not pay room and board, which the participant pays from their own income. |
| State median, assisted living | $5,475/month (#38 of 50 states) |
| Licensing & inspection records | Utah Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Licensing and Background Checks (Office of Licensing) - health facility licensing |
Utah licenses two levels in statute: a 'type I' assisted living facility for residents who can exit the building without another person's help, and a 'type II' assisted living facility providing coordinated personal and health care services 24 hours a day in a home-like setting.
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 Utah
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
The cheapest community is not the best one - the one with a clean inspection record is. In this industry, the price difference between a good facility and a neglectful one is often a few hundred dollars a month; the difference in your parent's daily life is everything. Every state publishes violation records, and this guide links Utah's.
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
What fees do communities add on top of rent?
Care-level fees (assessed need tiers that can add $500-1,500+ monthly), medication management, and one-time community or move-in fees are the big three. Always compare communities on the all-in monthly number at your parent's assessed level - base rent alone is a marketing figure.
When should we start looking?
Before the crisis. Good communities near you have waitlists, and emergency placements take whatever bed is open at premium rates. Touring while your parent is stable costs nothing, builds the shortlist, and turns a future emergency into a phone call.
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.
Does long-term care insurance actually help?
If your parent bought a policy years ago, yes - claim it early, as most policies have elimination periods before benefits start. Buying new coverage in one's 80s is generally not realistic. Check old files: policies bought decades ago are routinely forgotten and unclaimed.
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.
Does Medicaid pay for assisted living?
It depends entirely on your state: 36 states cover some assisted living services through waivers, 9 cover them in limited settings, and 6 have no assisted living pathway at all. Even where covered, waivers typically pay for care services while the family handles room and board. This guide's Medicaid page gives your state's verified answer.
Compare senior care options near Utah
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
Alpine · Alta · Altamont · Alton · Amalga · American Fork · Annabella · Antimony · Apple Valley · Aurora · Ballard · Bear River City · Beaver · Bicknell · Big Water · Blanding · Bluff · Bluffdale · Boulder · Bountiful · Brian Head · Brigham City · Brighton · Bryce Canyon City · Cannonville · Castle Dale · Castle Valley · Cedar City · Cedar Fort · Cedar Hills · Centerfield · Centerville · Central Valley · Charleston · Circleville · Clarkston · Clawson · Clearfield · Cleveland · Clinton · Coalville · Copperton · Corinne · Cornish · Cottonwood Heights · Daniel · Delta · Deweyville · Draper · Duchesne · Dutch John · Eagle Mountain · East Carbon · Elk Ridge · Elmo · Elsinore · Elwood · Emery · Emigration Canyon · Enoch · Enterprise · Ephraim · Erda · Escalante · Eureka · Fairfield · Fairview · Farmington · Farr West · Fayette · Ferron · Fielding · Fillmore · Fountain Green · Francis · Fruit Heights · Garden City · Garland · Genola · Glendale · Glenwood · Goshen · Grantsville · Green River · Gunnison · Hanksville · Harrisville · Hatch · Heber · Helper · Henefer · Henrieville · Herriman · Hideout · Highland · Hildale · Hinckley · Holden · Holladay · Honeyville · Hooper · Howell · Huntington · Huntsville · Hurricane · Hyde Park · Hyrum · Independence · Interlaken · Ivins · Joseph · Junction · Kamas · Kanab · Kanarraville · Kanosh · Kaysville · Kearns · Kingston · Koosharem · La Verkin · Lake Point · Laketown · Layton · Leamington · Leeds · Lehi · Levan · Lewiston · Lindon · Loa · Logan · Lyman · Lynndyl · Magna · Manila · Manti · Mantua · Mapleton · Marriott-Slaterville · Marysvale · Mayfield · Meadow · Mendon · Midvale · Midway · Milford · Millcreek · Millville · Minersville · Moab · Mona · Monroe · Monticello · Morgan · Moroni · Mount Pleasant · Murray · Myton · Naples · Nephi · New Harmony · Newton · Nibley · North Logan · North Ogden · North Salt Lake · Oak City · Oakley · Ogden · Orangeville · Orderville · Orem · Panguitch · Paradise · Paragonah · Park City · Parowan · Payson · Perry · Plain City · Pleasant Grove · Pleasant View · Plymouth · Portage · Price · Providence · Provo · Randolph · Redmond · Richfield · Richmond · River Heights · Riverdale · Riverton · Rockville · Rocky Ridge · Roosevelt · Roy · Rush Valley · Salem · Salina · Salt Lake City · Sandy · Santa Clara · Santaquin · Saratoga Springs · Scipio · Scofield · Sigurd · Smithfield · Snowville · South Jordan · South Ogden · South Salt Lake · South Weber · Spanish Fork · Spring City · Springdale · Springville · St. George · Sterling · Stockton · Sunset · Syracuse · Tabiona · Taylorsville · Tooele · Toquerville · Torrey · Tremonton · Trenton · Tropic · Uintah · Vernal · Vernon · Vineyard · Virgin · Wales · Wallsburg · Washington · Washington Terrace · Wellington · Wellsville · Wendover · West Bountiful · West Haven · West Jordan · West Point · West Valley City · White City · Willard · Woodland Hills · Woodruff · Woods Cross