15th
OVERALL STATE RANK
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 am here just for the step-down program. Everyone here is helpful and always will to do whatever they need to td to keep you comfortable and happy. If you have an accident, they are quick to help and they...
When it came time to think about placing my mother-in-law in a retirement community we thought long and hard about it. She has sight issues and lived in her home by herself all her life and was not used to...
We are very happy that we chose Colonial Court Yard. For our mother. From the the top office , to all nurses , to all medical service , all aids , cleaning personal , activities director, kitchen staff ,...
Pinnacle of Plymouth Meeting is a beautiful facility & the care has been great. The staff are friendly & professional and give me updates frequently. I moved my Dad from another facility to Pinnacle and I am...
My mom is now in memory care, and it’s been the best decision we could have made. Navigating the senior living industry can be overwhelming, but [name removed] from the sales team truly made a difference—he...
Nothing is perfect but staffing is great . And follow up on questions or concerns is very quick and If we had any concerns it was taken care of. Yes, I would highly recommend Pathways. They are able to...
I moved into Fountain View two months ago and am enjoying my life here very much. I have especially been rewarded by meeting many compatible people. My newly renovated apartment is beautiful. I have...
First my Mom was in the hospital then she had to leave so I put her in Oakwood rehabilitation, knowing I chose Oakwood Residence for her place to live. It was the best decision I could have made. The rehab...
Thank you. I am very pleased about the quality of service my loved one has received. I highly recommend the facility. The other facilities appeared to have dorm like or nursing room like settings or they...
The friendliness of the staff and care services gets a 5+. [name removed], the director, is dedicated, hard working, compassionate, and kind and leads by example. Everyone from the folks who work at the...
Overall, it was a good place. The lack of communication with the Director [name removed] was the biggest problem during our time there. Paying [fee removed] a month should at least entitle the family to be...
The facility was clean and did not have any odors The food service and the food was very good. The staff was friendly and very helpful. Unfortunately as it was my mother first time in a long term care...
The Merrill Garden staff have truly gone above and beyond in their care and support of my mom over the last 2 years. Their dedication to not just meeting her physical needs but also engaging her mentally...
The staff. Well trained, friendly, always available, engages with residents & well staffed (always enough people). We would recommend the Sunrise of Westtown community to other families who may need a place...
The staff is caring and very friendly. The food is good and there is a nice variety. It can be difficult to reach the nurse's station via phone. The facility is clean and the apartments are roomy and...
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
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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.
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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