How Much Does a Continuing Care Retirement Community Cost?

Most Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRCs) charge two things: a one-time entrance fee and an ongoing monthly fee. In 2026, entrance fees typically range from $100,000 to $500,000 or more — with a national median near $400,000 for entrance-fee communities — and monthly fees typically run $2,500 to $6,000 per month (a national median around $3,800). The contract type drives the price: Type A (life care) contracts cost the most upfront but lock in future care at predictable rates, Type B (modified) contracts sit in the middle, and Type C (fee-for-service) contracts have lower entrance fees but charge market rates if you later need assisted living or nursing care. Rental CCRCs skip the entrance fee entirely but charge higher monthly rates.

A Continuing Care Retirement Community (also called a life plan community) is a single campus that offers every level of senior care — independent living, assisted living, memory care, and skilled nursing — so residents never have to move again as their needs change. You typically move in while you're still active and independent (most communities require entry around age 62 or older and in reasonably good health), then transition to higher levels of care on the same campus if and when you need them. There are roughly 1,900 CCRCs in the United States, and many are run by nonprofit organizations. The model trades a significant upfront investment for lifetime housing and care predictability.

The contract type determines how much you pay now versus later. Type A (life care) contracts have the highest entrance fees — often $400,000 or more — but your monthly fee stays largely stable even if you move from independent living into assisted living or the nursing wing. Type B (modified) contracts have a moderate entrance fee and include a set amount of future care (for example, a number of nursing days) before rates increase. Type C (fee-for-service) contracts have the lowest entrance fees, but if you need assisted living or nursing care later, you pay the community's full market rate at that time — which can exceed $9,000/month for skilled nursing. The right choice depends on your health outlook, assets, and how much risk you want to transfer to the community.

It depends on your timeline and assets. Assisted living has no entrance fee and a 2026 national median of roughly $5,900/month — far cheaper than a CCRC in the short term. But assisted living is one level of care: if you later need memory care or skilled nursing, you move again and pay more. A CCRC's entrance fee (median near $400,000) plus monthly fee (median near $3,800) essentially pre-funds your future care. For a couple in their 60s or 70s with a paid-off home and retirement savings, a Type A CCRC can cost less over 15-20 years than paying market rates for assisted living followed by memory care or nursing care — and it removes the risk of outliving affordable care. For someone who needs care now, assisted living is almost always the faster and more practical option.

Medicare does not pay CCRC entrance fees or monthly fees — it only covers short-term skilled nursing or rehabilitation (up to 100 days per benefit period after a qualifying hospital stay), whether you receive it in a CCRC or anywhere else. Medicaid generally does not cover CCRCs because most are private-pay communities, and the entrance fee itself can disqualify applicants by spending down assets in a way that complicates eligibility. Long-term care insurance is different: many policies will reimburse the assisted living, memory care, or skilled nursing portion of your monthly fee once you qualify for benefits — and some policies even recognize part of the entrance fee. If you're considering a CCRC, have the community's finance office review your LTC policy before you sign. VA Aid & Attendance benefits can also help eligible veterans offset monthly care costs within a CCRC.

Four things matter most. First, financial stability: ask for the community's audited financial statements, occupancy rate (healthy communities run above 85-90%), and whether it carries a Fitch or CARF accreditation — CCRC bankruptcies are rare but devastating for residents. Second, refundability: many contracts refund 50-90% of your entrance fee to your estate when you leave or pass away, while others are non-refundable after a short amortization period — this changes the true cost by hundreds of thousands of dollars. Third, the monthly fee escalation history: most communities raise fees 3-5% annually, so model what $3,800/month becomes in 10 or 15 years. Fourth, the care guarantee: confirm in writing what happens if you outlive your money — nonprofit communities often have benevolence funds, while for-profit communities may not. Always have an elder law attorney review the contract before signing; it's a real estate transaction, a care plan, and an insurance product all in one.