Care Cost in Illinois
2026 average monthly costs for assisted living, nursing homes, memory care, home care, and adult day services in Illinois.
Monthly Care Costs
Home Care
$6,864/mo
$82,368 per year
Home care services in Illinois include personal care aides and home health aides who help seniors age in place with assistance for bathing, meals, and mobility. In-home caregivers in Illinois offer a flexible alternative to facility-based care.
Adult Day Care
$1,977/mo
$23,724 per year
Adult day care programs in Illinois offer structured daytime activities, socialization, and health monitoring — providing essential respite for family caregivers. Adult day services in Illinois are among the most affordable long-term care options available.
Assisted Living
$6,219/mo
$74,628 per year
Assisted living facilities in Illinois provide personal care, meals, and medication management for seniors who need daily support but not round-the-clock medical attention. Assisted living costs in Illinois typically cover a private room, housekeeping, and access to social activities.
Memory Care(Est.)
$7,800/mo
$93,600 per year
Memory care facilities in Illinois provide specialized support for seniors with Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia. These secured communities offer structured routines, cognitive therapies, and 24-hour supervision. Memory care costs in Illinois are estimated at approximately 1.25× the assisted living rate.
Nursing Home (Semi-Private)
$8,304/mo
$99,648 per year
Skilled nursing facilities in Illinois offer 24-hour medical supervision, rehabilitation therapy, and long-term care for seniors with complex health needs. Nursing home costs in Illinois reflect round-the-clock licensed nursing staff and specialized medical equipment. This rate reflects a semi-private room.
Nursing Home (Private Room)
$9,216/mo
$110,592 per year
A private room in a Illinois nursing home offers greater privacy and comfort for residents requiring 24-hour skilled nursing care. In Illinois, a private room costs about 11% more than a semi-private room (the 2025 CareScout Cost of Care Survey).
How costs vary across Illinois
Chicago and its surrounding communities offer a large selection of senior care providers, but the metropolitan market generally carries higher costs. Naperville, Aurora, Joliet, and Elgin share that broader pattern of strong demand. Springfield, Champaign, Peoria, and Decatur provide central Illinois alternatives that tend to cost less than the Chicago area. Southern communities, including Belleville and O'Fallon, may offer more affordable choices with a smaller facility pool. Compare care capabilities and available openings as well as location when narrowing the search.
Read the full Illinois planning guideAnnual Cost Breakdown
| Care Type | Monthly | Annual | National Avg | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home Care | $6,864 | $82,368 | $6,673 | +3% |
| Adult Day Care | $1,977 | $23,724 | $2,058 | -4% |
| Assisted Living | $6,219 | $74,628 | $6,200 | 0% |
| Memory Care(Est.) | $7,800 | $93,600 | $7,800 | 0% |
| Nursing Home (Semi-Private) | $8,304 | $99,648 | $9,581 | -13% |
| Nursing Home (Private Room) | $9,216 | $110,592 | $10,798 | -15% |
Source: CareScout 2025 Cost of Care Survey (released March 2026)
Cost Projections
Estimated future monthly costs based on a 3% annual care cost inflation rate.
| Care Type | Today | In 5 Years | In 10 Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home Care | $6,864 | $7,957 | $9,225 |
| Adult Day Care | $1,977 | $2,292 | $2,657 |
| Assisted Living | $6,219 | $7,210 | $8,358 |
| Memory Care(Est.) | $7,800 | $9,042 | $10,483 |
| Nursing Home (Semi-Private) | $8,304 | $9,627 | $11,160 |
| Nursing Home (Private Room) | $9,216 | $10,684 | $12,386 |
* Projections are estimates based on historical care cost inflation trends. Actual costs may vary.
Total Cost of Care Over Time
Cumulative cost if care begins today, including 3% annual inflation. These totals show what families in Illinois can expect to pay over multi-year care periods.
| Care Type | 3 Years | 5 Years | 10 Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home Care | $254,591 | $437,303 | $944,257 |
| Adult Day Care | $73,329 | $125,954 | $271,969 |
| Assisted Living | $230,668 | $396,210 | $855,526 |
| Memory Care | $289,308 | $496,935 | $1,073,019 |
| Nursing Home (Semi-Private) | $308,002 | $529,045 | $1,142,353 |
| Nursing Home (Private Room) | $341,829 | $587,148 | $1,267,813 |
* Cumulative totals assume continuous care starting today with 3% annual inflation compounding each year.
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Today's Monthly Cost
$9,216/mo
NH Private Room · Illinois
Monthly Cost Today
$9,216/mo
3% inflation · 3 years of care
Don't rush to sell the home
Bridge loans, HELOCs, and reverse mortgages can fund care without selling.
Care costs rise 3–5% annually
Factor long-term inflation into all planning models.
Medicaid lookback is 5 years
Planning must begin well before care is needed to protect assets.
Source: CareScout 2025 Cost of Care Survey (updated March 2026)
* AK NH Private Room: A Place For Mom. ADC — DE: Genworth; DC: PayingForSeniorCare; ID: MedicaidLongTermCare.org; SD: Genworth; VT: VT Adult Services Div.; WV: CareCostIndex.com.
Key Insights for Illinois
Updated October 2026Assisted living in Illinois costs $6,219/month in 2026 — 0% above the national median of $6,200.
A semi-private nursing home room in Illinois runs $8,304/month, 13% below the national median of $9,581.
In-home care in Illinois averages $6,864/month for roughly 44 hrs/week ($36/hr) — 3% above the national median.
The most affordable long-term care option in Illinois is adult day care at $1,977/month.
Memory care in Illinois runs about $7,800/month — roughly 25% above the assisted living rate, the typical industry markup (CareScout does not publish memory care data separately).
A private nursing home room in Illinois costs $9,216/month — 15% below the national median of $10,798.
Medicaid in Illinois can cover nursing home care for applicants under the $2,982/month income limit (2026); see the Illinois Medicaid guide for asset rules.
How to Pay for Long-Term Care in Illinois
Families in Illinois have several options to help cover the cost of senior care.
Illinois Medicaid
Illinois Medicaid is administered by the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services (eligibility determined by the Illinois Department of Human Services).
- Waiver for Supportive Living Facilities: May provide personal care, household help, occasional nursing, and memory care in supportive living facilities.
- HCBS Waiver for the Elderly: Helps older adults stay at home with services such as adult day care, household help, medication dispensers, and medical alerts.
Illinois does not require a Miller Trust for Medicaid long-term care.
Read the Illinois Medicaid guideVeterans Benefits
The VA Aid and Attendance benefit can provide up to $2,424/month for single veterans (or $2,874/month with a spouse) in Illinois to help pay for assisted living, nursing home care, or in-home caregivers.
Long-Term Care Insurance
Long-term care insurance policies purchased before care is needed can cover a significant portion of assisted living, nursing home, and home care costs in Illinois.
Personal Savings & Home Equity
Many Illinois families use a combination of retirement savings, Social Security income, and home equity (through reverse mortgages or home sales) to fund long-term care.
Who to call in Illinois
- Illinois Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program
- Call the Illinois Department on Aging Senior HelpLine at 1-800-252-8966 to reach the ombudsman.
Help with resident rights, complaints, and care-quality concerns in nursing homes and assisted living.
- Adult Protective Services
To reach Adult Protective Services in Illinois, call the Eldercare Locator at 1-800-677-1116.
- Illinois Area Agencies on Aging
Find local aging services for benefits counseling, caregiver support, and care-planning resources.
View Illinois's Area Agencies on Aging list- Illinois Veterans Home, Quincy
- (217) 222-8641
Contact the veterans home or state office about care options for veterans.
Frequently Asked Questions About Illinois Care Costs
The average cost of assisted living in Illinois is $6,219 per month, or $74,628 per year. This is 0% below the national average of $6,200 per month. Assisted living facilities in Illinois typically include personal care, meals, medication management, and social activities.
Nursing home care in Illinois costs an average of $8,304 per month for a semi-private room. A private room runs $9,216 per month, or $110,592 per year. Illinois nursing home costs are below the national average of $9,581 per month for a semi-private room. Medicare only covers short rehab stays. For long stays, most families pay privately until savings run low, then Medicaid steps in.
Illinois long-term care costs are close to the national average. Monthly costs range from $1,977 for the most affordable option to $8,304 for the most expensive. Planning early can help families in Illinois prepare financially.
There are several ways to pay for nursing home and long-term care in Illinois: (1) Medicaid — Illinois's Medicaid program covers nursing home care for eligible residents who meet income and asset limits. (2) Medicare — covers short-term skilled nursing after a hospital stay, but not long-term custodial care. (3) Long-term care insurance — if purchased in advance, policies can help cover assisted living, nursing home, and home care costs. (4) Veterans benefits — the VA Aid and Attendance benefit helps eligible veterans and surviving spouses pay for care. (5) Personal savings and assets — many families use a combination of savings, home equity, and retirement funds.
The most affordable long-term care option in Illinois is adult day care at $1,977 per month, followed by assisted living at $6,219 per month. Adult day care provides daytime supervision, activities, and meals while allowing seniors to return home in the evening — making it a popular choice for families with a caregiver at home.
Yes, Illinois offers the Supportive Living Program for eligible older adults and people with disabilities in facilities similar to assisted living. Residents may receive help with personal care, laundry, housekeeping, and occasional nursing. Memory care may also be available, so confirm that a facility offers the support the resident needs.
Start with your local Area Agency on Aging for benefits counseling, caregiver support, and help finding community services. LTCareNav's Illinois Area Agencies on Aging list helps you find local care-planning resources. For questions about resident rights or concerns about nursing home or assisted living care, call the Illinois Department on Aging Senior HelpLine at 1-800-252-8966 to reach the ombudsman.
Compare Nearby States
See how Illinois's long-term care costs compare to neighboring states.
Indiana
+2%Iowa
+1%Kentucky
+3%Missouri
-14%Wisconsin
+14%More Illinois Long-Term Care Resources
Check Medicaid Eligibility
See Illinois's Medicaid income and asset limits, programs, and how to apply.
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Create Free AccountSource: CareScout Cost of Care Survey, July–November 2025, released March 2026 (Genworth/CareScout). Monthly NH figures = annual ÷ 12 (365-day basis). Non-medical caregiver = 44 hrs/week × 52 weeks ÷ 12. Memory care is an estimate (assisted living x 1.25). CareScout does not publish memory care data.