New York, New York — After several years of punishing jumps in long-term care prices, nursing home cost growth finally slowed in 2025. That’s the good news. The bad news is that the national median price for a semi-private nursing home room still climbed to $114,975 a year, according to new CareScout data.
The annual survey, released by CareScout, a Genworth Financial company, found that most long-term care settings posted year-over-year increases between 1% and 5%. For nursing homes, the increases came in at the low end of that range. A semi-private room rose 2% to $315 a day, while a private room increased 1% to $355 a day, or roughly $130,000 annually.
Even with the slower pace, providers and families aren’t getting much relief. Costs remain elevated after the pandemic years sent labor expenses and operating pressures sharply higher. In a recent look at compensation trends across long-term care, the sector was already showing signs that rapid inflation was cooling. This new survey suggests room rates may be following the same pattern.
CareScout CEO Samir Shah said the latest data points to a market that is stabilizing, not becoming cheap. He said higher-acuity settings such as nursing homes absorbed heavy wage pressure and disruption during the pandemic and immediate recovery period. Now, pricing appears to be moving more in line with general inflation instead of the spikes seen in recent years.
Slower growth, still high bills
That distinction matters. A smaller annual increase still lands on top of an already expensive base. Shah warned that moderation does not equal affordability, especially for families trying to plan around extended care needs.
The survey gathered more than 25,000 provider rates nationwide between July and November 2025. It also showed that other care settings kept getting more expensive, though at different speeds. Assisted living costs rose 5% to $74,400 a year. In-home caregiver rates increased 3% to $35 an hour, or $80,080 annually based on 44 hours of weekly care. Adult day health care was the outlier, dropping 5% to $95 a day, or $24,700 a year.
CareScout also added a new category this year for skilled nursing services delivered at home. That came in at a median of $90 an hour and $160 per visit, underscoring how expensive clinical care remains even outside a facility setting.
For operators, the report offers a small signal that runaway pricing pressure may be easing. For families, it’s a reminder that “slower” doesn’t mean affordable.
