How Much Does Long-Term Care Cost in Atlanta? (2026 Pricing Guide)
Originally published: March 2026 | Reviewed by Sadie Mays
Originally published: March 2026 | Reviewed by Sadie Mays
Data last verified: March 2026
Long-term care in Atlanta costs between $2,200 and $11,000 per month, depending on the type of care. Skilled nursing facilities charge $8,821 to $11,000 per month.
Assisted living averages $4,200 to $5,000 per month.
Memory care runs $5,200 to $6,500 per month. Home care starts at $21 to $26 per hour. Atlanta prices run 10 to 15 percent above the Georgia statewide average.
Medicare does not pay for custodial long-term care. Georgia Medicaid covers skilled nursing for eligible residents with income under $2,829 per month and assets under $2,000.
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A skilled nursing facility in Atlanta costs $8,821 to $9,900 per month for a semi-private room and $9,500 to $11,000 for a private room (private-pay rates, 2024 Genworth data).
Medicare Part A covers days 1 through 20 in full after a qualifying 3-day hospital stay, then requires a $217-per-day copay through day 100.
After day 100, Medicare pays nothing. Specialty services — wound care, IV therapy, dialysis — are billed above the base room rate and commonly add $500 to $2,000 per month.
The table below shows current private-pay monthly and daily rate ranges across all major care types in Atlanta.
| Care Type | Monthly Range (Atlanta) | Daily Rate | Medicare Covered? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Skilled Nursing — semi-private | $8,821 – $9,900 | $294 – $330 | Yes (Part A, up to 100 days) |
| Skilled Nursing — private room | $9,500 – $11,000 | $317 – $367 | Yes (Part A, up to 100 days) |
| Assisted Living — standard | $4,200 – $5,000 | $140 – $167 | No (Medicaid waiver only) |
| Memory Care | $5,200 – $6,500 | $173 – $217 | Partial (SNF portion only) |
| Home Care — companion | $2,200 – $3,200 | $73 – $107 | No |
| Home Care — personal care aide | $2,800 – $3,800 | $93 – $127 | No |
| Skilled Home Health (RN/LPN) | $3,500 – $5,500 | $117 – $183 | Yes (physician-ordered only) |
Sources: Genworth 2024 Cost of Care Survey; GHCA 2024 annual report; Care.com February 2026 Atlanta data. All figures are private-pay rates.
Private rooms cost 15 to 25 percent more than semi-private rooms in most Atlanta facilities. Semi-private rooms share a space with one other resident.
For residents with behavioral symptoms, dementia, or complex wound care, private rooms are often clinically preferable regardless of cost.
For medically stable residents comfortable with a roommate, semi-private is the more economical choice.
Base rates cover room, meals, standard nursing, and medication administration. Wound care, IV infusion, ventilator management, and dialysis are billed separately. Families should request a fully itemized rate schedule before signing any admission agreement — this is the most common source of billing surprise in skilled nursing.
During a Medicare Part A stay, therapy is covered and provided at a medically necessary frequency.
Once Medicare ends, sessions are billed at $80 to $200 each under private pay or Medicaid. Sadie G. Mays provides physical, occupational, and speech therapy in an on-site rehabilitation suite.
Assisted living in Atlanta costs $4,200 to $5,000 per month for a standard unit. Memory care units — secured environments for residents with Alzheimer’s or dementia — cost $5,200 to $6,500 per month, reflecting higher staffing ratios and specialized programming.
These are base rates. Care-level fees for residents who need substantial daily assistance range from $300 to $1,500 per month, pushing total costs to $5,500 or more for higher-need individuals.
Assisted living communities use a base-fee-plus-care-level pricing structure. The base fee covers the apartment, communal meals, housekeeping, and standard activities.
A separately assessed care-level fee reflects the extent of personal assistance the resident requires. Families must ask for the all-in rate at their loved one’s current care level — not the advertised base rate.
For a clinical comparison of when assisted living is appropriate versus when skilled nursing is required, see assisted living vs. skilled nursing in Atlanta.
Home care in Atlanta costs $18 to $22 per hour for companion care (non-medical), $22 to $28 per hour for personal care aides (bathing, dressing, mobility), and $100 to $200 per visit for skilled home health (RN/LPN, physician-ordered).
Full-time personal care at 40 hours per week runs $3,800 to $4,800 per month — comparable to assisted living base rates. When care needs exceed 40 hours per week, residential placement typically becomes more cost-effective.
Home care exists on three tiers. Companion care covers non-medical support: housekeeping, meals, errands, and social engagement. Personal care adds hands-on assistance with activities of daily living and requires a trained aide.
Skilled home health is physician-ordered episodic clinical care — wound management, IV therapy, or post-surgical rehabilitation — delivered by an RN or LPN. Medicare covers physician-ordered skilled home health when eligibility criteria are met.
For families weighing home care against facility placement, home health vs. skilled nursing in Atlanta outlines when each setting is the appropriate choice.
Not sure which payment source applies to your situation? The Sadie G. Mays admissions team helps Atlanta families navigate Medicaid, Medicare, and veterans benefits at no cost.
If you’re ready to get started, call us now!
Four variables drive most cost differences between Atlanta facilities.
Location is the biggest lever. Facilities in Buckhead and Midtown run 20 to 30 percent above those in South Atlanta and the outer suburbs. Expanding a search radius by 10 to 15 miles frequently finds comparable care quality at meaningfully lower rates.
Staffing levels raise both costs and quality. Higher RN ratios mean better outcomes — but they also mean higher room rates. The CMS Care Compare staffing domain shows payroll-based RN hours per resident per day for every certified Georgia facility, enabling identification of well-staffed, lower-cost alternatives.
Amenities such as gourmet dining and fitness centers add $200 to $800 per month in premium communities. These are lifestyle features, not clinical ones. Families who do not need them should not pay for them.
Specialized care needs generate the largest add-ons regardless of setting. Advanced dementia, wound management, and ventilator dependency each add $1,000 to $3,000 or more per month above base rates.
Families must disclose the full clinical picture during admissions so that quoted rates reflect what will actually be provided. See nursing home quality indicators in Georgia for a breakdown of what each quality measure signals about operational standards.
Most Atlanta families fund long-term care through a combination of sources. Private pay (savings, retirement accounts, home equity) is used first.
Georgia Medicaid covers skilled nursing for residents with income under $2,829 per month and assets under $2,000; the CCSP waiver covers home and community-based care. Long-term care insurance activates once the policyholder is unable to perform two or more activities of daily living.
VA Aid and Attendance provides monthly pension supplements to eligible veterans and surviving spouses without affecting Medicaid eligibility in most cases.
If current assets are sufficient, private pay is the starting point. Model how long assets sustain current Atlanta rates before depletion, then plan the transition to Medicaid or other funding.
If income is below $2,829 per month and assets are under $2,000, evaluate Georgia Medicaid eligibility immediately. An elder law attorney can address look-back period issues and structure remaining assets appropriately.
If the person is a veteran or surviving spouse, VA Aid and Attendance eligibility should be confirmed before private funds are spent.
If a long-term care insurance policy exists: confirm the elimination period, daily benefit amount, and whether coverage includes both facility and home care before placement. The NAIC long-term care insurance guide explains how policies work and what to look for in the fine print.
For a complete breakdown of all payment options, see insurance and payment options for rehabilitation in Atlanta.
Families who begin long-term care financial planning five or more years before care is needed retain access to long-term care insurance, Medicaid-compliant asset structuring, and home equity conversion strategies. Families who plan only when a hospital discharge is imminent have none of those options.
A Georgia-licensed elder law attorney and a financial planner specializing in elder care transitions are the two most effective resources for developing a cost plan before a crisis occurs.
A practical early-stage financial assessment covers four questions: how much current assets generate monthly, how long those assets can sustain Atlanta facility-level care before depletion, what the exact benefit terms of any long-term care insurance policy are, and whether the person’s health profile suggests Medicaid eligibility within five years.
The Atlanta Regional Commission Area Agency on Aging provides free benefits counseling covering Medicare, Medicaid, and veterans’ benefit eligibility.
The State Bar of Georgia elder law section maintains a directory of certified elder law attorneys practicing in Georgia.
Families who plan reactively — under pressure from a hospital discharge or sudden health crisis — pay more and have fewer options than families who started early. The research done today is an investment against a crisis that may still be years away.
Touring multiple facilities and requesting itemized pricing before a placement is needed gives families a reference point to make a confident decision when the time comes.
Sadie G. Mays Health & Rehabilitation Center provides skilled nursing care, rehabilitative services, long-term residential care, and respite care from its Atlanta campus. Contact the admissions team to get current pricing and schedule a tour.
Atlanta nursing home costs average $8,821 to $9,900 per month for a semi-private room and $9,500 to $11,000 for a private room. Specialty services like wound care and IV therapy are billed at rates above the base rates.
Medicare covers only short-term skilled nursing rehab, not custodial long-term care. Full coverage applies days 1 through 20 after a qualifying hospital stay; a $217-per-day copay applies days 21 through 100; no coverage applies after day 100.
Atlanta assisted living averages $4,200 to $5,000 per month, versus $8,800 to $11,000 per month for a skilled nursing facility. The gap reflects clinical intensity: skilled nursing provides 24-hour licensed nursing care that assisted living does not.
Georgia Medicaid covers skilled nursing facility care for residents who meet clinical need criteria and meet financial limits: approximately $2,829 in monthly income and $2,000 in countable assets. The CCSP waiver extends similar coverage to home and community-based settings.
Atlanta personal care aides cost $22 to $28 per hour, reaching $3,800 to $4,800 monthly at full-time hours — comparable to assisted living base rates. When care needs exceed 40 hours per week, residential placement typically becomes the more cost-effective option.