Assisted Living Cost in New Jersey
New Jersey is one of the most expensive states in this series for assisted living, and its nursing home figures are higher still. The metro table matters here more than usual, because two of the four cities in it map to survey regions in neighboring states, which changes how you read each figure.
Sources: CareScout Cost of Care Survey 2025, released March 2026, ranked state tables and Cost of Care calculator, accessed November 2026; New Jersey Department of Human Services MLTSS information; New Jersey Department of Veterans Affairs memorial homes information.
New Jersey assisted living costs, against the national median
The table below is the CareScout 2025 survey for New Jersey, with the national median beside it. The survey collected more than 25,000 provider rates between July and November 2025 and reports medians, the middle price, not averages pulled up by luxury buildings. Assisted living figures are for a private one-bedroom apartment for 12 months of care.
| Care type | New Jersey median | National median |
|---|---|---|
| Assisted living, per month | $8,462 ($101,550 per year) | $6,200 ($74,400 per year) |
| Home care, non-medical caregiver, per hour | $38 ($86,944 per year at 44 hours a week) | $35 ($80,080 per year at 44 hours a week) |
| Adult day health care, per day | $100 ($26,000 per year at 5 days a week) | $95 ($24,700 per year at 5 days a week) |
| Nursing home, semi-private room, per month | $12,775 ($153,300 per year) | $9,581 ($114,975 per year) |
| Nursing home, private room, per month | $14,448 ($173,375 per year) | $10,798 ($129,575 per year) |
The assisted living cost New Jersey median runs $2,262 a month above the national median, which is $27,150 over a full year (2,262 times 12). Home care at $38 an hour sits $3 above the $35 national rate, a gap of $6,864 over a year at 44 hours a week (86,944 minus 80,080). Adult day care at $100 a day sits $5 above the $95 national rate. The nursing home gap is larger: a semi-private room at $12,775 sits $3,194 above the $9,581 national figure (12,775 minus 9,581), and a private room at $14,448 sits $3,650 above the $10,798 national figure (14,448 minus 10,798). For the full national picture, read how much does assisted living cost and how much does a nursing home cost.
Assisted living cost New Jersey by metro
Metro medians come from the same CareScout survey, through its Cost of Care calculator, which reports the closest survey region for each city. All figures are 2025 monthly medians for a private one-bedroom apartment. The spread runs from $7,006 to $9,885, a gap of $2,879 a month between the lowest and highest New Jersey metro in this table.
| Metro area | Assisted living median per month, 2025 | Against the New Jersey median |
|---|---|---|
| Trenton | $9,885 | $1,423 above |
| Newark (New York metro region) | $9,450 | $988 above |
| Camden (Philadelphia metro region) | $7,470 | $992 below |
| Atlantic City | $7,006 | $1,456 below |
Two mappings need stating plainly. The calculator maps Newark to the New York metropolitan area, so the $9,450 Newark figure is the New York metro median, not a Newark-only figure. It maps Camden to the Philadelphia metropolitan area, so the $7,470 Camden figure is the Philadelphia metro median. Trenton and Atlantic City map to regions named for those cities. Use the metro figure for the city where your parent will live, then replace it with three written quotes in that metro, with apartment size and care level stated. For how to use competing quotes, read can you negotiate assisted living costs.
What the monthly bill includes, and what it leaves out
The median buys the building and the base service: a private apartment, meals, housekeeping, supervision, and activities, with staff on site around the clock. It does not buy every charge a resident actually pays. Care is priced in levels, and the level rises as help needs grow, so the second year costs more than the first even before any annual rate increase. Medication handling, a higher care level, and a second occupant are commonly billed on top of the base rate, and many buildings charge a one-time community fee at move-in.
New Jersey licenses assisted living residences and personal care homes through the New Jersey Department of Health, and the license type matters at the tour: a facility's license states the level of care it may provide, and a parent whose needs pass that level will need a different setting or added services. Ask at the tour, in writing, which care level the license covers, which services the base rate covers and which are billed as extras, and what each extra costs. The tour checklist on assisted living checklist groups those questions for you.
Medicaid in New Jersey: Managed Long Term Services and Supports
New Jersey Medicaid for older adults runs through Managed Long Term Services and Supports (MLTSS), part of NJ FamilyCare Medicaid, run by the Department of Human Services, Division of Medical Assistance and Health Services. MLTSS is delivered through managed care organizations, and its official covered list expressly includes assisted living. Settings covered include assisted living residences, comprehensive personal care homes, and assisted living programs. To qualify, a person must meet the nursing facility level of care; official application guidance says an exam checks whether the person needs hands-on help with three or more activities of daily living.
The hard limit is the same as in every state on this site: MLTSS pays for services, not room and board. Your parent still pays the building for rent and meals, contributing income toward room and board. This page states no room-and-board dollar figure and no waitlist claim for New Jersey, because neither was verified from an official state page in this run. Apply early and do not sign a private-pay agreement that assumes Medicaid will pay. For the national Medicaid rules, read does medicaid pay for assisted living, and for the full payment map, read how to pay for assisted living. Medicare does not pay for assisted living room charges or custodial care; see does medicare pay for assisted living for the exact boundary.
VA resources in New Jersey
For a veteran parent, two New Jersey routes sit beside the private market. The first is VA Aid and Attendance, a monthly cash benefit added to a VA pension for a veteran or surviving spouse who needs help with daily living; the amounts and rules are on VA Aid and Attendance requirements and veterans affairs assisted living. The second is the state's own veterans homes. The New Jersey Department of Veterans Affairs lists three memorial homes, in Paramus, Menlo Park, and Vineland, open to veterans honorably discharged from United States war or peacetime service, the veteran's spouse, and spouses and parents of service members killed in action. These are state veterans homes, not private assisted living communities, so treat them as a separate application track, not as a price comparison. For VA health care, use VA.gov to find the facility nearest your parent.
New Jersey against the national median, in one row
New Jersey assisted living at $8,462 a month sits $2,262 above the $6,200 national median, home care at $38 an hour sits $3 above the $35 national rate, adult day care at $100 a day sits $5 above the $95 national rate, and a nursing home semi-private room at $12,775 a month sits $3,194 above the $9,581 national figure. New Jersey is an above-average state on every row, and the assisted living gap is the story: at $8,462 a month, assisted living costs $27,150 a year more than the $6,200 national median, so price the setting your parent actually needs, in the metro they will actually live in, before deciding.
Frequently asked questions
Does MLTSS pay for room and board in assisted living?
No. MLTSS pays for care services, including assisted living services, not for rent and meals. Your parent pays the building for room and board separately, contributing income toward it, so the program's help and the building's quote are two different numbers.
Why does the Newark figure match the New York City figure?
Because the CareScout calculator maps Newark to the New York metropolitan area, the same survey region it uses for New York City. The $9,450 figure for both cities is one regional median, not two separately surveyed city figures. Treat it as the New York metro figure when budgeting for Newark.
Does the $8,462 median cover two people sharing one apartment?
No. The CareScout median is for a private one-bedroom apartment occupied by one person. A second occupant adds a second-person fee set by each community, on top of the median, not inside it. Couples should budget the median plus the community's written second-person fee, plus a care level for each spouse who needs help, since care is priced per person. See average cost of assisted living for a couple for how couples totals are built.
What level of care does MLTSS require?
Nursing facility level of care. Official application guidance says an exam checks whether the person needs hands-on help with three or more activities of daily living, such as bathing, dressing, or eating. Meeting the care test is only one part of eligibility; financial eligibility is tested separately.
Your next step is to take the metro median for the city where your parent will actually live, get three written quotes that state apartment size, care level, and every extra fee, and check MLTSS eligibility before you sign. Start with assisted living checklist and assisted living costs.