Assisted Living Cost in Texas
Texas is the cheapest state in this series so far for nursing home rooms, by a wide margin, and a below-average state for assisted living rooms. That combination changes the comparison: in Texas, the step from assisted living to a nursing home is a smaller price jump than in most states.
Sources: CareScout Cost of Care Survey 2025, released March 2026, state release and Cost of Care calculator, accessed November 2026; Texas Health and Human Services Commission STAR+PLUS information; Texas General Land Office Texas State Veterans Homes information.
Texas assisted living costs, against the national median
The table below is the CareScout 2025 survey for Texas, 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 | Texas median | National median |
|---|---|---|
| Assisted living, per month | $5,600 ($67,200 per year) | $6,200 ($74,400 per year) |
| Home care, non-medical caregiver, per hour | $30 ($68,640 per year at 44 hours a week) | $35 ($80,080 per year at 44 hours a week) |
| Adult day health care, per day | $90 ($23,400 per year at 5 days a week) | $95 ($24,700 per year at 5 days a week) |
| Nursing home, semi-private room, per month | $5,627 ($67,525 per year) | $9,581 ($114,975 per year) |
| Nursing home, private room, per month | $7,604 ($91,250 per year) | $10,798 ($129,575 per year) |
The assisted living cost Texas median runs $600 a month below the national median, which is $7,200 over a full year (600 times 12). Home care at $30 an hour sits $5 below the $35 national rate, a gap of $11,440 over a year at 44 hours a week (80,080 minus 68,640). The nursing home gap is far larger: a semi-private room at $5,627 sits $3,954 below the $9,581 national figure (9,581 minus 5,627), and a private room at $7,604 sits $3,194 below the $10,798 national figure (10,798 minus 7,604). Texas holds the lowest nursing home semi-private median in the nation in this survey. For the full national picture, read how much does assisted living cost and how much does a nursing home cost.
Assisted living cost Texas 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 $5,885 to $6,750, a gap of $865 a month between the lowest and highest Texas metro in this table.
| Metro area | Assisted living median per month, 2025 | Against the Texas median |
|---|---|---|
| Austin | $6,750 | $1,150 above |
| Houston | $6,395 | $795 above |
| Dallas | $6,000 | $400 above |
| San Antonio | $5,885 | $285 above |
All four big metros sit above the state median, which tells you the state figure is pulled down by smaller regions, not by these cities. Austin runs $1,150 above the state median, and even the lowest metro in this table, San Antonio, runs $285 above it. Do not budget a Houston, Dallas, Austin, or San Antonio move from the $5,600 state figure: use the metro figure, 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.
Texas licenses assisted living facilities through the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, 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 Texas: STAR+PLUS Home and Community Based Services
Texas Medicaid for older adults runs through STAR+PLUS, a managed care program, and the route that pays for assisted living services is the STAR+PLUS Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) waiver, run by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC). A waiver is the state program that pays for care, and STAR+PLUS HCBS is the waiver route that pays for services, including assisted living, for people who would otherwise need nursing facility care. Enrollees choose a managed care plan that coordinates medical care and long-term services, and the waiver's service list includes personal assistance, nursing, therapies, and assisted living.
The hard limit is the same as in every state on this site: the waiver pays for services, not room and board. Your parent still pays the building for rent and meals. STAR+PLUS HCBS is also not an entitlement: funded slots are limited, and HHSC keeps an interest list, first come first served, so apply early and do not sign a private-pay agreement that assumes the waiver will pay. To qualify, a person must meet Medicaid financial eligibility and nursing facility level of care. 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 Texas
For a veteran parent, two Texas 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 Texas Veterans Land Board, part of the General Land Office, runs ten Texas State Veterans Homes, in Amarillo, Big Spring, Bonham, El Paso, Floresville, Fort Worth, Houston, McAllen, Temple, and Tyler. The Fort Worth home, named for the Tuskegee Airmen, opened in March 2025 as the tenth home, and eligible veterans with a 70% or higher service-connected disability rating live in a Texas State Veterans Home at no cost. 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.
Texas against the national median, in one row
Texas assisted living at $5,600 a month sits $600 below the $6,200 national median, home care at $30 an hour sits $5 below the $35 national rate, adult day care at $90 a day sits $5 below the $95 national rate, and a nursing home semi-private room at $5,627 a month sits $3,954 below the $9,581 national figure. Texas is a cheaper-than-average state on every row, and the nursing home gap is the story: at $5,627 a month, a semi-private nursing home room costs only $27 a month more than the $5,600 assisted living median. If your parent's care needs are close to the nursing facility line, price both settings in the same metro before deciding, because in Texas the two medians nearly meet.
Frequently asked questions
Will STAR+PLUS pay for room and board in assisted living?
No. STAR+PLUS HCBS pays for care services, including assisted living services, not for rent and meals. Your parent pays the building for room and board separately, so the waiver's help and the building's quote are two different numbers.
How long is the wait for STAR+PLUS HCBS?
There is no fixed wait stated in the program sources for this page. Funded slots are limited and HHSC keeps an interest list that runs first come, first served, so the wait depends on slot openings in your parent's area. Get on the interest list early, and keep a private-pay or family plan running while waiting.
Does a 70% disability rating really mean no cost at a Texas State Veterans Home?
Yes, for the home itself: eligible veterans with a 70% or higher service-connected disability rating live in a Texas State Veterans Home at no cost, per the Veterans Land Board. Eligibility still has to be confirmed through the home's application, so apply to the home directly rather than assuming the rating alone completes admission.
Does the $5,600 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.
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 get on the STAR+PLUS HCBS interest list before you sign. Start with assisted living checklist and assisted living costs.