How much does a nursing home cost in Georgia?
The median nursing home cost in Georgia is $9,429 per month for a private room and $8,821 per month for a semi-private room, based on the CareScout 2025 Cost of Care Survey released March 2026. That's roughly $113,150 per year for a private room.
Georgia costs run approximately 21% below the national median, making it one of the more affordable states in the Southeast.
2026 Georgia senior care costs at a glance
| Care type | Georgia median/month | National median (CareScout 2025) | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nursing home (private) | $9,429 | $10,798 | −13% |
| Nursing home (semi-private) | $8,821 | $9,581 | −8% |
| Memory care (est) | $6,600 | $7,750 | −15% |
| Assisted living | $5,300 | $6,200 | −15% |
| Non-medical caregiver (hourly) | $32 | $35 | −9% |
See your exact spend-down timeline for Georgia
Enter your savings, income, and care type to see how long your money lasts before reaching Georgia Medicaid asset limits.
Open the Georgia calculator →Nursing home costs by Georgia city
Costs vary by metro area within the state. Urban markets typically run 10–25% above state medians, while rural areas can be 10–20% below.
City-level estimates are based on CareScout 2025 metro-area data. Individual facility costs vary 20–40% from these medians depending on amenities, staffing ratios, and room type.
Georgia Medicaid for nursing home care
Georgia Medicaid covers nursing home care for residents who meet both medical eligibility (need for skilled nursing care) and financial eligibility (limited assets and income). Understanding the rules before you need them can save your family hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Georgia Medicaid 2026 asset limits
Individual applicant: $2,000 in countable assets (2026)
Married couple, one spouse applying: Community spouse may keep up to $162,660 under the federal Community Spouse Resource Allowance (2026 maximum), plus the home, one vehicle, and personal belongings
The 5-year look-back period in Georgia
Georgia Medicaid reviews all asset transfers made within 60 months (5 years) of your application date. Gifts to family, property transfers below market value, or large unexplained withdrawals trigger a penalty period that delays Medicaid eligibility — during which you must private-pay.
Georgia's 2026 penalty divisor is approximately $9,429 per month (~$310 per day). A $50,000 transfer that violates the look-back rule would create roughly a 159-day penalty period during which Georgia Medicaid will not cover care costs.
This is why elder law attorneys consistently advise families to begin Medicaid planning at least 5 years before nursing home care is needed.
Find a Georgia elder law attorney
The National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys maintains a state-by-state directory of certified elder law attorneys.
Find a Georgia attorney →What makes Georgia different
Georgia Nursing Home Medicaid is administered by the Department of Community Health, with eligibility determined by the Division of Family and Children Services. Two structural features distinguish Georgia from most states: the state has not expanded Medicaid under the ACA, meaning standard Medicaid is unavailable to non-disabled adults under 65 regardless of income, and Georgia uses two parallel HCBS programs — the Community Care Services Program (CCSP) for traditional Medicaid recipients and SOURCE (Service Options Using Resources in a Community Environment) for SSI recipients — both with limited slots. Georgia is one of the 14 states that uses the maximum federal MMNA of $4,066.50 as the only spousal-income figure, with no minimum tier. Personal Needs Allowance is $50 per month.
Sources: state Medicaid agency program documentation and CMS spousal-impoverishment standards. See our methodology page for the broader data sources used across this site.
How Georgia compares to neighboring states
Cost differences across state lines can be substantial. Some families consider relocating for care, particularly if adult children live across a border.