How much does a nursing home cost in Maryland?
The median nursing home cost in Maryland is $14,448 per month for a private room and $12,927 per month for a semi-private room, based on the CareScout 2025 Cost of Care Survey released March 2026. That's roughly $173,375 per year for a private room.
Maryland costs run 18% above the national median, reflecting its position in the high-cost mid-Atlantic corridor.
2026 Maryland senior care costs at a glance
| Care type | Maryland median/month | National median (CareScout 2025) | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nursing home (private) | $14,448 | $10,798 | +34% |
| Nursing home (semi-private) | $12,927 | $9,581 | +35% |
| Memory care (est) | $8,950 | $7,750 | +15% |
| Assisted living | $7,173 | $6,200 | +16% |
| Non-medical caregiver (hourly) | $35 | $35 | +0% |
See your exact spend-down timeline for Maryland
Enter your savings, income, and care type to see how long your money lasts before reaching Maryland Medicaid asset limits.
Open the Maryland calculator →Nursing home costs by Maryland 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.
Maryland Medicaid for nursing home care
Maryland 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.
Maryland Medicaid 2026 asset limits
Individual applicant: $2,500 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 Maryland
Maryland 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.
Maryland's 2026 penalty divisor is approximately $14,448 per month (~$475 per day). A $50,000 transfer that violates the look-back rule would create roughly a 104-day penalty period during which Maryland 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 Maryland elder law attorney
The National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys maintains a state-by-state directory of certified elder law attorneys.
Find a Maryland attorney →What makes Maryland different
Maryland Nursing Home Medicaid is administered by the Maryland Department of Health, with applications routed through Maryland Access Point (MAP) at 1-844-627-5465 — the state's single intake gateway combining functional and financial eligibility into one process. Maryland uses Community First Choice (CFC) as a 1915(k) state-plan entitlement covering personal-care services in the home (no waitlist), but assisted-living services flow through the separately-capped Home and Community-Based Options Waiver (formerly the Older Adults Waiver), which maintains an active waitlist. Maryland's Personal Needs Allowance is $97.46 per month — among the higher tiers nationally — and the state uses the higher federal home equity limit of $1,130,000.
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 Maryland 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.