How much does a nursing home cost in Pennsylvania?
The median nursing home cost in Pennsylvania is $13,688 per month for a private room and $11,954 per month for a semi-private room, based on the CareScout 2025 Cost of Care Survey released March 2026. That's roughly $164,250 per year for a private room.
Pennsylvania nursing home costs run 20% above the national median.
2026 Pennsylvania senior care costs at a glance
| Care type | Pennsylvania median/month | National median (CareScout 2025) | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nursing home (private) | $13,688 | $10,798 | +27% |
| Nursing home (semi-private) | $11,954 | $9,581 | +25% |
| Memory care (est) | $8,100 | $7,750 | +5% |
| Assisted living | $6,480 | $6,200 | +5% |
| Non-medical caregiver (hourly) | $34 | $35 | −3% |
See your exact spend-down timeline for Pennsylvania
Enter your savings, income, and care type to see how long your money lasts before reaching Pennsylvania Medicaid asset limits.
Open the Pennsylvania calculator →Nursing home costs by Pennsylvania 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.
Pennsylvania Medicaid for nursing home care
Pennsylvania 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.
Pennsylvania Medicaid 2026 asset limits
Individual applicant: $2,400 in countable assets
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 Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania 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.
Pennsylvania's 2026 penalty divisor is approximately $12,811 per month (~$421 per day). A $50,000 transfer that violates the look-back rule would create roughly a 117-day penalty period during which Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania elder law attorney
The National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys maintains a state-by-state directory of certified elder law attorneys.
Find a Pennsylvania attorney →What makes Pennsylvania different
Pennsylvania's Nursing Home Medicaid is administered through Community HealthChoices (CHC), a mandatory managed-care program covering long-term services and supports for dual-eligible seniors and adults needing Nursing Facility Level of Care. Two state-specific features set Pennsylvania apart from federal defaults: the penalty divisor was set to $12,811.50 per month (~$421.20 per day) on January 1, 2026 — Pennsylvania updates this figure annually, unlike states like Ohio that update biennially — and the Department of Human Services applies a $500-per-month gifting exception, meaning gifts totaling less than $500 in any single month generally do not trigger transfer penalties. Pennsylvania's 60-month look-back is one of the most thoroughly investigated, with caseworkers typically requesting monthly statements for the most recent 24 months.
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 Pennsylvania 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.