How much does a nursing home cost in Rhode Island?
The median nursing home cost in Rhode Island is $13,383 per month for a private room and $12,106 per month for a semi-private room, based on the CareScout 2025 Cost of Care Survey released March 2026. That's roughly $160,600 per year for a private room.
Rhode Island nursing home costs run 24% above the national median.
2026 Rhode Island senior care costs at a glance
| Care type | Rhode Island median/month | National median (CareScout 2025) | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nursing home (private) | $13,383 | $10,798 | +24% |
| Nursing home (semi-private) | $12,106 | $9,581 | +26% |
| Memory care (est) | $9,750 | $7,750 | +26% |
| Assisted living | $7,781 | $6,200 | +26% |
| Non-medical caregiver (hourly) | $40 | $35 | +14% |
See your exact spend-down timeline for Rhode Island
Enter your savings, income, and care type to see how long your money lasts before reaching Rhode Island Medicaid asset limits.
Open the Rhode Island calculator →Nursing home costs by Rhode Island 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.
Rhode Island Medicaid for nursing home care
Rhode Island 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.
Rhode Island Medicaid 2026 asset limits
Individual applicant: $4,000 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 Rhode Island
Rhode Island 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.
Rhode Island's 2026 penalty divisor is approximately $13,383 per month (~$440 per day). A $50,000 transfer that violates the look-back rule would create roughly a 112-day penalty period during which Rhode Island 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 Rhode Island elder law attorney
The National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys maintains a state-by-state directory of certified elder law attorneys.
Find a Rhode Island attorney →What makes Rhode Island different
Rhode Island consolidated all Medicaid Long-Term Services and Supports under a single 1115 Comprehensive Demonstration Waiver, administered jointly by the Executive Office of Health and Human Services and the Department of Human Services. Rhode Island operates one of the few state-Medicaid shared-living programs in the country: RIte @ Home (formerly Structured Family Caregiving), where a Medicaid recipient moves in with a designated caregiver — who may be a relative or friend — and the caregiver receives a stipend for providing 24-hour daily care. Managed-care delivery for LTSS runs through Rhody Health Options. Rhode Island also operates an @Home Cost Share program through the Office of Healthy Aging for residents who don't qualify for full Medicaid LTSS but need partial assisted-living support.
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 Rhode Island 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.