How much does a nursing home cost in Tennessee?
The median nursing home cost in Tennessee is $10,038 per month for a private room and $9,429 per month for a semi-private room, based on the CareScout 2025 Cost of Care Survey released March 2026. That's roughly $120,450 per year for a private room.
Tennessee nursing home costs run 19% below the national median.
2026 Tennessee senior care costs at a glance
| Care type | Tennessee median/month | National median (CareScout 2025) | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nursing home (private) | $10,038 | $10,798 | −7% |
| Nursing home (semi-private) | $9,429 | $9,581 | −2% |
| Memory care (est) | $7,300 | $7,750 | −6% |
| Assisted living | $5,845 | $6,200 | −6% |
| Non-medical caregiver (hourly) | $31 | $35 | −11% |
See your exact spend-down timeline for Tennessee
Enter your savings, income, and care type to see how long your money lasts before reaching Tennessee Medicaid asset limits.
Open the Tennessee calculator →Nursing home costs by Tennessee 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.
Tennessee Medicaid for nursing home care
Tennessee 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.
Tennessee 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 Tennessee
Tennessee 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.
Tennessee's 2026 penalty divisor is approximately $10,038 per month (~$330 per day). A $50,000 transfer that violates the look-back rule would create roughly a 149-day penalty period during which Tennessee 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 Tennessee elder law attorney
The National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys maintains a state-by-state directory of certified elder law attorneys.
Find a Tennessee attorney →What makes Tennessee different
Tennessee operates its entire Medicaid program under a 1115 Demonstration Waiver branded TennCare — one of only a few states using full demonstration-waiver authority instead of a traditional state plan. Long-term care flows through TennCare CHOICES, which sorts enrollees into three groups: Group 1 (nursing home residents, an entitlement with no waitlist), Group 2 (HCBS for those needing nursing-facility level of care, waitlisted), and Group 3 (an SSI-based at-risk tier). Tennessee is also an income-cap state that does not offer a Medically Needy spend-down pathway — applicants with income above $2,982 must establish a Qualified Income Trust before applying. Personal Needs Allowance is $50 per month, and Tennessee uses the maximum federal MMNA of $4,066.50 as its only spousal income figure.
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 Tennessee 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.