Nursing Home Statistics in 2026

1.24 million people across the U.S. live in a Medicare- or Medicaid-certified nursing home.

December 21, 2025 amie-clark

Author: Amie Clark | December 21, 2025 |

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Nursing Home Quick Facts Bottom Line

Over 1.2 million people across the nation live in nearly 15,000 Medicare- and Medicaid-certified nursing homes.1

While the overall occupancy rates of these facilities decreased during the pandemic, a decrease that has held strong over the past couple of years, nursing homes still represent a vital source of housing and care for a large number of seniors.

What Is a Nursing Home?

A nursing home is a type of residential care facility that provides 24/7 care, both medical and nonmedical. Generally, residents of nursing homes are medically stable but can't return home due to significant mobility issues and/or the need for constant supervision for chronic conditions.

Unlike assisted living, which focuses almost exclusively on assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs) in a more standard apartment setting, nursing homes will also provide chronic condition care, rehabilitative therapies, and palliative care, among other things.

Nursing Homes vs. Skilled Nursing Facilities

While the terms are often used interchangeably, nursing homes generally refer to facilities that offer permanent or long-term care, while skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) focus on temporary care for residents while they undergo necessary rehabilitative treatment following a hospital stay.

That said, stays in nursing homes can be temporary, and stays in skilled nursing facilities can last many days. That's why Medicare will cover skilled nursing facility stays for up to 100 days, provided medical necessity is met.

Nursing Home Quick Facts

About the Nursing Home Industry	As of 2025, there are 14,742 federally certified nursing facilities in the U.S.2 Nearly 16 percent of these facilities are located in Texas (1,177 facilities) and California (1,162 facilities).3 Between 2015 and 2025, the number of federally certified nursing facilities decreased by 6 percent.4
About Nursing Home Costs	The average monthly cost for a private room is $10,646 per month and $9,277 for a semi-private room.5 In 2023, 37 percent of long-term institutional care costs were paid for out-of-pocket, and Medicaid paid for 44 percent.6 The 2025 reconciliation law (passed on July 4, 2025) is expected to reduce $911 billion of federal Medicaid spending over the next 10 years. This could have implications for nursing facilities.7
About Nursing Home Residents	As of 2025, there are 1.24 million residents living in certified nursing facilities.8 The number of residents living in nursing facilities decreased by 9 percent between 2015 and 2025.9
About Nursing Home Services	Residents receive an average of 3.85 hours of nursing care per day.10 This includes an average of 0.87 hours of LPN care, 0.68 hours of RN care, and 2.3 hours of nurse aide care per day.11 From 2015 to 2025, the average hours of nursing care that residents received declined from 4.13 hours to 3.85 hours per resident each day (7 percent).12 96 percent of certified nursing facilities received one or more deficiencies in 2025.13 Nursing facilities receive deficiencies for problems that can negatively impact residents’ health and safety.
About Abuse in Nursing Homes	A survey of 577 nursing facility nurses and aides14 revealed that: 81 percent had seen emotional elder abuse take place. 40 percent had committed an incident of emotional abuse at least once within a 12-month period. 70 percent witnessed co-workers yelling at residents. 50% witnessed co-workers insulting residents. Learn more about elder abuse and how to prevent it.
About Nursing Home Staff	Nursing facilities and residential care facilities have higher shares of LPNs and RNs compared to home and community-based settings.15 Out of 3 million direct care workers16 who provided long-term service and support to people ages 65 and older: 87 percent were female 65 percent were low-wage 28 percent were Black 41 percent were age at least 50 years of age 29 percent of these direct care workers have worked in nursing facilities.17

Bottom Line

Despite fluctuating occupancy rates, nursing facilities still provide an essential source of housing and care for seniors. Costs for nursing homes also continue to rise, making it essential for families to plan financially for this type of care.

To learn more about nursing homes, how they work, and how to pay for them, read our helpful guides:

Written By

Amie Clark

Amie has been writing about senior care products and services for the last decade. She is particularly passionate about new technologies that help improve the quality of life for seniors and their families. Seeing her parents and grandparents age made Amie ask herself, “Would this be good enough for my loved ones?” In her spare time, Amie enjoys outdoor adventures and spontaneous road trips. Learn more about Amie here