Senior care costs by state › Illinois
Cost of Senior Care in Illinois (2026)
A nursing home semi-private room in Illinois costs a median of $8,304 per month — 13% below the national median ($9,581). Illinois ranks #6 of 50 states for nursing home costs, from most to least expensive. Figures below are medians from the CareScout Cost of Care Survey 2025.
Illinois senior care costs at a glance
| Type of care | Median cost | Per year | Vs. national median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nursing home — semi-private room | $8,304 | $99,648 | 13% below the national median |
| Nursing home — private room | $9,216 | $110,592 | 15% below the national median |
| Assisted living community | $6,219 | $74,628 | about the same as the national median |
| Home care aide (hourly) | $36/hr | $6,864/mo at 44 hrs/wk | 3% above the national median |
| Adult day health care | $95/day | — | national median (state figure not published) |
Most families pay for care far longer than they expect: the average long-term care need lasts about 3 years, and roughly 1 in 5 people need care for more than 5 years. In Illinois, five years in a nursing home (semi-private) adds up to about $498,240 before inflation.
Plan Illinois care costs with your own numbers
Use the free calculator to project costs with inflation, a future start date and your current savings — for Illinois or any other state.
Open the cost calculator →Will Medicaid pay for care in Illinois?
Medicaid is the largest payer of long-term care in the U.S., but it has strict asset and income limits. See the 2026 limits for Illinois, including spousal protections:
Illinois Medicaid eligibility limits →Sources: CareScout (formerly Genworth) Cost of Care Survey 2025, state medians; national medians — nursing home semi-private $9,581/mo, private $10,798/mo, assisted living $6,200/mo, home care $35/hr, adult day care $95/day. Medians are planning benchmarks; actual prices vary by city and facility.