Senior care costs by state › Iowa
Cost of Senior Care in Iowa (2026)
A nursing home semi-private room in Iowa costs a median of $9,277 per month — 3% below the national median ($9,581). Iowa ranks #18 of 50 states for nursing home costs, from most to least expensive. Figures below are medians from the CareScout Cost of Care Survey 2025.
Iowa senior care costs at a glance
| Type of care | Median cost | Per year | Vs. national median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nursing home — semi-private room | $9,277 | $111,324 | 3% below the national median |
| Nursing home — private room | $10,038 | $120,456 | 7% below the national median |
| Assisted living community | $5,183 | $62,196 | 16% below the national median |
| Home care aide (hourly) | $35/hr | $6,673/mo at 44 hrs/wk | state figure not published — 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 Iowa, five years in a nursing home (semi-private) adds up to about $556,620 before inflation.
Plan Iowa care costs with your own numbers
Use the free calculator to project costs with inflation, a future start date and your current savings — for Iowa or any other state.
Open the cost calculator →Will Medicaid pay for care in Iowa?
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 Iowa, including spousal protections:
Iowa 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.