Unlike assisted living or memory care, in-home care isn't priced as one flat monthly number — it's priced hourly, which means the real cost depends heavily on how much help is actually needed.
The real numbers
- National median hourly rate: approximately $34/hour
- Most agencies require a weekly minimum, often around 4 hours per visit
- Full-time or live-in care averages roughly $5,558 per month
How the math actually adds up
A few hours a day for help with meals, medication, and light housekeeping looks very different financially than round-the-clock supervision. A family bringing in 4 hours a day, 5 days a week is looking at roughly $680/week — meaningfully less than full-time assisted living. Round-the-clock or live-in care, on the other hand, can approach or exceed assisted living costs once enough hours are added.
When in-home care stops being the cheaper option
The crossover point is usually when care needs grow to require supervision most of the day, not just scheduled visits. At that point, comparing the real hourly total against assisted living's flat monthly rate — including the built-in social environment and on-site staff — is worth doing honestly rather than defaulting to "home is always cheaper."