How much does adult day care cost per day?
- Adult day care costs a national median of $95 per day in the latest survey
- It was the only care type to drop in price last year, falling 5% from the prior $100 daily median, while every residential and home option rose
- Daily rates vary sharply by state, from about $58 in Alabama and $63 in Mississippi to $267 in Montana, with New York near $144 per day
- These centers offer community-based daytime supervision, a cost-effective bridge for families not ready for full-time residential care
- Original Medicare generally does not cover routine adult day care, though Medicaid waivers, Veterans benefits and PACE programs may help eligible seniors
The $95 figure reflects the medical, or adult day health care, model and assumes standard five-day weekly attendance. State examples reflect published analysis of the survey data. Funding routes like PACE are covered in our PACE program research.
Adult day care costs a national median of $95 per day and was the only tracked senior care type to fall in price last year.
How much does adult day care cost per month?
- Adult day care costs about $2,058 per month at full-day attendance, the equivalent of $95 a day across five days a week
- Most families pay less because they use the program only a few days a week, since the monthly cost scales with attendance
- Other industry estimates cluster slightly higher, generally around $2,100 to $2,167 per month, reflecting different samples and the social-versus-medical mix
- At roughly $2,058 a month for full days, adult day care still costs well under residential options like assisted living or a nursing home
Monthly totals assume regular full-day use. A part-time schedule of two or three days a week can cut the bill by half or more, which is why many families pair day care with unpaid family caregiving.
Adult day care costs about $2,058 per month for five-day weekly attendance, but many families pay less with part-time schedules.
How much does adult day care cost per hour?
- Most adult day centers bill by the day, not the hour, because seniors typically attend for a full program day
- Some centers offer hourly or half-day rates, which help when a family needs only a few hours of supervision and relief
- Spread across a typical 6-to-8-hour day, the $95 daily median works out to roughly $12 to $16 per hour
- That implied hourly rate is a fraction of the $35 hourly median for an in-home caregiver, since a day center shares staff across many clients
The hourly figure here is derived from the sourced $95 daily median, not a separately reported rate, so confirm a center’s actual hourly or half-day pricing directly. Hourly home care figures appear in our in-home senior care cost research.
Adult day care’s $95 daily median works out to roughly $12 to $16 per hour across a typical 6-to-8-hour day.
How does adult day care cost compare to in-home care?
- Adult day care is far cheaper per day than in-home care; a full day at a center runs about $95, while 6 to 8 hours of an in-home caregiver at $35 an hour costs $210 to $280
- The savings come from shared staffing; one center team supervises many seniors, whereas a home caregiver serves a single household
- Adult day care also undercuts the daily equivalent of assisted living (about $204) and a semi-private nursing home room ($315)
- The tradeoff is scope; adult day care covers daytime hours only, while residential settings provide round-the-clock care and housing
| Care type |
Approximate daily cost |
Coverage |
| Adult day care |
$95 |
Daytime only |
| In-home caregiver (6 to 8 hours) |
$210 to $280 |
Hours purchased |
| Assisted living |
About $204 |
24-hour residential |
| Nursing home, semi-private room |
$315 |
24-hour skilled |
The in-home caregiver range is calculated from the $35 hourly median across 6 to 8 hours of care. The adult day care and nursing home figures are reported daily medians, while assisted living is shown as a daily equivalent of its monthly median.
Because day care covers only part of the day, families often combine it with home support, weighed in our in-home care cost guide.
Adult day care costs far less per day than in-home care because centers share staff across many seniors, while home care serves one household.
What is included in adult day care fees?
- A base daily fee typically covers meals and snacks, supervised social and recreational activities, basic health monitoring and help with daily activities
- Full-day fees usually include meals, activities and sometimes transportation, which adds to their value
- The medical model adds clinical services such as medication management, skilled nursing and physical or occupational therapy
- Add-on charges are common for transportation, special outings, intensive personal care and certain therapies beyond the base program
Because fee structures differ by center, ask for an itemized breakdown of the base rate versus extras. Inclusion details reflect published care-industry guidance.
Adult day care fees often include meals, activities and supervision, but transportation, outings, intensive personal care and certain therapies may cost extra.
How much does adult day health care cost versus social day care?
- Social adult day care emphasizes daytime supervision, meals and activities. In one New York market example it runs about $75 to $100 per day
- Adult day health care adds skilled nursing, rehabilitation and therapy by licensed clinicians. In that same market it runs about $100 to $150 per day
- The national median of $95 per day reflects the medical, health care model
- Medical-model centers cost more because they may include clinical services such as nursing oversight, medication management, rehabilitation and therapy
| Model |
Example daily cost range |
Focus |
| Social adult day care |
$75 to $100 |
Supervision, meals, activities |
| Adult day health care |
$100 to $150 |
Adds skilled nursing and therapy |
These day ranges reflect a single local market example rather than a national survey, so national pricing varies by state, center model, services and payer mix. Verify which model a center follows and what its rate includes.
Adult day health care generally costs more than social adult day care because it can include clinical services such as nursing oversight, medication management and therapy.
This research is for informational purposes only and is not financial, legal or medical advice. Cost figures are medians that reset each year and vary by center, model, schedule and location. Confirm current pricing directly with providers and verify benefit eligibility with the relevant agency.
Sources and additional resources
Source note: The $95 daily median, the $24,700 annual figure based on five days a week and the 5% year-over-year decline come from the 2025 CareScout and Genworth Cost of Care Survey, which reported adult day care as the only care type to fall in price.
The state daily examples ($58 in Alabama to $267 in Montana, with Mississippi at $63 and New York at $144) come from CareScout’s 2025 Daily Median Costs table and reconcile to the state annual medians divided by 260 days. The $204 assisted living, $315 nursing home and $35 in-home figures come from the same 2025 data.
The higher $2,100 to $2,167 monthly estimates, the New York social and medical model day ranges and the fee inclusions reflect other 2025 industry reporting. The implied $12 to $16 hourly rate is derived from the $95 daily median spread across a 6 to 8 hour day, not a separately reported figure.
Raya’s Paradise provides assisted living, memory care, hospice support, short term respite care and in-home care across Southern California. Families using adult day care for daytime relief can also explore short term respite care in Los Angeles and respite care in Orange County when they need an overnight or multi-day break.
