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CENSUS PLACE DATA 2024 · COST DATA 2025

Assisted Living in Madison, Wisconsin

Madison, WI has 253 licensed assisted living communities listed on ElderCareCosts. The median estimated cost is $6,639/mo. That's roughly in line with the Wisconsin state median. Compare providers below, or request a personalized shortlist to start your search.

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Median monthly price, Madison

$6,639/mo

Modeled range $6,320 – $6,964 how this range is derived

● Madison $6,639 ○ National median $6,230

Modeled estimate · 2025 survey adjusted by metro wagesEstimate, not a quoteDownload CSV
See all 253 providers →Compare costs →
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Three steps

1. Call the county aging agency

Free: (608) 261-9930 (Area Agency on Aging of Dane County)

2. Shortlist 3 options

We'll narrow the 253 for you ↓

3. Tour with the checklist

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What senior care costs in Madison

Madison figures as of 2025. Method and sources below.

Median costs for assisted living in Madison versus Wisconsin and the middle state nationally. The 25th and 75th percentile rows are the modeled range explained on the methodology page; in the national column they are percentiles across state medians. Figures are estimates, not quotes.

Assisted Living cost comparison (2025)
Assisted LivingMadisonWisconsinNational
25th percentile$6,320/mo$6,243/mo$5,488/mo
Median$6,639/mo$6,540/mo$6,230/mo
75th percentile$6,964/mo$7,108/mo$7,083/mo

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Source: Modeled estimate · 2025 survey adjusted by metro wages (opens in a new tab)
Download CSVMethodology
Why is this number different on other websites? Many directories quote a community's "starting at" rent, before care fees. This figure is the state survey median adjusted by wages in the surrounding metro area, so nearby cities in the same metro share it. It is an estimate to plan against, not a quote; ask each provider for its own number in writing. Our methodology →

What home care really costs by the hour

The $7,016 monthly figure assumes 44 hours of care a week. The survey standard. At Madison's implied rate of about $37 an hour:

Hours of careWhat it looks likeEst. monthly cost
20 hrs/weekMornings or afternoons, weekdays~$3,189
44 hrs/weekMost of every weekday$7,016
24/7 (168 hrs/week)Round-the-clock coverage~$26,788

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Ways families typically pay

  • Private pay (savings, income, home equity)
  • Long-term care insurance
  • VA Aid & Attendance for eligible veterans and surviving spouses
  • Medicaid home- and community-based services (HCBS) waivers, where eligible. Rules vary by state

Medicare generally does not cover long-term custodial care. State-specific Medicaid waiver guides are coming soon.

Nearby: Shorewood Hills $6,639 · Maple Bluff $6,639 · Middleton $6,639 · Monona $6,639 · Waunakee $6,639

What can you afford?

Every family starts with a number. Here's what different monthly budgets realistically cover in Madison, grounded in local medians on this page.

Under $2,500/mo

Adult day, family care, or affordable senior housing

Adult day care in Madison runs about $1,540/mo at the median. Income-restricted affordable senior housing is often the real under-$2,500 path when eligibility fits. Madison lists 9 such properties in our directory. Call the county aging agency at (608) 261-9930 for free navigation help. Medicaid/waiver paths can stretch a tight budget when eligibility fits.
Affordable senior apartments →
$2,500 – $7,000/mo

Part-time home care or entry assisted living

Part-time home care often lands in this band (full survey month for in-home care is $7,016). Local assisted living median is $6,639/mo. Small homes can sit below that midpoint. Ask about waiver programs if Medicaid may apply.
Medicaid & waiver paths →
$7,000 – $11,000/mo

Assisted living with room to spare

Covers the Madison assisted living median ($6,639/mo) comfortably. Or near-full-time home care around the $7,016/mo survey month.
How families pay →
Over $11,000/mo

Nursing care or heavy home-care schedules

Nursing homes in Madison run about $10,807/mo at the median. Round-the-clock home care usually costs more. Compare before deciding.
How families pay →
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Tell us how you plan to pay and we'll match you with local options. Free. Every figure on this page stays visible either way.
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Every licensed assisted living community: 253

A note on counting: we show 253 licensed assisted living communities listed for Madison proper. Other sites show bigger numbers when they count a wide radius. Nearby options are linked below, labeled by city.

How we rank these: we don't. Listed by verification date, newest first.

Providers appear with their government data: license status, capacity, inspection history, and a CMS star rating where the service has one. The order is the date we last verified each record, newest first. Nobody pays to appear, and nobody pays to move up. If a listing says "Sponsored," a provider paid for that placement and the label says so.

Looking for a transparent sort by CMS stars, inspection records, and staffing? That is a separate data ranking, not an editorial pick.

Most listings publish no price. The Madison assisted living median is $6,639/mo, an estimate; ask each community for its own number in writing.

Sponsored placements, when they appear, are always labeled. How we make money →

Compare communities you choose
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Free local help worth saving

Madison has an estimated population of 278,001. About 36,240 residents (13%) are age 65 or older. Madison is located in Dane County, Wisconsin. The median household income is $78,050. Our directory currently lists 253 licensed assisted living communities in Madison. Estimated median cost in Madison is $6,639 per month, compared with $6,540 per month statewide in Wisconsin.

Source: US Census Bureau (ACS) · Updated Jul 2026.GOV

These services are public and free. We list them before anything we could earn from.

  • Area Agency on Aging of Dane County(608) 261-9930danecountyhumanservices.org

    Area Agency on Aging serving this city.

    State aging agency
  • Wisconsin Long-Term Care Ombudsman Programltcombudsman.org

    State Long-Term Care Ombudsman program.

    State LTC Ombudsman
  • Wisconsin State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP)shiphelp.org

    State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP).

    Medicare counseling (SHIP)
  • Wisconsin Aging and Disability Resource Centersdhs.wisconsin.gov

    Aging & Disability Resource Center hub for this state.

    State aging agency
  • William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans' Hospitalva.gov

    VA Medical Center in Madison.

    VA open data
  • Family Care WaiverOfficial program page

    Can help pay for care if your parent qualifies. Rules change. Confirm on the official page.

    State Medicaid program
  • Veterans options in Madison

    1 licensed VA Community Living Center / State Veterans Home, sourced from VA Access to Care.

    Madison WI CLC

    VA Aid & Attendance overview →
    VA open data

Free national starting points. Official sites only; we do not scrape these directories.

Veterans & surviving spouses: VA Aid & Attendance can help wartime veterans who qualify. Official info only. How Aid & Attendance works →

Questions families ask

How many assisted living communities are listed in Madison, WI?

We currently list 253 licensed assisted living communities in Madison, WI.

Is assisted living in Madison more expensive than the rest of Wisconsin?

Madison's median assisted living cost is about 2% higher than the Wisconsin state median.

Want a Madison shortlist?

Tell us needs and budget once. We email you licensed options with the cost data we publish, the same day. Data stays free either way.

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Reading up first? Assisted Living across Wisconsin → · Assisted Living cost breakdown → · Adult Day Care vs Assisted Living →

Touring this week? Print our checklist: what to ask on a tour, what to notice, and the license paperwork to request. Free, no email required. Optional send-to-email when you want it on your phone.

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Trust & methodology

How to cite this page

Cite this: According to ElderCareCosts' 2026 index, assisted living in Madison, WI costs $6,639/month (median).

APA: ElderCareCosts Research. (2026). Assisted Living in Madison, WI. ElderCareCosts. Retrieved September 18, 2026, from https://www.eldercarecosts.com/assisted-living/wisconsin/madison/

Chicago: ElderCareCosts Research. "Assisted Living in Madison, WI." ElderCareCosts. Last modified August 10, 2026. Accessed September 18, 2026. https://www.eldercarecosts.com/assisted-living/wisconsin/madison/.

These figures may be quoted and reproduced with attribution and a link back to this page. No permission needed. Methodology · Data sources · Who produces this · Corrections

Assisted Living in Madison: 2026 Costs & Licensed Providers