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CENSUS PLACE DATA 2024 · COST DATA 2025

Nursing Home in West Des Moines, Iowa

West Des Moines, IA has 5 licensed nursing homes listed on ElderCareCosts. The median estimated cost is $9,373/mo. That's roughly in line with the Iowa state median. Compare providers below, or request a personalized shortlist to start your search.

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Median monthly price, West Des Moines

$9,373/mo

Modeled range $9,038 – $10,142 how this range is derived

● West Des Moines $9,373 ○ National median $10,205

Modeled estimate · 2025 survey adjusted by metro wagesEstimate, not a quoteDownload CSV
See all 5 providers →Compare costs →
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1. Call the county aging agency

Free: (800) 747-5352 (Aging Resources of Central Iowa)

2. Shortlist 3 options

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What senior care costs in West Des Moines

West Des Moines figures as of 2025. Method and sources below.

Median costs for nursing homes in West Des Moines versus Iowa 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.

Nursing Homes cost comparison (2025)
Nursing HomesWest Des MoinesIowaNational
25th percentile$9,038/mo$8,856/mo$8,951/mo
Median$9,373/mo$9,277/mo$10,205/mo
75th percentile$10,142/mo$10,083/mo$12,642/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 $7,917 monthly figure assumes 44 hours of care a week. The survey standard. At West Des Moines's implied rate of about $42 an hour:

Hours of careWhat it looks likeEst. monthly cost
20 hrs/weekMornings or afternoons, weekdays~$3,599
44 hrs/weekMost of every weekday$7,917
24/7 (168 hrs/week)Round-the-clock coverage~$30,229

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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: Clive $9,373 · Cumming $9,373 · Windsor Heights $9,373 · Waukee $9,373 · Urbandale $9,373

What can you afford?

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

Under $2,500/mo

Adult day, family care, or affordable senior housing

Adult day care in West Des Moines runs about $1,631/mo at the median. Income-restricted affordable senior housing is often the real under-$2,500 path when eligibility fits. West Des Moines lists 3 such properties in our directory. Call the county aging agency at (800) 747-5352 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 $7,917). Local assisted living median is $5,436/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 West Des Moines assisted living median ($5,436/mo) comfortably. Or near-full-time home care around the $7,917/mo survey month.
How families pay →
Over $11,000/mo

Nursing care or heavy home-care schedules

Nursing homes in West Des Moines run about $9,373/mo at the median. Round-the-clock home care usually costs more. Compare before deciding.
How families pay →
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Every licensed nursing home: 5

A note on counting: we show 5 licensed nursing homes listed for West Des Moines 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 West Des Moines nursing homes median is $9,373/mo, an estimate; ask each facility for its own number in writing.

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

Compare facilities you choose
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Free local help worth saving

West Des Moines has an estimated population of 71,083. About 10,723 residents (15%) are age 65 or older. West Des Moines is located in Polk County, Iowa. The median household income is $86,594. Our directory currently lists 5 licensed nursing homes in West Des Moines. Estimated median cost in West Des Moines is $9,373 per month, compared with $9,277 per month statewide in Iowa.

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

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

  • Aging Resources of Central Iowa(800) 747-5352agingresources.com

    Area Agency on Aging serving this city.

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

    State Long-Term Care Ombudsman program.

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

    State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP).

    Medicare counseling (SHIP)
  • LifeLong Links1-866-468-7887lifelonglinks.org

    Aging & Disability Resource Center hub for this state.

    State aging agency
  • Des Moines Vet Centerva.gov

    Vet Center in West Des Moines.

    VA open data
  • Home and Community Based Services – Elderly WaiverOfficial program page

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

    State Medicaid program

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 nursing homes are listed in West Des Moines, IA?

We currently list 5 licensed nursing homes in West Des Moines, IA.

Are nursing homes in West Des Moines more expensive than the rest of Iowa?

West Des Moines's median nursing home cost is about 1% higher than the Iowa state median.

Want a West Des Moines 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? Nursing Homes across Iowa → · Nursing Homes cost breakdown → · Assisted Living vs Nursing Homes →

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, nursing homes in West Des Moines, IA cost $9,373/month (median).

APA: ElderCareCosts Research. (2026). Nursing Homes in West Des Moines, IA. ElderCareCosts. Retrieved September 18, 2026, from https://www.eldercarecosts.com/nursing-homes/iowa/west-des-moines/

Chicago: ElderCareCosts Research. "Nursing Homes in West Des Moines, IA." ElderCareCosts. Last modified August 10, 2026. Accessed September 18, 2026. https://www.eldercarecosts.com/nursing-homes/iowa/west-des-moines/.

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

Nursing Homes in West Des Moines: 2026 Costs & Licensed Providers