Nursing home guides

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Plain-English answers to the questions families ask most when a parent, partner or friend may need a nursing home: who pays, what the different kinds of care are, and how to read CMS's star ratings. Every guide links to the government source it relies on, and the figures about nursing homes come from CMS data on all 14,686 certified homes we list.

Guides

• Assisted living vs nursing home: what's the difference?

  How the two differ on care, regulation, inspections and who pays, and the signs that a nursing home may be the better fit.

  Last updated October 31, 2026

• Does Medicare pay for nursing home care?

  What Medicare covers in a nursing home in 2026, the 3-day hospital rule, what you pay on days 21 to 100, and where Medicaid comes in.

  Last updated October 31, 2026

• What is a skilled nursing facility?

  What "skilled nursing facility" means, how it differs from a nursing home and rehab, who works there, and how CMS rates them.

  Last updated October 31, 2026

• Nursing home star ratings, explained

  How CMS builds the overall star from inspections, staffing and quality measures, with the live national spread of ratings.

  Last updated October 31, 2026

• How to check a nursing home's violations and inspection reports

  Where to find a home's inspection citations and full CMS-2567 reports, how to read the A to L severity letters, and what to look for.

  Last updated October 31, 2026

How we write these guides

We stick to what the rules and the data say. Dollar amounts and coverage rules come from Medicare.gov, CMS and Medicaid.gov, and each guide shows the date it was last checked. Figures about nursing homes are computed from the CMS Provider Data Catalog and refresh when CMS publishes new data. We don't give medical, legal or financial advice; for decisions about a specific person, talk to their doctor, the hospital discharge planner, your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) or your state Medicaid office.

Find nursing homes in your state

Each state page lists every Medicare- and Medicaid-certified nursing home there, with CMS star ratings, staffing and inspection records.

• Alabama (224)
• Alaska (20)
• Arizona (140)
• Arkansas (222)
• California (1,165)
• Colorado (210)
• Connecticut (191)
• Delaware (44)
• District of Columbia (16)
• Florida (694)
• Georgia (356)
• Hawaii (43)
• Idaho (80)
• Illinois (664)
• Indiana (507)
• Iowa (387)
• Kansas (296)
• Kentucky (266)
• Louisiana (265)
• Maine (78)
• Maryland (221)
• Massachusetts (341)
• Michigan (422)
• Minnesota (337)
• Mississippi (202)
• Missouri (486)
• Montana (61)
• Nebraska (180)
• Nevada (66)
• New Hampshire (73)
• New Jersey (348)
• New Mexico (68)
• New York (592)
• North Carolina (419)
• North Dakota (72)
• Ohio (924)
• Oklahoma (283)
• Oregon (128)
• Pennsylvania (656)
• Rhode Island (72)
• South Carolina (187)
• South Dakota (96)
• Tennessee (303)
• Texas (1,177)
• Utah (97)
• Vermont (33)
• Virginia (289)
• Washington (193)
• West Virginia (123)
• Wisconsin (323)
• Wyoming (36)
• Guam (1)
• Puerto Rico (9)

Ranked lists for the largest states

• Best nursing homes in Texas
• Best nursing homes in California
• Best nursing homes in Ohio
• Best nursing homes in Florida
• Best nursing homes in Illinois
• Best nursing homes in Pennsylvania
• Best nursing homes in New York
• Best nursing homes in Indiana
• Medicaid nursing homes in Texas
• Medicaid nursing homes in California
• Medicaid nursing homes in Ohio
• Medicaid nursing homes in Florida
• Medicaid nursing homes in Illinois
• Medicaid nursing homes in Pennsylvania
• Medicaid nursing homes in New York
• Medicaid nursing homes in Indiana

Already have a shortlist? Compare nursing homes side by side, or find nursing homes near you.

Last updated October 31, 2026. Not medical, legal or financial advice. Nursing Homes In Each State is independent and not affiliated with CMS or Medicare. About the data · Report an error.