Wisconsin's 2024 CareScout median for non-medical home care was $82,368/yr, or roughly $6,864/mo at full-time hours -- while assisted living's median was $73,800/yr, or roughly $6,150/mo. As weekly in-home hours climb past roughly 40-50 hours a week, the math frequently starts favoring assisted living.
When home usually wins
When care needs are limited to a handful of hours a day, or when a spouse or family member covers much of the caregiving and paid help fills gaps, in-home care is usually the more cost-effective and less disruptive choice.
When a community usually wins
Once round-the-clock supervision is needed, or when social isolation itself has become a safety and health concern, the fixed monthly cost of assisted living -- meals, activities, supervision and care combined -- often comes out ahead of stacking enough in-home hours to match it.
