Assisted Living in Idaho

    Assisted living communities provide personalized care and support while helping seniors maintain their independence. Services include help with daily activities, medication management, meals, and personal care.

    426 communitiesAvg $4,276/mo

    Paying for assisted living in Idaho

    Most Idaho families begin by paying for assisted living out of pocket. Common sources include retirement income, savings, the proceeds from selling a home, long-term care insurance, and certain veterans benefits. Costs vary widely depending on the community, the region of the state, the size of the apartment, and how much daily help a resident needs. You can see current pricing for specific communities in the pricing tables below.

    Because private pay can be expensive, it's worth understanding early on what public programs may help, and what they will not cover.

    Does Idaho Medicaid (Aged and Disabled Waiver) cover assisted living in Idaho?

    Idaho Medicaid can help pay for the care and services a person receives in a licensed Residential Assisted Living Facility, but it never pays for room and board. That help comes mainly through the Aged and Disabled (A&D) Waiver, a Home and Community-Based Services program designed to support people who would otherwise need a nursing home.

    Through the waiver, Medicaid may cover services such as personal care assistance, attendant care, skilled nursing, and other supports delivered in an assisted living setting. The resident is still responsible for the room-and-board portion of their monthly fee.

    To qualify, an applicant generally must:

    • Live in Idaho and be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen
    • Meet Medicaid's income and asset limits for long-term care
    • Need a nursing-home level of care, confirmed by a Level of Care assessment

    You apply through the Department of Health and Welfare (online via idalink, by phone, in person, or by mail). Because the waiver is not an entitlement, a waiting list can apply.

    Does Medicare cover assisted living in Idaho?

    Medicare does not pay for assisted living room and board or for ongoing custodial care (help with bathing, dressing, and other daily activities), which is the heart of what assisted living provides.

    Medicare may still cover related medical needs, such as:

    • Doctor visits, hospital stays, and prescription drugs
    • Short-term, skilled care in a nursing facility after a qualifying hospital stay
    • Medically necessary home health or hospice care

    For free, unbiased help understanding your Medicare options, contact Idaho's Senior Health Insurance Benefits Advisors (SHIBA) program at 1-800-247-4422.

    Other ways to pay for assisted living in Idaho

    OptionHow it works
    VA Aid & AttendanceA pension supplement for wartime veterans and surviving spouses who need help with daily activities. It adds a monthly amount on top of a VA pension that can be applied toward assisted living.
    Long-term care insuranceIf a policy is already in place, it may cover much of the monthly cost. Check the daily benefit, elimination period, and any assisted living restrictions before relying on it.
    Reverse mortgage (HECM)Homeowners 62+ can borrow against home equity, with no monthly payments due until the home is sold. Most useful when one spouse stays in the home.
    Life insurance conversionSome whole-life policies can be sold or converted into a long-term care benefit while the policyholder is still living.
    Home sale or bridge loanProceeds from selling a home — or a short-term bridge loan while it's on the market — can fund care during a transition.

    Free and low-cost resources for Idaho seniors

    Compare & evaluate communities

    Find a Licensed Facility (Idaho DHW)

    Idaho Department of Health and Welfare's official directory to look up licensed residential assisted living facilities and review survey results.

    Idaho DHW — Residential Assisted Living Facilities (RALF)

    State agency overview of how assisted living is licensed and inspected, with links to facility search and complaint reporting.

    (208) 364-1962

    Pay for care

    Idaho Medicaid — Home and Community-Based Services

    Explains the Aged and Disabled Waiver and the services Medicaid can cover in assisted living and other community settings.

    (877) 799-4430

    Apply for Medicaid for Elderly or Disabled Adults

    State page on eligibility and how to apply for long-term care Medicaid, including the Level of Care assessment.

    (877) 456-1233

    SHIBA — Senior Health Insurance Benefits Advisors

    Free, unbiased Medicare counseling from the Idaho Department of Insurance (Idaho's SHIP program).

    (800) 247-4422

    Idaho Division of Veterans Services — Benefits & Services

    Help for Idaho veterans and survivors pursuing federal and state benefits, including aid that can offset care costs.

    (208) 780-1300

    Know your rights & get help

    Idaho Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program

    Free advocates who investigate concerns and protect the rights of residents in assisted living and nursing facilities.

    (877) 471-2777

    Idaho DHW RALF Complaint Reporting

    Report a concern or file a complaint about a residential assisted living facility with the state licensing team.

    (208) 364-1962

    Idaho Legal Aid Services — Help for Older Adults

    Nonprofit offering a free statewide Senior Legal Hotline for Idahoans age 60+ on civil legal issues, including Medicaid.

    (866) 345-0106

    Support for families & caregivers

    Idaho Area Agencies on Aging (find your local AAA)

    Directory and map of Idaho's regional Area Agencies on Aging for local help with care planning and caregiver support.

    (877) 471-2777

    Idaho Aging & Disability Resource Center (ADRC)

    A 'No Wrong Door' connection point for older adults, people with disabilities, and family caregivers seeking services.

    (208) 334-3833

    Laws & regulations

    IDAPA 16.03.22 — Residential Care or Assisted Living Facilities

    The full administrative rules governing how Idaho residential assisted living facilities are licensed, staffed, and operated, published by the state's Office of Administrative Rules.

    Idaho Code Title 39, Chapter 33 — Residential Care or Assisted Living Act

    The underlying state statute setting out licensing, resident rights, and enforcement for assisted living, maintained by the Idaho Legislature.

    National resources

    Eldercare Locator

    Federal service that connects you to vetted local aging resources — care options, transportation, and in-home support — by ZIP code.

    (800) 677-1116

    Planning & paying for long-term care (LongTermCare.gov)

    Federal guide to the full range of ways families plan and pay for long-term care.

    Alzheimer's Association 24/7 Helpline

    Round-the-clock information, crisis help, and emotional support for families facing dementia.

    (800) 272-3900

    Assisted living laws and regulations in Idaho

    In Idaho, assisted living communities are licensed as Residential Assisted Living Facilities (RALFs) by the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare through its Bureau of Facility Standards. A RALF is a facility that provides supervision, personal assistance, meals, and lodging to three or more unrelated adults.

    State rules set standards for staffing, staff training and background checks, building safety, resident admission and care, and resident rights. The department's RALF team enforces these rules by conducting surveys (inspections), including the initial licensing review, periodic relicensing inspections, and investigations of complaints.

    Inspection findings and complaint records are public. Before choosing a community, you can confirm that a facility is currently licensed and review its survey history using the state's official search tool. Verifying a community's license and inspection record is one of the most important steps families can take, and it is free to do.

    You can read the full rules in IDAPA 16.03.22 — Residential Care or Assisted Living Facilities, and the underlying statute in Idaho Code Title 39, Chapter 33 — Residential Care or Assisted Living Act.

    Check a community's license before you commit

    The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, Bureau of Facility Standards licenses these communities as Residential Assisted Living Facility (RALF)s and publishes their inspection and complaint history.

    Search the state's licensed facility database

    Last reviewed June 2026.

    Frequently asked questions about assisted living in Idaho

    Idaho Medicaid can help pay for the care services a person receives in a licensed Residential Assisted Living Facility, mainly through the Aged and Disabled (A&D) Waiver. It does not pay for room and board, so residents still cover that portion of their monthly cost. The waiver is not an entitlement, so a waiting list may apply.

    Costs vary by community, region of the state, apartment size, and the level of daily care a resident needs. Rather than relying on a single statewide average, review the pricing tables below for current figures at specific Idaho communities.

    Assisted living (a Residential Assisted Living Facility) provides housing, meals, supervision, and help with daily activities like bathing and dressing. A nursing home provides 24-hour skilled nursing and medical care for people with more complex health needs. Many people who need ongoing skilled nursing care do not qualify for assisted living.

    Generally, an applicant must live in Idaho, be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen, meet Medicaid's income and asset limits for long-term care, and need a nursing-home level of care confirmed by a Level of Care assessment. You apply through the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare online, by phone, in person, or by mail.

    The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare licenses and inspects Residential Assisted Living Facilities, and those records are public. Use the state's official facility and survey search to confirm a community is licensed and to review its inspection (survey) results before you choose.

    No. Medicare does not pay for assisted living room and board or for the custodial care that assisted living provides. It may still cover related medical needs such as doctor visits, prescriptions, short-term skilled nursing care after a qualifying hospital stay, and home health or hospice. For free Medicare guidance, contact Idaho's SHIBA program at 1-800-247-4422.

    Top-rated communities in Idaho

    Top cities for assisted living in Idaho

    1. Boise assisted living

      68 facilities$4,059/mo

    2. Garden City assisted living

      68 facilities$4,007/mo

    3. Meridian assisted living

      51 facilities$3,980/mo

    4. Huetter assisted living

      34 facilities$5,001/mo

    5. Coeur d'Alene assisted living

      33 facilities$4,997/mo

    6. Dalton Gardens assisted living

      30 facilities$4,924/mo

    7. Hayden assisted living

      29 facilities$4,824/mo

    8. Hayden Lake assisted living

      28 facilities$4,831/mo

    9. Nampa assisted living

      25 facilities$4,085/mo

    10. Caldwell assisted living

      21 facilities$4,639/mo

    11. Eagle assisted living

      21 facilities$3,829/mo

    12. Hidden Springs assisted living

      21 facilities$4,100/mo

    Cost of assisted living in Idaho

    The average cost of assisted living in Idaho is $4,276/month, compared to $4,896/month nationally.

    Room typeIdahoNational avg
    Studio$4,043$4,736
    1 Bedroom$4,602$5,203
    2 Bedrooms$3,628$5,173
    Semi-Private$3,857$4,369

    * Average monthly costs across communities in Idaho.

    Cost by care type in Idaho

    Care typeAvg. monthly costCommunities
    Independent Living$4,268107
    Assisted Living$4,276426
    Memory Care$4,598200

    Assisted Living cost in Idaho vs. nearby states

    StateAvg. monthly cost
    Utah$3,752
    Nevada$4,073
    Idaho$4,276
    Montana$4,666
    Wyoming$4,963
    Oregon$5,916
    Washington$6,323
    National average$4,896

    * assisted living averages across communities in each state.

    Explore all cities in Idaho

    A

    1. Aberdeen
    2. Acequia
    3. Albion
    4. American Falls
    5. Ammon
    6. Arbon Valley
    7. Arco
    8. Arimo
    9. Ashton
    10. Athol
    11. Atomic City
    12. Avimor

    B

    1. Bancroft
    2. Banks
    3. Basalt
    4. Bellevue
    5. Bennington
    6. Blackfoot
    7. Blanchard
    8. Bliss
    9. Bloomington
    10. Boise
    11. Bonners Ferry
    12. Bovill
    13. Bruneau
    14. Buhl
    15. Burley
    16. Butte City

    C

    1. Caldwell
    2. Cambridge
    3. Carey
    4. Cascade
    5. Castleford
    6. Challis
    7. Chubbuck
    8. Clark Fork
    9. Clayton
    10. Clifton
    11. Coeur d'Alene
    12. Conkling Park
    13. Coolin
    14. Cottonwood
    15. Council
    16. Craigmont
    17. Crouch
    18. Culdesac

    D

    1. Dalton Gardens
    2. Dayton
    3. De Smet
    4. Deary
    5. Declo
    6. Dietrich
    7. Donnelly
    8. Dover
    9. Downey
    10. Driggs
    11. Drummond
    12. Dubois

    E

    1. Eagle
    2. East Hope
    3. Eden
    4. Elk City
    5. Elk River
    6. Emmett

    F

    1. Fairfield
    2. Ferdinand
    3. Fernan Lake Village
    4. Fernwood
    5. Filer
    6. Firth
    7. Fort Hall
    8. Franklin
    9. Fruitland

    G

    1. Gannett
    2. Garden City
    3. Garden Valley
    4. Genesee
    5. Georgetown
    6. Glenns Ferry
    7. Gooding
    8. Grace
    9. Grand View
    10. Grangeville
    11. Greenleaf
    12. Groveland

    H

    1. Hagerman
    2. Hailey
    3. Hamer
    4. Hammett
    5. Hansen
    6. Harrison
    7. Hauser
    8. Hayden
    9. Hayden Lake
    10. Hazelton
    11. Heyburn
    12. Hidden Springs
    13. Hollister
    14. Homedale
    15. Hope
    16. Horseshoe Bend
    17. Huetter

    I

    1. Idaho City
    2. Idaho Falls
    3. Inkom
    4. Iona
    5. Irwin
    6. Island Park

    J

    1. Jerome
    2. Juliaetta

    K

    1. Kamiah
    2. Kellogg
    3. Kendrick
    4. Ketchum
    5. Kimberly
    6. Kooskia
    7. Kootenai
    8. Kuna

    L

    1. Laclede
    2. Lapwai
    3. Lava Hot Springs
    4. Leadore
    5. Letha
    6. Lewiston
    7. Lewisville
    8. Lincoln
    9. Lowman

    M

    1. Mackay
    2. Malad City
    3. Malta
    4. Marsing
    5. McCall
    6. McCammon
    7. Melba
    8. Menan
    9. Meridian
    10. Middleton
    11. Midvale
    12. Minidoka
    13. Montpelier
    14. Moore
    15. Moreland
    16. Moscow
    17. Mountain Home
    18. Mountain Home AFB
    19. Moyie Springs
    20. Mud Lake
    21. Mullan
    22. Murphy
    23. Murtaugh

    N

    1. Nampa
    2. New Meadows
    3. New Plymouth
    4. Newdale
    5. Nezperce
    6. Notus

    O

    1. Oakley
    2. Oldtown
    3. Onaway
    4. Orofino
    5. Osburn
    6. Oxford

    P

    1. Paris
    2. Parker
    3. Parkline
    4. Parma
    5. Paul
    6. Payette
    7. Peck
    8. Pierce
    9. Pinehurst
    10. Placerville
    11. Plummer
    12. Pocatello
    13. Ponderay
    14. Post Falls
    15. Potlatch
    16. Preston
    17. Priest River
    18. Princeton

    R

    1. Rathdrum
    2. Reubens
    3. Rexburg
    4. Richfield
    5. Rigby
    6. Riggins
    7. Ririe
    8. Riverside
    9. Roberts
    10. Robie Creek
    11. Rockford
    12. Rockford Bay
    13. Rockland
    14. Rupert

    S

    1. Salmon
    2. Sandpoint
    3. Shelley
    4. Shoshone
    5. Silverton
    6. Smelterville
    7. Smiths Ferry
    8. Soda Springs
    9. Spencer
    10. Spirit Lake
    11. St. Anthony
    12. St. Charles
    13. St. Maries
    14. Stanley
    15. Star
    16. State Line
    17. Stites
    18. Sugar City
    19. Sun Valley
    20. Swan Valley
    21. Sweetwater

    T

    1. Tensed
    2. Teton
    3. Tetonia
    4. Troy
    5. Twin Falls
    6. Tyhee

    U

    1. Ucon

    V

    1. Victor
    2. Viola

    W

    1. Wallace
    2. Wardner
    3. Weippe
    4. Weiser
    5. Wendell
    6. Weston
    7. White Bird
    8. Wilder
    9. Winchester
    10. Worley

    Y

    1. Yellow Pine

    Other types of senior living in Idaho

    Assisted Living in other states

    1. Alabama
    2. Alaska
    3. American Samoa
    4. Arizona
    5. Arkansas
    6. California
    7. Colorado
    8. Connecticut
    9. Delaware
    10. District of Columbia
    11. Federated States of Micronesia
    12. Florida
    13. Georgia
    14. Guam
    15. Hawaii
    16. Idaho
    17. Illinois
    18. Indiana
    19. Iowa
    20. Kansas
    21. Kentucky
    22. Louisiana
    23. Maine
    24. Marshall Islands
    25. Maryland
    26. Massachusetts
    27. Michigan
    28. Minnesota
    29. Mississippi
    30. Missouri
    31. Montana
    32. Nebraska
    33. Nevada
    34. New Hampshire
    35. New Jersey
    36. New Mexico
    37. New York
    38. North Carolina
    39. North Dakota
    40. Northern Mariana Islands
    41. Ohio
    42. Oklahoma
    43. Oregon
    44. Palau
    45. Pennsylvania
    46. Puerto Rico
    47. Rhode Island
    48. South Carolina
    49. South Dakota
    50. Tennessee
    51. Texas
    52. Utah
    53. Vermont
    54. Virgin Islands
    55. Virginia
    56. Washington
    57. West Virginia
    58. Wisconsin
    59. Wyoming
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