Long-Term Care Cost Calculator
Plan for one of the largest potential retirement expenses: enter the type and duration of care, apply an inflation rate, and see the total cost, month-by-month spending rate, and how much of that cost is already covered by savings or insurance.
Type of care
USD / year
years
%
USD
Cumulative cost over the care period, growing at the stated inflation rate
How does this calculator work?
Multiply today's annual care cost by the number of years needed, then apply compound inflation (3–5% is typical in the US) to get the real cumulative cost. Enter care type (preset to 2024 US medians, editable), duration, and inflation rate to see the total expenditure and funding gap. These are estimates — consult a financial planner for personalised advice.
Formula
How this is calculated
Long-term care costs grow faster than general inflation — historically 3–5% per year in the United States — so a nursing home that costs $116,000 today will cost significantly more in five or ten years. This calculator applies compound growth to the annual care cost, summing each year's inflated cost to give the real cumulative expenditure over the care period.
The preset annual costs are 2024 US national median figures from the Genworth Cost of Care Survey: home health aide (44 hours/week) at ~$75,500; assisted living at ~$54,000; semi-private nursing home room at ~$104,000; private room at ~$116,800; and adult day health care at ~$20,300. These vary substantially by US state and by country — edit the annual cost field to match your local market. UK, Australian, and European care costs differ widely from US figures.
The funding-gap field subtracts any existing long-term care insurance payout, savings earmarked for care, or other coverage from the total inflation-adjusted cost, showing how much remains to be funded. A separate long-term care insurance policy, annuity, or Medicaid plan may be needed to cover that gap.
Frequently asked questions
The US Department of Health and Human Services estimates that about 70% of people turning 65 will need some form of long-term care, with an average duration of about 3 years. However, care needs vary widely: roughly 20% of people need care for more than 5 years, and Alzheimer's patients commonly require 8–10 years of progressive care.
Medicare covers short-term skilled nursing care (up to 100 days per benefit period) following a qualifying hospital stay, but does not cover ongoing custodial or personal care — the kind that most long-term care represents. Medicaid may cover nursing home costs for those who meet income and asset thresholds. Long-term care insurance or self-funding fills the gap for most others.
Care cost inflation in the US has historically run 3–5% per year, driven by rising wages for care workers and increasing demand. A commonly used planning assumption is 4–5%. Adjust downward for countries with controlled public care costs. The default of 3.5% is a moderate estimate.
Also known as
TG we-Calculate Editorial Team. (2026). Long-Term Care Cost Calculator [Online calculator]. TG we-Calculate. https://we-calculate.com/calculator/long-term-care-calculator
TG we-Calculate Editorial Team. "Long-Term Care Cost Calculator." TG we-Calculate. 2026. https://we-calculate.com/calculator/long-term-care-calculator.
TG we-Calculate Editorial Team, "Long-Term Care Cost Calculator," TG we-Calculate, 2026. [Online]. Available: https://we-calculate.com/calculator/long-term-care-calculator
@misc{wecalculate_long_term_care_calculator, title = {Long-Term Care Cost Calculator}, author = {{TG we-Calculate Editorial Team}}, howpublished = {\url{https://we-calculate.com/calculator/long-term-care-calculator}}, year = {2026}, note = {TG we-Calculate} }
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