The 10 Best Assisted Living Facilities in East Brunswick, NJ for 2024

Seniors looking for a safe, homelike environment that offers personalized supportive care and assistance while allowing them to retain their independence may enjoy an assisted living community. The average monthly cost of assisted living in East Brunswick is $7,478, which is significantly higher than the national average but higher than the state average by a lesser degree.

This guide provides information about assisted living in East Brunswick, including costs of other senior care options and comparisons of assisted living costs with other cities in New Jersey. It also provides some important benefits and drawbacks of retiring in East Brunswick and includes a list of free resources for seniors.

The New Jersey Department of Health regulates various health care settings, including assisted living facilities. Its Division of Health Facilities Evaluation and Licensing licenses assisted living residences and assisted living programs in East Brunswick and throughout the state. The DOH ensures compliance of regulations by surveying assisted living facilities, investigating complaints and administering penalties for non-compliance.

• New Jersey counties and cities aren’t allowed to collect sales tax, so seniors in East Brunswick only pay state sales taxes. As of 2021, the state rate is 7%, which is lower than 55.8% of other states. Plus, groceries, prescription drugs, clothing and household paper products are tax-exempt.
• East Brunswick doesn’t have a local hospital, but 279 doctors representing every specialty have offices inside the Township. Seniors won’t have far to travel should they require emergency care because two high-performing hospitals are less than six miles away in New Brunswick. Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital is regionally ranked and rated high-performing for eight adult procedures/conditions and St. Peter’s University Hospital is rated high-performing for four. Both have on-site emergency departments and medical-surgical ICUs.
• New Jersey is often listed as one of the least tax-friendly states for retirees. However, seniors in East Brunswick enjoy income tax exemptions on Social Security benefits, military pensions and Railroad Retirement benefits. They may also receive generous income tax exemptions on other forms of retirement benefits based on their income.
• East Brunswick’s Department of Aging provides curb-to-curb transportation services to and from the senior center on Mondays through Fridays. It also provides transportation to seniors from the senior center to grocery stores on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Limited non-emergency transportation to medical appointments also may be available.
• The overall cost of living in East Brunswick is nearly 31% higher than the national average. However, health care costs are 9.5% lower than the national average, which is beneficial to seniors who often require more medical care as they age.
• Crime rates in New Jersey are much lower than the national average, but they’re even more so in East Brunswick. Violent crime in East Brunswick is rated a 9.4 while the state average is 15.3 and the national average is 22.7. East Brunswick’s property crime rate is 23.8 compared to the statewide average of 25 and the national average of 35.4.

According to Genworth’s Cost of Care Survey, the average cost of assisted living in East Brunswick is $7,478, which is substantially higher than the national average of $4,300. It’s also more than $800 higher per month than the state average.

East Brunswick’s elevated cost of assisted living also makes it higher than other cities in the state, sometimes significantly higher. Its monthly cost is higher than Ocean City’s by $2,533, more than Atlantic City’s by $1,688 and higher than Vineland’s by $955. Due to its proximity to the Big Apple, it’s also noteworthy that the average cost in NYC is also lower than East Brunswick’s by nearly $1,500 per month. 

It can also be beneficial to compare the costs of other types of senior care. Adult day health care is substantially lower at only $1,788 per month but the level of care is limited. Receiving care at home in East Brunswick is less than assisted living with homemaker services costing about $4,910 per month and home health aides costing $4,957. Nursing home facilities offer the highest level of care at the highest price. Semi-private rooms cost $10,783 and private rooms cost $11,999.

While many families use their own funds or personal assets to pay for assisted living, there are plenty of additional options to cover these costs. Some additional ways to finance assisted living costs include:

• Veterans Benefits
• Life Insurance Policy
• Long-Term Care Insurance
• Reverse Mortgage

For more information about different ways to finance assisted living, visit our Assisted Living in Pennsylvania page.