The 10 Best Assisted Living Facilities in Carbondale, IL for 2024

Many older adults in Carbondale seek out the affordability and convenience of assisted living. These residential care facilities offer individualized personal care services, daily meals and activities while supporting residents’ privacy and independence. Many facilities offer amenities, such as pools, libraries and fitness centers, for comfortable, worry-free living. The Genworth 2020 Cost of Care Survey discloses that assisted living in Carbondale costs $3,750 per month, which is considerably lower than state and national rates.  

This guide highlights the benefits of living in Carbondale, as well as some things to consider before making the move. It also provides in-depth information on senior care expenses and an overview of the agencies and programs that serve older adults in the region. 

The Illinois Department of Public Health, Division of Assisted Living monitors assisted living facilities in Carbondale, as well as the rest of the state. This division has an extensive licensing process, conducts background checks on prospective employees and has a set of rules and regulations for facilities to follow. 

• Carbondale is one of the cheapest places to live in Illinois, which may help seniors’ retirement income go further. The overall cost of living is about 20% below the national average and 13% lower than the state median. Residents spend a little less on groceries and miscellaneous expenses, such as clothing and restaurant meals, than in the typical U.S. city, and housing and transportation costs are well below national figures. 
• Carbondale retirees generally find Illinois’s tax laws to be in their favor. Most retirement income, including Social Security benefits, government and private pensions and withdrawals from retirement savings accounts, are tax-exempt. The state’s property tax rates are among the highest in the country, which may make assisted living an affordable alternative to obtaining care in a private home.  
• Crime occurs at a relatively high rate in Carbondale compared to similarly-sized cities and the nation as a whole, making assisted living an attractive option for those with safety concerns. On a 100-point crime index, the city rates 24.7 for violent crime and 49.2 for property crime, compared to the national scores of 22.7 and 35.4. To ensure residents’ security, many assisted living communities use state-of-the-art security systems.  
• Carbondale is among the warmer cities in Illinois with year-round high temperatures ranging from 41-89 degrees. July is the warmest month and tends to be muggy, but humidity levels are low for the rest of the year. The city gets just 10 inches of snowfall annually, which may appeal to those who do their own driving or rely on mobility aids. 
• Health care options are plentiful in the Carbondale region and may benefit those managing chronic conditions. The city has approximately 268 doctors per 100,000 people, compared to the national average of 210, and it’s home to Memorial Hospital of Carbondale, a 154-bed facility with an outpatient geriatric counseling program.

Assisted living residents in Carbondale pay $3,750 per month on average for assisted living. This is well below the national median of $4,300 and the state average of $4,575, which may make Carbondale a financially viable option for those with budgetary considerations.  

In Carbondale, assisted living facilities charge $3,750 per month for services, making it among the cheapest surveyed cities in Illinois for this level of care. Monthly rates in Peoria, which is located about 240 miles north of Carbondale, average slightly higher at $3,800. In Springfield and Bloomington, fees exceed the state median at $4,860 and $4,968, respectively. Rockford, which is situated in the northernmost region of the state, has the highest monthly assisted living rates at $5,113.  

Carbondale tends to be competitively priced for all types of senior care, giving older adults a range of options depending on their needs and preferences. Those who live in their own homes pay $4,195 per month for homemaker services, which are comparable in scope to assisted living, and specialized home health aide services. Local adult day health care fees aren’t listed for Carbondale, but on average, seniors in Illinois pay $1,636 monthly for services. Assisted living is among the cheapest options at $3,750. Nursing homes, which provide around-the-clock medical care and monitoring, charge $5,232 per month for shared rooms and $6,509 for private accommodations.  

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 Illinois page.