The 10 Best Assisted Living Facilities in Orange, CA for 2023

Orange, California is a midsize city of approximately 137,000, located about 7 miles from Anaheim. Orange is vibrant with a great climate and lots of attractions for seniors. Its beautiful downtown district, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, contains many buildings constructed before 1920. Close to shopping malls, museums, parks, entertainment and professional sports teams, Orange is an excellent location for seniors, who comprise 13.8% of the city’s population.

For older adults who don’t need substantial skilled nursing care but find it challenging to remain at home, assisted living is a good alternative since it provides daily personal care services like preparing meals and grooming and recreational activities like group exercise and social outings. Assisted living in Orange averages $5,250 a month, but this fee may vary depending on your chosen facility and its amenities.

In this guide, we’ll examine local assisted living costs and compare them to other alternative forms of senior living. We’ll also look at how Orange’s assisted living costs compare to other regional cities, the state and the nation. Finally, you’ll find a listing of agencies and resources to help seniors in the area.

The Community Care Licensing Division, a California Department of Social Services branch, oversees the licensing of assisted-living facilities in Orange and throughout California. The division offers an assisted living facility database to help you find a suitable destination in Orange. There is also a complaint hotline if residents want to report a problem at their assisted living facility.

• Orange has a warm climate. It receives no snow, about 14 inches of rain a year and 277 days of sunshine, almost two and a half months more than the national average. Its Best Places Comfort Index is 9.7/10 in summer and 8.8 /10 in winter.
• When you first look at the cost of living in Orange, it’s daunting. It scores 163.9 against the national average of 100. But seniors shouldn’t be too dismayed. Much of that cost is housing which scores 298.3 against the national average. Health care, on the other hand, is four points below the national average and many other essential resources are at or slightly above the national average.
• California is not a tax-friendly state for seniors. While Social Security income is not taxed, any withdrawal from a retirement account is. If you have a public or a private pension, it’ll also be fully taxed. If you continue to work, that will also be taxed at regular rates, regardless of age.
• Seniors who need transportation to non-emergency locations or events can use Go Orange. Medical appointments, grocery shopping, pharmacy pickups or visits to the Orange Senior Center are covered by Go Orange. Seniors aged 60+ can purchase a book of six tickets for $5 at the Orange Senior Center. Call (714) 538-9633 for more details.
• Orange has a mixed record in air and water quality. In terms of air quality, it scores 52/100, which is six points below the national average but probably can be explained by its proximity to Los Angeles and Anaheim, which are notorious for bad air quality. On the other hand, water scores 65/100 which is 10 points above the national average.
• Orange is a relatively peaceful city. While it does not collect FBI crime statistics, when using stats from Yorba Linda, a nearby city of the same size, violent crime scores 8.6, well below the national average of 22.7. Property crime rates are higher but still well below the national average. Orange receives a score of 28.3 as opposed to the national average of 35.4.

The average cost to reside in an assisted living facility in Orange is $5,250 a month, according to the Genworth Cost of Care Survey 2021. However, that cost may vary depending on your chosen facility and its amenities. 

The monthly average cost of assisted living in Orange is about $750 above the national average of $4,500 but mirrors the state average of $5,250. Bakersfield, located north of Orange, costs about $1,500 less a month, averaging $3,750. About 90 miles to the south, San Diego averages a slightly higher monthly cost of $5,475. El Centro, about three hours to the southeast of Orange and close to the Mexican border, averages the highest price in the region of $6,150 a month.

Assisted living is not the only form of senior care in Orange. In-home care averages about $5,911 a month. You can also hire a home health aide for the same price as in-home care. Adult day care has the lowest cost at $1,652 a month while a semiprivate room in a skilled nursing facility costs the most at $9,125.

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 California page.