10 Best Assisted Living Facilities in Louisville, KY for 2023

Situated on the Ohio River, Louisville offers stunning views in this part of the Bluegrass State. Nearly 400,000 residents call the Louisville/Jefferson County metro home, with about 15% of them aged 65 or older. Louisville is a beautiful, historic Southern city known for its excellent park system, arts and music. It may appeal to seniors because it’s relatively budget-friendly, with a lower-than-average cost of living and various tax perks.

Seniors seeking a home-like environment where they receive personal assistance with daily activities but don’t require a high level of skilled nursing often benefit from assisted living. These residential communities support aging adults while encouraging continued independence by offering housekeeping services, daily meals and personal care as needed. Louisville’s average cost of assisted living is $3,500, which is just under the state average but significantly lower than the national average.

This information-packed guide provides information on assisted living in Louisville. It lists the average costs of assisted living in other Kentucky cities for comparison and the costs of other types of senior care. It also includes some pros and cons of living in Louisville and several free resources that help seniors remain independent.

The Kentucky Department for Aging and Independent Living (DAIL) oversees the statewide programs and services for seniors. DAIL certifies assisted living communities in Louisville and across the state annually. It also addresses issues that prevent seniors and disabled residents from having the best possible quality of life.

• Louisville’s overall cost of living is nearly 11% lower than the national average. Seniors also may benefit from the city’s lower-than-average cost of health care, which is 14% less than the national average and almost 8% lower than the state average.
• The climate in Louisville has been described as continental and highly variable due to its proximity to storm tracks that frequently prompt shifts between cooler air from up north to warm moist Gulf air. The combination results in warm, humid summers and moderately cold winters. However, the hills in the north often block polar air, preventing it from receiving more significant amounts of snow or colder extremes. Louisville only gets about 9 inches of snow annually but does experience higher-than-average amounts of rainfall.
• Seniors have access to several high-performing hospitals in Louisville. Baptist Health Louisville was rated high performing in nine adult procedures/conditions, Norton Hospitals was rated high performing in eight and University of Louisville Health-Jewish Hospital was rated high performing in six. All three were rated high performing for the treatment of heart attacks and strokes.
• Kentucky exempts Social Security Benefits and up to $31,110 of various retirement income per person from state income taxes. Exempted retirement income includes annuities and public and private pensions. All other retirement income falls under the flat state income tax rate of 5%, making seniors’ overall income tax burdens in Louisville relatively friendly.
• Kentucky boasts a modest 6% state sales tax rate, and counties and municipalities aren’t allowed to add to it. Therefore, the local sales tax in Louisville is zero for a combined total of 6%. Seniors may also benefit from groceries and prescription drugs being sales tax-exempt.
• Louisville joined the AARP Age-Friendly Network in September 2016. Currently, the Louisville-Jefferson County area has a livability score of 51, which is slightly higher than the national average of 50. It received its lowest score of 46 on transportation, largely due to a low level of ADA-accessible stations and vehicles. However, it earned a 56 on community engagement, 54 on environmental health and 53 for ease of access to neighborhood conveniences.

The average cost of assisted living in Louisville is $3,500 per month, per Genworth’s 2021 Cost of Care Survey. However, the final cost can vary based on living arrangements, services, amenities and various other factors.

While Louisville’s average cost of assisted living is only $52 per month higher than the state average, it’s significantly lower than the national average of $4,500. Compared to other Kentucky cities, Louisville’s cost lands about mid-range. It’s more than Owensboro’s $3,088 and Elizabethtown’s $3,225. Bowling Green mirrors Louisiana’s amount of $3,500, and Lexington’s average cost is more than $1,000 higher at $4,568 monthly.

Assisted living isn’t the only type of senior care available in Louisville, but it does offer a middle ground to other options. Adult day health care is much lower but only provides limited services and support at an average cost of $1,809 per month. Services provided in the home are higher, at $4,767 for both in-home care and home health care. Nursing home care is more than double the cost of assisted living, at $7,452 per month, but it provides a much higher care level. 

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 Kentucky page.