The 10 Best Assisted Living Facilities in Ann Arbor, MI for 2023

Ann Arbor is an attractive city southwest of Detroit that was named the 12th best place to live and the 7th best place to retire in the country by U.S. News & World Report. Although the city is best known for being the home of the University of Michigan, it’s also a vibrant center for art and culture, with many galleries, museums and centers specializing in performance art. There are also numerous parks to suit all tastes and fitness levels.

Assisted living facilities offer a solution to seniors who need some assistance with daily chores, such as cooking and cleaning. The facilities provide safe environments for older citizens, assuring families that someone is always on hand when needed. According to the 2020 Genworth Cost of Care Survey, families can expect to pay around $5,590 per month for assisted living in Ann Arbor, which is higher than the state and national averages of $4,200 and $4,300, respectively.

Assisted living costs are covered in more detail below, as are the pros and cons of living in Ann Arbor. The guide also includes a list of resources that can be useful to families of seniors.

Responsibility for ensuring Michigan’s assisted living facilities operate to expected standards falls to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. The department delegates day-to-day responsibilities to the Bureau of Children and Adult Licensing, which has the authority to grant and revoke licenses to facilities that fall within its remit. However, as standard, Michigan doesn’t issue assisted living facility licenses.

• According to Sperling’s Best Places’ cost of living index, the national average is 100 and Ann Arbor is 117.5, which means the city’s costs are above average. However, this seems to be driven primarily by housing costs, which can be high in the area. When comparing other categories to the national average, Ann Arbor appears more affordable. For example, although groceries are slightly higher at 102.6, health is substantially lower at 86.
• Ann Arbor is well-served with medical facilities. U.S. military personnel have the highly rated VA Medical Center, while other citizens get the University of Michigan Hospitals, ranked #1 in the state and #12 in the country by U.S. News & World Report. Many clinics are dotted around the city, ensuring seniors are never far from quality health care.
• According to statistics published by Neighborhood Scout, Ann Arbor is one of the safer cities in the country when it comes to violent crime. Working on a national median of 4 per 1,000 people, the city comes in at 2.94, which is also lower than the state average of 4.37. However, the property crime figures are less satisfying. The national median per 1,000 people is 21, while in Ann Arbor, the figure is 22.46. However, crime tends to happen more in specific areas. In Ann Arbor, there are many safe areas, of which Foster and Scio are only two.
• The general health cost index in Ann Arbor is 89.5, compared to the U.S. average of 100. This is mainly due to below-average water and air quality. However, the city outperforms others in the EPA Superfund Index (which reclaims contaminated land), scoring 94 against a U.S. average of 87. Also, Ann Arbor boasts 607 physicians per 100,000 people. The U.S. average is 210.
• Although cities like Ann Arbor can never compete with those that get year-round sunshine, the city has a stable climate, with lows averaging at 40 degrees Fahrenheit and highs at 59 degrees.

Assisted living costs $5,590 in Ann Arbor. This is high for the area, so it’s worth comparing costs to other cities in Michigan. 

At $5,590, assisted living costs in Ann Arbor are the highest in Michigan and significantly above the state and national averages. The state capital of Lansing is also pricy at $5,225 monthly, although $365 less than in Ann Arbor. Monroe, which is less than an hour from Ann Arbor, has costs of $5,100. In Detroit, families can expect to pay $4,750, while Jackson has the lowest costs in the region at $3,650 per month.

The Genworth 2020 Cost of Care Survey doesn’t include adult day health care costs for Ann Arbor. However, the nearby city of Monroe charges approximately $2,080 per month for adult day health care. Ann Arbor’s home care costs are in the region of $4,767; the addition of light health care services increases the cost to $4,862 per month. At $5,590, assisted living is the most affordable form of care that includes accommodations, with nursing homes being the most costly. A semiprivate room is typically $9,429, while a private room averages $10,950.

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 Michigan page.