The 10 Best Assisted Living Facilities in Saint Cloud, MN for 2024

Assisted living can be a good alternative to home care for seniors who find performing daily functions increasingly challenging. Facilities are homey and staffed with people trained to assist with common tasks, such as bathing and dressing. Residents can also enjoy freshly prepared meals and engage with other residents in their age group. Common amenities include beauty salons and social events, including planned day trips. Fees can vary greatly, often due to the amenities provided. The median fee in St. Cloud is $4,100, which is $408 per month below Minnesota’s standard fee.

This guide considers the pros and cons of living in St. Cloud and compares its assisted living fees with other cities in the state. It also reveals typical costs for other types of senior care and lists some free resources for St. Cloud seniors.

Assisted Living Licensure is the branch of the Minnesota Department of Health tasked with licensing assisted living facilities in Minnesota. In addition to assessing license candidates, it has the authority to enforce the terms of the license on underperforming facilities and revoke licenses from those that fail to raise their standards. It also has the authority to conduct unannounced inspections.

• St. Cloud joined the AARP Age-Friendly Network in 2020. By becoming a member, the City of St. Cloud has confirmed its commitment to becoming as senior-friendly as possible. It manages an active action plan that focuses on making public spaces better for older residents through renovation and redesign.
• According to Sperling’s BestPlaces, St. Cloud has a cost of living index of 83.8, which is much lower than Minnesota’s 97.2 and the country’s 100. Consequently, seniors should find they get more for their dollars in the city. This should be especially true for health care and transportation, whose average indices are much lower than their national equivalents.
• With temperatures regularly falling to 1 degree in January and annual snowfall of around 48 inches, St. Cloud’s older residents need to wrap up in winter. However, summer is much more pleasant. July’s temperature routinely settles at a pleasant 82 degrees, and hot and humid days in summer are infrequent.  
• Sperling’s BestPlaces ranks St. Cloud at 22.6 for violent crime, which places it slightly below the national average of 22.7. Property crime is more common in the city, being ranked at 59.6 — which is significantly higher than the country’s norm of 35.4. Seniors worried about crime may be pleased to know assisted living facilities typically provide security and surveillance systems as standard and all have staff on-site 24/7.
• St. Cloud seniors are well-served by the city’s primary medical facility, St. Cloud Hospital. U.S. News and World Report ranks it 3rd in the entire state. It also ranks it among the nation’s best in heart surgery, cardiology, lung surgery and pulmonology, as well as being high-performing in 16 other procedures. Veterans are also well-served, as St. Cloud is home to the St. Cloud VA Medical Center.
• Dial-a-Ride is a shared ride paratransit service that provides affordable door-to-door transportation services for St. Cloud seniors. To be eligible, the senior must be unable to use the fixed-route system due to a disability.

The median monthly fee for assisted living in St. Cloud is $4,100. This is below the state and national averages of $4,508 and $4,500, respectively. Consequently, a St. Cloud senior can see annual savings of around $4,800 when compared to their peers across the state and country.

Although St. Cloud’s median fee of $4,100 is below the state average, it’s not the lowest — seniors in Mankato typically pay $3,135. However, St. Cloud does compete favorably with most cities, such as Rochester, which has a median fee of $4,180, Duluth at $5,000, and Minneapolis at $5,163.

With fees of around $4,100 per month, assisted living in St. Cloud offers much when compared to other types of senior care. Adult day care’s median fee of $2,600 is lower, but the $1,500 extra for assisted living covers 24/7 care, accommodations, meals, housekeeping and social activities. The cost difference with home services is greater still, as home care agencies typically charge $6,038 for their nonmedical services, while home health care agencies charge $6,231 for limited medical care. The most expensive option is nursing home care, with a median fee of $12,988 for a semiprivate room.

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 Minnesota page.