- Bedford is one of the cheapest places to live in Pennsylvania, which may help older adults maintain their standard of living throughout retirement. Housing is particularly affordable and may result in competitive assisted living rates.
- The local Area Agency on Aging operates CART Senior Transportation, a ride-share program that provides affordable demand-response services to area points of destination, including medical offices, social services offices, shopping centers and senior centers. This can supplement the services seniors obtain through their assisted living facilities.
- Pennsylvania’s income tax laws are very friendly toward retirees, which may help older adults afford local assisted living costs. Seniors don’t pay state taxes on their Social Security benefits, pension income or disbursements from retirement savings accounts.
- Bedford seniors have access to budget-friendly health care services, which may benefit those managing medical conditions. In general, health care costs come in about 15% below the national median. Health care provider options are limited, however, with the city having about 70 doctors per capita, about a third of the national average. Residents have access to several hospitals, including Bedford Memorial in Everett and Conemaugh Nason Medical Center in Roaring Spring.
- Crime is uncommon in Bedford, providing the quiet, welcoming environment many seniors seek for their retirement years. On a 100-point crime index based on FBI statistics, the city is rated 11.6 for violent crime and 20.6 for property crime, versus respective national scores of 22.7 and 35.4.
- August and September are the most comfortable months in Bedford, and the city has 5 months in which temperatures are in the 70- to 85-degree range, providing assisted living residents with plenty of opportunities to enjoy outdoor activities. Winter low temperatures are in the upper teens, and summer highs are in the low-80s.
On average, seniors in the Bedford region pay $5,248 per month for assisted living.
Assisted living is relatively costly in Bedford, with seniors paying an estimated $5,248 per month for care. This is over $1,000 higher than Pennsylvania’s median rate of $4,100 and several hundred dollars higher than the national average of $4,500. In Johnstown, care costs are the lowest recorded in the state at $2,725, and in Pittsburgh, rates are higher but still economical at $3,250. Seniors in Harrisburg pay $4,828 for monthly care. Reading is among the few surveyed cities with care costs higher than Bedford, with residents paying $5,720 for care.
Bedford
Pennsylvania
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Johnstown
Harrisburg
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Pittsburgh
Seniors in Bedford pay $5,248 per month for assisted living. For those who need more intensive care, nursing home placement may be a more suitable option, but it’s costlier at $9,125 per month. Seniors may save money by accessing care at home, with in-home care costing $4,957 and home health care costing $4,862 per month. Adult day health care is the most budget-friendly option for seniors in Bedford at $2,167.
In-Home Care
Home Health Care
Adult Day Health Care
Assisted Living Facility
Nursing Home Facility (semiprivate room)
Note: Care cost data for Bedford was not available, so data for the closest city, Cumberland, MD, was used instead.
PA Code 2800.27 limits how much assisted living facilities can charge for their services. The fees cannot exceed the senior’s monthly income. In Bedford and the rest of Pennsylvania, seniors who already receive SSI might be eligible for assistance for assisted living costs.
Learn more about these programs, plus who’s eligible, on our Assisted Living in Pennsylvania page.