The 5 Best Assisted Living Facilities in Mission, TX for 2024

Mission is a border city with age-friendly outdoor amenities, serving as the top bird-watching spot in South Texas. It’s part of the McAllen metropolitan area, which ranks among the fastest-growing metros in the country, and it has approximately 87,000 residents and a senior community that accounts for 14% of the population. The area’s low cost of living and the lack of state income taxes make it an affordable destination for many seeking long-term care. 

Assisted living is a prime option for seniors who need daily assistance and want freedom from day-to-day chores. This long-term care solution includes comfortable private and semi-private housing, three daily meals and personalized service plans, along with social and recreational activities throughout the week. Some communities have amenities such as swimming pools and full-service spas, resulting in varying monthly rates, but on average, assisted living facilities in Mission charge $4,850 for services. This exceeds the state and national respective norms of $3,998 and $4,500, but programs such as the STAR+PLUS waiver may help qualified individuals pay for their care.

This guide provides more details on ways to pay for assisted living in Mission and highlights some of the licensing rules facilities follow.

Texas Health and Human Services licenses two types of assisted living facilities in Mission. These include Type A facilities for ambulatory residents who don’t need nighttime attendance or evacuation assistance and Type B facilities for ambulatory seniors who need more extensive monitoring and mobility assistance. This department enforces minimum standards for housing, care planning and nutrition and medication services.

• Mission’s overall cost of living ranks about 19% lower than what’s typical for the nation as a whole, potentially providing significant monthly savings on living and long-term care expenses for prospective assisted living residents. Residents in this city tend to spend about 17% less on groceries and 49% less on housing than in a typical U.S. city.

 

• A total crime index gives Mission a rating of 28, meaning the local crime rate makes the city safer than 28% of U.S. communities and 31% of Texas cities. However, when compared to cities with similar population sizes, Misson’s crime rate is notably lower than the norm. Violent crime accounts for a small portion of incidents, with an individual’s odds of becoming a victim averaging 1 in 575. While property crime carries higher odds of 1 in 67, opting for assisted living over living alone may help seniors stay safe.

 

• Mission Regional Medical Center resides in Mission and provides 24-hour emergency care, surgical services and primary and specialty care for residents throughout Rio Grande Valley. This private nonprofit hospital has 297 inpatient beds and specializes in orthopedics, rehabilitation and joint and spine care. It also houses the Wound Healing Center, an outpatient program with specialists who treat chronic wounds. To optimize access to medical care, many assisted living facilities provide nonemergency transportation to this hospital, as well as local clinics.

 

• Texas has high sales and property tax rates compared to other U.S. cities, but seniors in assisted living may be able to largely avoid these burdens. To offset these increased taxes, the state doesn’t impose income taxes, which may help some seniors maintain a comfortable standard of living on fixed incomes.

 

• The Mission area has a subtropical climate, with year-round temperatures ranging from lows of 49 degrees Fahrenheit to highs of 98 degrees Fahrenheit. The city gets 21 inches of rain annually and may see heavy rainfall during hurricane season due to its proximity to the Atlantic Ocean. However, snowfall occurs very rarely, and the city sees 231 days of sunshine compared to the national average of 205 days.

 

In Mission, assisted living residents pay $4,850 monthly for care.

Assisted living rates in Mission exceed the national norm by 8% and the Texas average by 21%, with seniors in this city paying approximately $4,850 per month for this level of care. Compared to rates in other cities in the southern region of Texas, local costs are moderate. Seniors in Brownsville typically pay $4,000 for services, while residents in Corpus Christi pay $3,388, providing affordable alternatives to Mission. However, local care costs come in below rates in Austin and Victoria, where respective monthly fees come in at $5,345 and $5,600.

Assisted living rates in Mission come in at $4,850, which is high compared to most other surveyed senior care options in the city. For example, older adults who live at home and receive personal care services in a daytime community environment via adult day health care pay just $652 per month, and those who arrange private services pay $2,860 for both in-home care, which includes nonmedical custodial services, and home health care, which includes skilled nursing. However, for seniors who don’t have extensive or ongoing skilled nursing needs, assisted living costs 21% less than nursing home care, which includes 24-hour medical monitoring and support.

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 Texas page.