Surrounded by pristine freshwater lakes and rivers, La Crosse is a small, friendly city located on Wisconsin’s western border. It has a population of 51,227 people, of whom 13.8% are seniors, which is less than the national median. La Crosse is a safe and affordable place to live. Its residents have easy access to many physicians and a wide range of award-winning health care providers.
At some point in their lives, seniors might look to an assisted living facility for help with daily tasks. These communities take care of meal preparation and housekeeping while also providing personal care to their residents. In addition, they have enrichment opportunities and amenities for comfort and entertainment. On average, it costs $3,845 per month for assisted living in La Crosse, although actual prices vary by location.
This guide is designed to help seniors find out if retirement in La Crosse is right for them. It discusses the pros and cons of assisted living here and some of the resources available to older adults in the area.
Directory of Assisted Living Facilities in La Crosse, WI
I have a loved one who stayed at Brookdale La Crosse (AL) for respite care and they did a good job. It was a fine place. They treated us with respect. The food was fine and they had activities like bi
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I have a loved one who stayed at Brookdale La Crosse (AL) for respite care and they did a good job. It was a fine place. They treated us with respect. The food was fine and they had activities like bingo and other stuff for them to do. They were very kind and nice people.
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I have a loved one who stayed at Brookdale La Crosse (AL) for respite care and they did a good job. It was a fine place. They treated us with respect. The food was fine and they had activities like bi
… (read more)
I have a loved one who stayed at Brookdale La Crosse (AL) for respite care and they did a good job. It was a fine place. They treated us with respect. The food was fine and they had activities like bingo and other stuff for them to do. They were very kind and nice people.
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My mom moved into Eagle Crest South’s assisted living in June. So far, I’ve never had a problem with them communicating with me all the time or if something changes. We’re also told if there are COVID
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My mom moved into Eagle Crest South’s assisted living in June. So far, I’ve never had a problem with them communicating with me all the time or if something changes. We’re also told if there are COVID-positive people, so it’s good. It’s a very nice facility, very clean, and the upkeep is very nice. Her room is very spacious. She has her own bedroom, a living area, a tiny little kitchen, and a bathroom. For her, it’s just the right size. They offer laundry service, medication management, and three meals a day. The staff is also very professional. The location is, of course, convenient because I’m from that area, so I know my way around. They have a lot of activities and a lot of things on the calendar. My mother is just in the stage where she’s not willing to do a lot of things. For what we’re paying, I think she’s getting a lot more from it than if she would have stayed at home.
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My mom moved into Eagle Crest South’s assisted living in June. So far, I’ve never had a problem with them communicating with me all the time or if something changes. We’re also told if there are COVID
… (read more)
My mom moved into Eagle Crest South’s assisted living in June. So far, I’ve never had a problem with them communicating with me all the time or if something changes. We’re also told if there are COVID-positive people, so it’s good. It’s a very nice facility, very clean, and the upkeep is very nice. Her room is very spacious. She has her own bedroom, a living area, a tiny little kitchen, and a bathroom. For her, it’s just the right size. They offer laundry service, medication management, and three meals a day. The staff is also very professional. The location is, of course, convenient because I’m from that area, so I know my way around. They have a lot of activities and a lot of things on the calendar. My mother is just in the stage where she’s not willing to do a lot of things. For what we’re paying, I think she’s getting a lot more from it than if she would have stayed at home.
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Love The Willows. My father is there now but, unfortunately we are running out of funds to keep him on there, It is $3300.00 per month for rent, food and lowest level of medical help. This facility i
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Love The Willows. My father is there now but, unfortunately we are running out of funds to keep him on there, It is $3300.00 per month for rent, food and lowest level of medical help. This facility is the ONLY one in the Gundersen Lutheran system that will NOT take state aid so be prepared it is all self-funded and at that cost you must have a load of cash!
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Love The Willows. My father is there now but, unfortunately we are running out of funds to keep him on there, It is $3300.00 per month for rent, food and lowest level of medical help. This facility i
… (read more)
Love The Willows. My father is there now but, unfortunately we are running out of funds to keep him on there, It is $3300.00 per month for rent, food and lowest level of medical help. This facility is the ONLY one in the Gundersen Lutheran system that will NOT take state aid so be prepared it is all self-funded and at that cost you must have a load of cash!
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We visited Hillview Terrace, and the rooms were pretty much what I expected. The staff were helpful. The place was pretty basic, and the dining facilities looked fine. They had outings once or twice a
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We visited Hillview Terrace, and the rooms were pretty much what I expected. The staff were helpful. The place was pretty basic, and the dining facilities looked fine. They had outings once or twice a week.
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We visited Hillview Terrace, and the rooms were pretty much what I expected. The staff were helpful. The place was pretty basic, and the dining facilities looked fine. They had outings once or twice a
… (read more)
We visited Hillview Terrace, and the rooms were pretty much what I expected. The staff were helpful. The place was pretty basic, and the dining facilities looked fine. They had outings once or twice a week.
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Brookdale Onalaska assisted living is very nice. The lady that showed us around was very nice and she knew all sorts of things that I didn’t know. She said they have exercise classes and trips to the
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Brookdale Onalaska assisted living is very nice. The lady that showed us around was very nice and she knew all sorts of things that I didn’t know. She said they have exercise classes and trips to the park, every once in a while. The rooms I saw were very nice and small. The facility was very clean and neat. I thought it was nice.
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Brookdale Onalaska assisted living is very nice. The lady that showed us around was very nice and she knew all sorts of things that I didn’t know. She said they have exercise classes and trips to the
… (read more)
Brookdale Onalaska assisted living is very nice. The lady that showed us around was very nice and she knew all sorts of things that I didn’t know. She said they have exercise classes and trips to the park, every once in a while. The rooms I saw were very nice and small. The facility was very clean and neat. I thought it was nice.
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My sister-in-law was in the assisted living part of Spring Brook. They did a wonderful job of taking care of her. They would assist her with her laundry. She was supposed to do her own laundry, and sh
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My sister-in-law was in the assisted living part of Spring Brook. They did a wonderful job of taking care of her. They would assist her with her laundry. She was supposed to do her own laundry, and she’d walk down the hall to the laundry room. If they saw her she was having trouble, they would assist her with it. They had a little library there, which was nice.
She liked the common dining room where they had the meals served, and she liked the friends she met there. She wasn’t much of a mixer, so she spent an awful lot of her time in her room. She had a bedroom, a living room kitchen combination, and her refrigerator and stove. She never used the stove, just the refrigerator. They had a nice elevator.
The staff was good. They take her down to the common area and they had the music down there. She wasn’t much of a game player like cards, games, or anything like that, but she liked jigsaw puzzles. She thought the food was good. The facility needed updating, but they had a swimming pool and she liked that. I thought they were expensive, but she didn’t have much choice.
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My sister-in-law was in the assisted living part of Spring Brook. They did a wonderful job of taking care of her. They would assist her with her laundry. She was supposed to do her own laundry, and sh
… (read more)
My sister-in-law was in the assisted living part of Spring Brook. They did a wonderful job of taking care of her. They would assist her with her laundry. She was supposed to do her own laundry, and she’d walk down the hall to the laundry room. If they saw her she was having trouble, they would assist her with it. They had a little library there, which was nice.
She liked the common dining room where they had the meals served, and she liked the friends she met there. She wasn’t much of a mixer, so she spent an awful lot of her time in her room. She had a bedroom, a living room kitchen combination, and her refrigerator and stove. She never used the stove, just the refrigerator. They had a nice elevator.
The staff was good. They take her down to the common area and they had the music down there. She wasn’t much of a game player like cards, games, or anything like that, but she liked jigsaw puzzles. She thought the food was good. The facility needed updating, but they had a swimming pool and she liked that. I thought they were expensive, but she didn’t have much choice.
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We’ve chosen Eagle Crest North in Onalaska. We looked at a lot of communities, and we just liked that one better. It’s a really big place; we’re going to be on the second floor, and we just like that.
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We’ve chosen Eagle Crest North in Onalaska. We looked at a lot of communities, and we just liked that one better. It’s a really big place; we’re going to be on the second floor, and we just like that. We like the atmosphere, the apartment we’re going to be in, and everything about it. We will be in the assisted living. The staff who gave us the tour, Tammy, was wonderful. We ate lunch there and the food was good. They have a lot of things. They have courtyards and some of the apartments have patios. They just offer everything; I could not list all of them. It’s also really homey.
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We’ve chosen Eagle Crest North in Onalaska. We looked at a lot of communities, and we just liked that one better. It’s a really big place; we’re going to be on the second floor, and we just like that.
… (read more)
We’ve chosen Eagle Crest North in Onalaska. We looked at a lot of communities, and we just liked that one better. It’s a really big place; we’re going to be on the second floor, and we just like that. We like the atmosphere, the apartment we’re going to be in, and everything about it. We will be in the assisted living. The staff who gave us the tour, Tammy, was wonderful. We ate lunch there and the food was good. They have a lot of things. They have courtyards and some of the apartments have patios. They just offer everything; I could not list all of them. It’s also really homey.
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My mother is in Laurel Manor. I have nothing, but good things to say about the care that she was given there. Their facility is small. They have 22 rooms. They have a communal dining area with a TV. T
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My mother is in Laurel Manor. I have nothing, but good things to say about the care that she was given there. Their facility is small. They have 22 rooms. They have a communal dining area with a TV. They do activities, and they have volunteers that come in. They do exercises twice a week with other volunteers that come in and do activities. In fact, I also have some friends that we try to get there once a month to do some activities. They are able to go across to the nursing home right next door, which is part of the same care center for religious services. They have mass, and they have Lutheran services over there. They’ll sometimes have entertainment. The residents at Laurel Manor are invited over for that as well.
It’s clean. I got to know the women that are working each time I come, and they all are so helpful. I couldn’t ask for anything more really. The food there was great. She got two meals a day, lunch, and dinner. They have a choice of two things for each meal, which was helpful. If you don’t like this, you might like that. They were on their own for breakfast, and I would take her milk and energy bars she can snack on for breakfast.
Her room is lovely. It’s actually a small apartment. She has a bedroom and a bath, and she has a little living room and a kitchen. It’s open enough that she can move around with her walker. We were invited to bring our own TV for her in her room, and they had cable hooked up for her. It is really nice. If she could have stayed there, I would have loved for her to stay; she just needs a little more help. They would tell me if there was a problem or if she needed something. They were a big help. She never went hungry there.
They come in and clean once a week. They do her laundry once a week. Their facility is spotless and well taken care of. The value for the money is wonderful; it was reasonable.
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My mother is in Laurel Manor. I have nothing, but good things to say about the care that she was given there. Their facility is small. They have 22 rooms. They have a communal dining area with a TV. T
… (read more)
My mother is in Laurel Manor. I have nothing, but good things to say about the care that she was given there. Their facility is small. They have 22 rooms. They have a communal dining area with a TV. They do activities, and they have volunteers that come in. They do exercises twice a week with other volunteers that come in and do activities. In fact, I also have some friends that we try to get there once a month to do some activities. They are able to go across to the nursing home right next door, which is part of the same care center for religious services. They have mass, and they have Lutheran services over there. They’ll sometimes have entertainment. The residents at Laurel Manor are invited over for that as well.
It’s clean. I got to know the women that are working each time I come, and they all are so helpful. I couldn’t ask for anything more really. The food there was great. She got two meals a day, lunch, and dinner. They have a choice of two things for each meal, which was helpful. If you don’t like this, you might like that. They were on their own for breakfast, and I would take her milk and energy bars she can snack on for breakfast.
Her room is lovely. It’s actually a small apartment. She has a bedroom and a bath, and she has a little living room and a kitchen. It’s open enough that she can move around with her walker. We were invited to bring our own TV for her in her room, and they had cable hooked up for her. It is really nice. If she could have stayed there, I would have loved for her to stay; she just needs a little more help. They would tell me if there was a problem or if she needed something. They were a big help. She never went hungry there.
They come in and clean once a week. They do her laundry once a week. Their facility is spotless and well taken care of. The value for the money is wonderful; it was reasonable.
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Earning a Caring Star means this community is among the best Senior Living commuities in America.
What to Consider About Assisted Living in La Crosse
La Crosse’s assisted living facilities are governed by the Wisconsin Department of Health Services. This department creates legislation and runs regular inspections to ensure that seniors are cared for appropriately.
Benefits and Drawbacks of Assisted Living in La Crosse
La Crosse is a very affordable place to live. The overall cost of living is 15.6 points below the national median of 100. Housing and transportation costs are especially low here.
As a member of the AARP’s Age-Friendly Network, La Crosse has demonstrated a commitment to becoming more livable for seniors by increasing access to outdoor spaces and public services.
Property crime rates here are higher than the national median, at 52.5 compared to 35.4. However, violent crime rates are much lower than average, at 12.0 compared to 22.7.
La Crosse has low sales tax rates, at 5.5% compared to the U.S. median of 7.3%. The state does not tax Social Security retirement benefits.
The city has a very high number of physicians per capita, at 414 per 100,000 people compared to the nationwide average of 210 per 100,000.
The air quality in La Crosse is five points above the U.S. average of 58, making it great for those who suffer from asthma, allergies or respiratory issues.
La Crosse gets relatively cold winters with lots of snow. It gets 190 sunny days per year, and summer highs are a comfortable 84 degrees.
According to Genworth’s 2020 Cost of Care Survey, assisted living in La Crosse costs $3,845. Seniors living in La Crosse pay less for assisted living than state and national averages, which come to $4,400 and $4,300 per month, respectively.
The Cost of Assisted Living in Nearby Cities
Within Wisconsin, La Crosse has some of the lowest assisted living prices. Only Green Bay is cheaper, at $3,800 per month. Nearby Appleton has some of Wisconsin’s highest assisted living prices, at $5,500. In Milwaukee, seniors pay around $5,073 for this type of care. Madison is a little more affordable, at $4,956.
$3845
La Crosse
$4400
Wisconsin
$4300
The United States
$3800
Green Bay
$4956
Madison
$5073
Milwaukee
$5500
Appleton
The Cost of Other Types of Senior Care
Seniors considering assisted living might be interested in comparing the costs of other types of care. Within La Crosse, assisted living is one of the most affordable. Only adult day health care is cheaper, at $1,733. Homemaker and home health aide services both cost around $4,576. Nursing homes provide high levels of care and supervision at a high price, with a private room averaging $8,851 and a semiprivate room averaging $8,144.
$4576
Homemaker Services
$4576
Home Health Aide
$1733
Adult Day Health Care
$3845
Assisted Living Facility
$8144
Nursing Home Facility (semiprivate room)
$8851
Nursing Home Facility (private room)
Financial Assistance for Assisted Living in La Crosse
Seniors in La Crosse who are looking for financial aid for assisted living may apply to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services’ Family Care program, which helps cover services for personal and medical care. Seniors who are eligible for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) may also apply for the Exceptional Expense Supplement, a program that provides a monthly subsidy for supportive services.
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 Wisconsin page.
Free Assisted Living Resources in La Crosse
In La Crosse, there are several charities and governmental organizations that provide assistance to seniors. Some offer community services, while others can be used to help plan long-term care.
Wisconsin’s Aging and Disability Resource Centers offer supportive services to those in need. Seniors can get help assessing their care needs, finding placement in a long-term care home and accessing benefits and assistance programs to help finance their care. In addition, this organization offers wellness education such as low-impact fitness classes, chronic disease management courses and cognitive health programs.
This organization runs the Long-Term Care Ombudsman program. These volunteer ombudsmen help seniors in long-term care communities learn about their rights. They also serve as mediators to help care home residents resolve complaints and concerns about their care or treatment.
An Elder Rights Project run by this non-profit offers assistance to victims of elder abuse and fraud. In addition, this organization offers professional help with civil issues like tax disputes, housing matters and consumer issues. Seniors can also get help gaining access to health care and public benefits programs to which they have previously been denied.
Assisted Living Laws and Regulations in La Crosse
La Crosse-area assisted living communities must adhere to the comprehensive set of state laws and regulations that all assisted living communities in Wisconsin are required to follow. Visit our Assisted Living in Wisconsin page for more information about these laws.
I have a loved one who stayed at Brookdale La Crosse (AL) for respite care and they did a good job. It was a fine place. They treated us with respect. The food was fine and they had activities like...
Read more
Review of Brookdale La Crosse (AL)
So far, I've been pretty happy with Brookdale LaCrosse. They're a little understaffed, but I think everyone's understaffed nowadays. They've been friendly and helpful, even the housekeeping staff (...
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Review of Brookdale La Crosse (AL)
We did a tour Brookdale La Crosse, and we determined that he wasn't in need of assisted living just yet. So, we said no to them, but they were really accommodating. She answered questions too; it's...
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The decision to help an aging adult move out of a current home is a complex one -- both emotionally and practically. Above all, you want the person to be safe and well. How can you all feel more co...
The first step to finding the best senior housing for your loved one is to understand what type of care facility is the best fit. There are six main types of residential elder care options:
_[Inde...
As you're weighing senior care options for your loved one, cost is likely a top factor. The good news? Depending on what care your loved one needs, assisted living can be much more affordable than ...
If you're shopping for assisted living, you'll need to familiarize yourself with the levels of care, as the monthly rate for assisted living will depend on the level of care that the resident requi...