Memory Care Communities in Merced, California

Memory care prices vary greatly across the state, but it's relatively affordable in Merced at $5,000 per month. This is $625 less than the national average and $1,563 less than the state average. Modesto and Merced share the same monthly costs, and the average cost for memory care drops by an additional $215 per month in Madera. Higher costs can be found in both Sacramento and Santa Cruz, where memory care averages $6,531 and $6,938, respectively. 

Note: Residential memory care is usually offered in assisted living facilities, and in general, memory care rates tend to be 20-30% higher than assisted living rates. No national database currently tracks memory care costs in the United States, so we've estimated the monthly memory care costs listed below by adding 25% to the rates listed in Genworth's 2021 Cost of Care Survey.

In Merced, seniors can expect to pay an average of $5,000 per month for memory care.

While many families use their own funds or personal assets to pay for memory care, there are plenty of additional options to cover these costs. Some additional ways to finance memory care costs include:

• Veterans Benefits
• Life Insurance Policy
• Long-Term Care Insurance
• Reverse Mortgage

For more information about different ways to finance memory care, visit our Memory Care in California page.

In Merced, seniors have access to numerous other types of care. Older adults wishing to age in place but who require some level of assistance and support can receive in-home or home health care for $6,288 per month. Around-the-clock nonmedical assistance with daily living tasks can be found in assisted living facilities for an average of $4,000 per month. Seniors seeking daytime assistance can opt for adult day health care for nearly $3,000 less on average than memory care. Those needing around-the-clock skilled nursing services and medical supervision can receive care in nursing home facilities, where semiprivate rooms average $8,730 per month.

The California Senior Care Licensing Program oversees residential care facilities in Merced and the rest of the state, including memory care, to ensure compliance with all regulations. It also accepts and investigates complaints made by residents or their families and offers tools to the general public to assist in looking up licensed care. 

• While the cost of living in Merced is still above the national norm, scoring 105.8 on an index where 100 is the U.S. average, it's considered quite affordable in California, which scores 149.9 on the same scale. Seniors on a budget who enjoy the beautiful California weather may find this to be a suitable option.
• With an overall comfort index of 8.1 out of 10, Merced is very comfortable by national norms and is on par with the comfort index throughout the state. The area averages 262 days of sunshine per year, nearly 2 months more than the national average of 205. It sees about 13 inches of rain and no snow throughout the year.
• Crime in Merced is somewhat high compared to the national average. On a scale of 1 to 100, Merced ranks 37.2 for violent crime and 47.1 for property crime. In comparison, the national averages are 22.7 and 35.4, respectively. This can be somewhat concerning, but memory care communities tend to be highly secure, with security on-site and other preventative measures employed to keep residents safe.
• The air quality in Merced scores just 44/100, compared to the national average of 58/100. However, memory care communities often employ air filtration and purification systems to improve air quality indoors.
• The number of physicians per capita in Merced is low compared to the national average. In Merced, there are just 86 physicians per 100,000 people, while the national norm is 210. However, residents can still receive high-quality health care through local hospitals, such as Mercy Medical Center - Merced, which offers a 24/7 emergency room, critical care services, a center for diabetes, cardiac services and a stroke center, among other specialties.
• Tax rates in Merced are quite high. The sales tax rate is 8.3%, higher than the national average of 7.3%. Likewise, the income tax rate is 9.3% in Merced, more than double the national average of 4.6%. Most retirement income, including public and private pensions and withdrawals from retirement accounts, is fully taxed. However, low-income seniors can see some financial relief as Social Security income is not taxed.