The 5 Best Memory Care Facilities in Saint Cloud, MN for 2024

Saint Cloud is home to about 70,000 residents, 13% of whom are seniors, in the heart of Minnesota. Despite the city’s relatively small senior community, recent years have seen a drastic uptick in the number of local Alzheimer’s-related deaths. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2016, about 6.3% of deaths in the region were attributable to Alzheimer's. By comparison, in 2020, this disease was the underlying cause of 9.3% of deaths countywide. During this reporting period, the total number of Alzheimer's-related deaths climbed by 102%, compared to the 35.8% increase in the number of deaths from all causes.

To promote a better quality of life for those living with Alzheimer’s and related diseases, the city has numerous residential dementia care facilities. These facilities provide housing, daily meals and dementia-informed therapeutic and recreational activities, all in fully secured settings.

This guide provides more details on memory care costs in the Saint Cloud region, as well as an overview of supportive resources for those impacted by dementia.

The Minnesota Department of Health, Health Regulation Division, licenses all memory care facilities in Saint Cloud and the rest of the state. This department promotes a high standard of care for residents through an initial licensing process, regular inspections and communication with memory care facilities statewide.

• Saint Cloud is among the more affordable places to live in Minnesota, with an overall cost of living that’s well below state and national norms. It has a score of 85 on a 100-point index based on living costs nationwide, which is about 12 points lower than the Minnesota average. Housing, health care and transportation expenses are especially low here and may promote competitive memory care pricing.
• Violent crime occurs less frequently in Saint Cloud than in a typical U.S. city, but historically, property crime is more common. On a 100-point crime scale, the city scores 22.6 for violent crime, which is in line with the national score. However, the property crime score is 59.6, exceeding the national score of 35.4 and indicating greater prevalence. Residential memory care may be a preferred option to living alone for seniors with memory-related conditions.
• Saint Cloud has pleasant weather throughout the year, earning it a score of 9.2 on a 10-point comfort index. As is typical of Minnesota, the city has cold winters with average January lows around 1 degree Fahrenheit, and the city gets 38 inches of annual snowfall. Summers are comfortable, however, with July highs around 82 degrees Fahrenheit. Memory care facilities help residents stay active throughout the year with indoor activities and amenities.
• CentraCare – St. Cloud Hospital is located in the city proper and is one of the largest hospitals in the region. It has over 550 doctors on staff and offers a range of specialties, including senior care and memory support services. On average, health care costs in Saint Cloud come in about 13% lower than the national norm, which may benefit those managing chronic health conditions, such as Alzheimer’s.  
• Minnesota taxes all types of retirement income, including Social Security benefits. However, those aged 65 and over whose income is no more than $33,700 can deduct up to $9,600, significantly reducing what they owe to the state. This may help some seniors afford memory care services in Saint Cloud.

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.

On average, seniors in Saint Cloud pay $5,125 per month for memory care.

In Saint Cloud, memory care facilities charge monthly median rates of $5,125, making this city a comparatively budget-friendly option for care. Local care costs are about $500 below the Minnesota and national averages, and they’re competitive compared to rates in most other cities statewide. For example, in Rochester, care costs exceed the norm in Saint Cloud by $100. In Duluth, monthly fees are 22% higher than in Saint Cloud, and in Minneapolis, rates are 26% higher than Saint Cloud’s average. The only surveyed city where care is more economically priced is Mankato, where facilities charge approximately $3,919 for care.

Memory care residents in Saint Cloud pay $5,125 per month for memory care. This is about 25% more than the cost of assisted living, which provides residential services to those without memory-related conditions, and it’s roughly double the cost of adult day health care. However, memory care costs about 15% less than basic in-home care and 18% less than home health care. Additionally, it's considerably more budget-friendly than nursing home care, which starts at $12,988 per month.