The Best Memory Care Communities in Forsyth County, NC

In North Carolina, there are 170,000 people with Alzheimer's disease out of the state's 10.3 million residents. Forsyth County, North Carolina, has a population of 379,099, and approximately 15.6 percent of these individuals are 65 or over. To accommodate any of these 59,139 residents who may require memory care, there are six memory care facilities — four in Winston-Salem, one in Clemmons and another in Kernersville.

Memory care communities in North Carolina are classified as Special Care Units. SCUs are classified within Adult Care Homes (ACHs), a type of assisted living residence.

• The overall climate in Forsyth County is comfortable, as it scores a 64/100 on Sperling's Comfort Index. The area averages 216 sunny days each year and only 7 inches of snow in the winter, so there's plenty of opportunities for seniors to spend time outdoors at their memory care communities.
• North Carolina is a moderately tax-friendly state for seniors. The state does not tax Social Security, but it does tax income from pension funds, public and private, and it taxes withdrawals from retirement accounts at the NC income tax rate of 5.5%.
• As in many portions of North Carolina, the cost of living in Forsyth County is very affordable. On a cost of living index that takes into account costs of housing, utilities, groceries and transportation, Forsyth County scores an 89, which is below the state average of 96 and the national average of 100.
• Crime in Forsyth County, NC, is a bit higher than state averages, so families of seniors interested in memory care services here may want to ask individual communities about their security measures. On a scale of 1 to 100, where 1 is low crime and 100 indicates high crime, Forsyth County scores a 27.5 for violent crime, slightly above the state average of 21.4. Property crime is more frequent in Forsyth County at 68.5, well above the state average of 37.7. 

Note: Data on this page was updated in 2019 and based on the latest 2018 figures.

Memory Care costs in Forsyth County start around $5,840 per month on average, while the nationwide average cost of memory care is $5,694 per month.

It’s important to note that memory care rates in Forsyth County and the surrounding suburbs can vary widely based on factors such as location, the level of care needed, apartment size and the types of amenities offered at each community.

Learn more about these programs, plus who’s eligible, on our Memory Care in North Carolina page.

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 North Carolina page.

Forsyth County-area memory care communities must adhere to the comprehensive set of state laws and regulations that all memory care communities in North Carolina are required to follow. Visit our Memory Care in North Carolina page for more information about these laws.