In 2019, the state of Texas had the highest number of nursing homes of any U.S. state with 1,214 facilities, followed by California and Ohio with 1,187 and 952 homes respectively. In that year, Alaska had the fewest nursing homes, but had, by far, the highest annual cost for a private room in nursing homes in 2020. A private room in a nursing home in Alaska costs 436,540 U.S. dollars per year on average, while a private room in Connecticut, the second most expensive state, costs 167,900 dollars per year.
The elderly account for the vast majority of nursing home residents in the U.S. The largest share of residents is aged between 85 and 94 years, accounting for one-third of all residents. Women are also nursing home residents at higher rates than men, with around 11.2 percent of all women aged over 85 years living in a nursing home in 2014, compared to 6.1 percent of men in the same age group. Common medical issues among nursing home residents include bladder and bowel incontinence, depression, weight loss, and pressure sores. Some nursing homes have special care units for patients with Alzheimer’s disease or serious dementia, as these diseases are common among the elderly and such patients can require special or increased care. Additionally, around 36.6 percent of all nursing home residents in 2014 had severe cognitive impairment.
