What Does a Board and Care Home Cost in California?

A public reference point is the CareScout Cost of Care Survey, which has tracked long-term care prices since 2004. Its 2025 survey, conducted from July through November 2025, reports a median monthly cost for an assisted living community of $7,000 in California and $6,600 in the Los Angeles area, which includes Torrance and the rest of the South Bay. The 2025 national median is $6,200.

Read those numbers with care. They are medians for a private one-bedroom unit, so half of the homes surveyed charge more and half charge less. The survey itself says a particular provider's price may differ significantly from the median for its area.

The survey also has one category for this kind of care. It does not report a separate figure for small board and care homes, licensed in California as RCFEs just like the large communities. No official survey we could find prices six-bed homes on their own, so the only way to know what one charges is to ask it.

For comparison, the same 2025 survey reports a median of $10,707 a month for a semi-private room in a nursing home in the Los Angeles area.

What Hamssa sees locally: in her own searches in Torrance in 2026, prices start at about $5,000 a month for a shared room, and now and then a shared room comes up for a little less. A private room, or more care, costs more. Treat that as a starting point for a conversation, not a quote.

California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform (CANHR) names three main factors: the type of accommodation, the range of services needed and the geographic area. It adds that specialized services such as dementia care or hospice care cost more.

• Room type. The price depends on whether it is a shared room, a private room or an apartment. CANHR notes that smaller homes often have shared rooms while larger communities usually offer private apartments.
• Level of care. A person who needs a reminder to take pills needs less staff time than a person who needs hands-on help to bathe, dress and move from bed to chair.
• Location. Prices differ from one part of the state to another, as the survey figures above show.

Most quotes have two parts. The base rate covers the room and the basic services. A care charge is added on top, set by an assessment of how much help your relative needs. The National Institute on Aging describes it the same way: assisted living typically offers a few levels of care, and residents pay more if they need extra services.

Homes label the care charge in different ways. You may hear levels, tiers or points. Ask the home to show you the assessment it used, which level your relative was placed in, and what would move him or her to the next one.

Some homes also charge a fee before move-in. CANHR says some providers charge nothing or a small amount for the assessment and paperwork, while others charge thousands of dollars, and it advises asking for a written description of what the fee covers.

Ask about increases too. CANHR explains that California does not cap private rates. Under Health and Safety Code section 1569.655, as amended effective January 1, 2025, a home must give at least 90 days' written notice of a rate increase and the reason for it. An increase tied to a change in level of care is the exception and can take effect much sooner.

State rules require every RCFE to provide basic services. The Department of Social Services' consumer guide lists care and supervision, living accommodations, three meals a day and snacks, personal help with dressing, eating, bathing and prescribed medications, observation of the resident's condition, arranging for health needs and transportation, and planned activities.

Anything beyond the basic services can carry its own fee. The same guide tells families to read the admission agreement and check three things:

Private funds. CANHR says most people must pay privately. An elder law attorney or financial adviser can help you plan how long the money will last.

Long-term care insurance. The National Institute on Aging says some policies partly cover assisted living. Coverage depends on the policy, so ask the insurer what it pays for and what proof it needs.

Medicare. Medicare's own guidance says it does not pay for long-term care, including non-medical care in an assisted living facility.

SSI. Supplemental Security Income has a payment category for people living in licensed care, called non-medical out-of-home care. The California Department of Social Services lists the 2026 total monthly payment in that category at $1,626.07 for a single person who is aged or has a disability. Social Security decides who qualifies. CANHR warns that fewer and fewer homes accept this rate.

Medi-Cal. CANHR explains that Medi-Cal does not pay directly for residential care. The exception is the Medi-Cal Assisted Living Waiver, which operates in 15 counties including Los Angeles and has a waitlist. Some Medi-Cal managed care plans also offer Community Supports that may help certain members. Ask the plan.

This guide does not cover veterans' benefits. The VA is the place to ask about those.

Hamssa Benrekia is a senior living placement specialist in Torrance. She asks about your relative's care needs and monthly budget first, then shortlists homes that may fit both, whether that is a board and care home or an assisted living community. She also helps families talk terms with the home. Hamssa's placement help is free for families, and this page explains how that works. To talk through a budget, contact Hamssa.