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What Memory Care Costs in Austin

There is no published median for memory care in Texas. Here is what that means and how to get real numbers.

HomeCosts & PayingWhat Memory Care Costs in Austin
Short answer

CareScout does not survey memory care as a separate category, so no authoritative memory care median exists for Texas or for Austin. Any memory care price you see quoted online is an estimate, not survey data.

Why no reliable memory care price exists

The CareScout Cost of Care Survey, the most widely cited source for senior care pricing, does not survey memory care as a separate category — not for Texas, and not nationally. Every memory care price you find online is therefore an estimate, an average of self-reported figures, or an extrapolation from assisted living data.

We could publish a number. It would get traffic. It would also be made up, and families make six-figure decisions on these pages.

What we can tell you

  • Memory care generally prices above standard assisted living in the same building or market, because of higher staffing ratios and secured physical plant requirements.
  • The published Texas assisted living median is $5,666 a month, which is a floor to reason from, not a memory care estimate.
  • Austin generally runs above the Texas median.
  • Pricing structures vary. Some communities charge all-inclusive; others use tiered care levels that can move several hundred dollars a month after a reassessment.

How to get a real number

  1. Ask for the all-in monthly cost at your parent's current assessed care level, in writing.
  2. Ask what triggers a move to the next care level and what that costs.
  3. Ask for the rate increase history for the last three years.
  4. Ask what the community charges for a second person, incontinence care, and medication management, since these are commonly unbundled.
Memory care is a certification in Texas, not a license. A community marketing dementia care must hold an Alzheimer's certification on a Type B license. Ask to see the certificate, not the license. Read the full explanation →

Questions Austin families ask

Does Medicare pay for assisted living in Texas?

No. Medicare does not pay for assisted living room, board, or custodial care anywhere, including Austin. Medicare covers limited skilled nursing facility stays after a qualifying hospital admission, plus home health and hospice. Assisted living in Texas is paid privately, through long-term care insurance, or via Medicaid STAR+PLUS.

Does Texas Medicaid pay for assisted living?

Partially. The STAR+PLUS HCBS waiver covers assisted living care services but explicitly does not cover room and board, which comes from the resident's own income. You must meet nursing facility level of care, income under $2,982 monthly, and assets under $2,000, and usually wait on an interest list.

What's the Medicaid income limit for a nursing home in Texas in 2026?

For a single applicant in 2026, monthly income must be under $2,982 and countable assets under $2,000. Your home and one vehicle are generally exempt. You must also meet Nursing Facility Level of Care. A community spouse may keep a separate resource allowance.

How much money can my spouse keep if I go into a nursing home in Texas?

Texas allows a Community Spouse Resource Allowance so the at-home spouse isn't impoverished, reported at $162,660 for 2026. The applicant spouse is limited to $2,000. Because these figures change annually and the calculation is complex, confirm current amounts with HHSC or a Texas elder law attorney.

How much spending money does a Texas nursing home resident keep?

Texas sets the Personal Needs Allowance at $75 per month, raised from $60 effective January 1, 2024. That's well above the $30 federal minimum. Nearly all remaining income, after Medicare premiums, any spousal allowance, and allowable medical expenses, goes to the facility as applied income.

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