(Article from Kiplinger's Retirement Report, February 2005)

It costs more than double to stay in a nursing home than an assisted-living facility, according to the latest survey by the MetLife Mature Market Institute. In 2004, the average annual cost for a room in an assisted-living facility was $30,288, compared with $61,685 for a semiprivate room and $70,080 for a private room in a nursing home. Overall, prices in both types of facilities increased by about 6% from 2003. The table below shows the monthly cost of a room in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

CITY	ASSISTED LIVING		PRIVATE-ROOM NURSING HOME		SEMIPRIVATE NURSING HOME
Alaska (statewide)	$3,757		$16,830		$13,050
Montgomery, Ala.	2,073		4,350		4,110
Little Rock, Ark.	2,011		3,930		3,420
Phoenix, Ariz.	1,498		5,070		4,230
Tucson, Ariz.	2,057		5,730		4,650
Los Angeles, Cal.	2,011		4,800		4,110
San Diego, Cal.	2,103		6,510		4,890
San Francisco, Cal.	2,630		8,790		6,150
Denver, Colo.	2,056		5,160		4,410
Hartford, Conn.	3,146		8,310		7,620
Stamford, Conn.	4,327		9,930		8,910
Wilmington, Del.	3,782		5,940		5,310
Washington, D.C.	3,920		7,800		6,900
Jacksonville, Fla.	1,788		5,400		5,040
Miami, Fla.	1,340		5,790		4,890
Orlando, Fla.	2,000		5,460		4,830
Alpharetta, Ga.	2,638		4,710		4,230
Atlanta, Ga.	2,535		4,530		4,050
Honolulu, Hawaii	3,112		6,810		6,240
Boise, Idaho	2,317		5,250		4,710
Chicago, Ill.	2,572		4,080		3,720
Highland Park, Ill.	3,542		6,390		5,400
Indianapolis, Ind.	2,047		4,800		3,750
Des Moines, Iowa	2,139		6,270		5,550
Wichita, Kan.	2,347		4,260		3,810
Lexington, Ky.	2,372		5,220		4,230
Louisville, Ky.	2,438		5,400		4,470
New Orleans, La.	2,418		3,210		2,880
Shreveport, La.	1,907		2,970		2,610
Brunswick, Maine	3,144		6,840		6,150
Baltimore, Md.	3,136		5,940		5,310
Silver Spring, Md.	3,718		6,120		5,580
Boston, Mass.	3,424		8,520		7,980
Worchester, Mass.	3,110		8,160		7,800
Detroit, Mich.	2,398		4,470		4,290
Grand Rapids, Mich.	2,254		5,910		5,190
Minneapolis. Minn.	2,651		6,630		5,730
Rochester, Minn.	2,425		5,130		4,740
Jackson, Miss.	2,121		4,260		4,110
Kansas City, Mo.	2,022		3,870		3,480
St. Louis, Mo.	2,401		3,930		3,510
Billings, Mont.	$2,339		$4,260		$4,050
Omaha, Neb.	2,746		4,980		4,260
Las Vegas, Nev.	2,247		5,250		4,680
Manchester, N.H.	3,204		6,600		6,240
Bridgewater, N.J.	3,263		7,320		6,690
Cherry Hill, N.J.	3,156		7,140		6,600
Albuquerque, N.M.	2,327		5,580		4,080
New York, N.Y.	3,098		9,360		9,030
Rochester, N.Y.	2,420		7,530		7,230
Syracuse, N.Y.	2,365		6,960		6,840
Charlotte, N.C.	3,256		4,920		4,500
Raleigh, N.C.	2,735		5,340		4,890
Fargo, N.D.	1,516		5,640		5,640
Cleveland, Ohio	2,915		5,370		4,920
Columbus, Ohio	2,953		5,760		5,070
Oklahoma City, Okla.	2,039		5,100		3,420
Tulsa, Okla.	2,507		4,860		3,630
Eugene, Ore.	2,277		4,980		4,500
Portland, Ore.	2,478		4,860		4,440
Philadelphia, Pa.	2,709		6,780		6,300
Pittsburgh, Pa.	1,789		6,000		5,610
Scranton, Pa.	1,866		5,280		5,100
Providence, R.I.	2,224		6,180		5,580
Charleston, S.C.	2,322	4,140	3,810
Columbia, S.C.	1,898	5,370	5,010
Rapid City, S.D.	2,055	4,500	4,050
Memphis, Tenn.	2,166	4,650	4,290
Nashville, Tenn.	2,373	5,700	5,220
Austin, Tex.	2,750	5,250	3,540
Dallas, Tex.	2,361	4,890	3,270
Houston, Tex.	2,620	4,530	3,270
Salt Lake City, Utah	2,046	4,140	3,570
Vt. (statewide)	2,341	6,570	6,300
Arlington, Va.	3,345	7,050	6,150
Richmond, Va.	2,432	5,070	4,320
Seattle, Wash.	2,762	6,510	5,730
Spokane, Wash.	2,389	5,880	5,430
Madison, Wis.	2,684	5,970	5,340
Milwaukee, Wis.	2,798	5,850	5,220
Charleston, W.V.	2,276	5,160	4,920
Wyo. (statewide)	2,006	4,950	4,530