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Long‑Term Care Costs Surge, Outpacing Incomes for Older Wyomingites

AARP

Published March 17, 2026

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CHEYENNE — Home care and assisted living costs have surged nearly 50 percent nationally since 2019, wiping out a decade of progress in long-term care affordability for middle-income older adults, AARP’s new report finds.

The impacts of rising home care and assisted living costs were felt in the Cowboy State, with major increases in nursing home costs. Wyoming residents saw increases of over $32,000 since 2021 for a private room and $35,000 for a semi-private room.

In 2025, the average annual income for adults 65+ in Wyoming was $59,645, but the cost of long-term care varied:

$123,918 - Nursing Home Private Room, ranking Wyoming 31st for highest cost nationally, a 35% increase over 2021.
$118,990 - Nursing Home Semi-Private Room, 25th highest in the country and a 41% increase over the cost in 2021.
$56,400- Assisted Living, the sixth lowest cost in the US. This represents a 12% increase from 2021.
$50,700 - Home Health Aide, the 14th lowest in the country, also a 12% jump from 2021.

These trends raise serious concerns about the ability of older adults to age with dignity and independence. AARP emphasizes the need for policies that address rising care costs, support family caregivers, and expand affordable long‑term care options so older adults are not forced into financial hardship simply to receive necessary care.

AARP’s report also measured costs by affordability level or the months of care equivalent to median age 65+ household incomes. AARP estimates that someone with the median household income for people age 65 and older can afford 5.9 months of nursing home care in a private room and 6.1 months in a semi-private room. The affordability of a home health aide is measured in 14 months.

“Home care and other long-term care services have quickly become increasingly unaffordable in recent years,” said Tom Lacock, Associate State Director for AARP Wyoming. “As costs rise faster than older adults’ household incomes, many families must deplete savings, rely on unpaid family caregivers, or go without needed care.”

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National key findings from the report include:

In recent years, long-term care costs grew faster than incomes. From 2019 to 2024, the annual median cost of home care services increased by close to 50 percent, while over the same period the median household income for someone age 65 or older grew by less than half that amount, making long-term care further unaffordable.
Typical incomes are not enough to pay for long-term care. In 2024, the median household income for someone age 65 or older was about $60,000, while the annual median cost of home care services exceeded $50,000.
Savings are often insufficient to cover long-term care needs. The median household age 75 and older has about $50,000 in financial assets, enough to cover roughly one year of home care or only a few months of nursing home care.

About AARP: AARP is the nation's largest nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to empowering people 50 and older to choose how they live as they age. With a nationwide presence, AARP strengthens communities and advocates for what matters most to the 125 million Americans 50-plus and their families: health and financial security, and personal fulfillment. AARP also produces the nation's largest-circulation publications: AARP The Magazine and the AARP Bulletin. To learn more, visit aarp.org, aarp.org/espanolEspanol or follow @AARP, @AARPLatino and @AARPadvocates on social media.