McAllen Senior AdvisorHow much does assisted living cost in McAllen, Texas?
No survey publishes a McAllen or Rio Grande Valley figure; the closest authoritative number is CareScout's 2025 Texas median of $5,666 a month ($67,992 a year) for a private one-bedroom in assisted living, below the national median of $74,400 a year.
| Care type (Texas median, 2025) | Per year | Per month | Per day or hour | U.S. median per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assisted living (private one-bedroom) | $67,992 | $5,666 | $184 | $74,400 |
| Nursing home, semi-private room | $67,525 | $5,627 | $185 | $114,975 |
| Nursing home, private room | $91,250 | $7,604 | $250 | $129,575 |
| Homemaker / non-medical caregiver (44 hrs/week) | $68,640 | $5,720 | $30 an hour | $80,080 |
| Adult day health care (5 days/week) | $23,400 | $1,950 | $90 | $24,700 |
CareScout 2025 Cost of Care Survey, Texas results (released March 2, 2026). Monthly figures are CareScout's own Texas monthly medians; national figures are CareScout's 2025 national annual medians. CareScout publishes no McAllen or Rio Grande Valley median and no memory care median in its Texas release.
Valley prices vary more than that single number suggests. Most of Hidalgo County's licensed assisted living buildings are small homes licensed for 16 residents or fewer, which often price differently from a larger campus with apartments, a dining room and a full activity calendar. The only reliable McAllen number is a written quote from the building, listing the base rate and every level-of-care charge.
Why is the Texas nursing home median so close to assisted living?
Because Texas nursing home rates are shaped by Medicaid: CareScout's 2025 Texas median for a semi-private room is $185 a day ($67,525 a year), nearly level with assisted living and far below the national $114,975, since so many Texas nursing home beds are paid at Medicaid rates.
A family paying privately in Hidalgo County should not plan around that median. Ask each home for its private-pay daily rate for a semi-private and a private room, what is included (therapy, incontinence supplies, laundry, medications), and how long the home expects private payment before a Medicaid application. A private room's Texas median of $250 a day is a closer guide for private pay.
What does in-home care cost in the Valley?
CareScout's 2025 Texas median for a non-medical homemaker or caregiver is $30 an hour, or about $5,720 a month at 44 hours a week; a private duty nurse runs about $90 an hour or $150 a visit.
| Paid help per week | Monthly cost at $30/hour | Compared with the $5,666 assisted living median |
|---|---|---|
| 10 hours | $1,300 | below |
| 20 hours | $2,600 | below |
| 30 hours | $3,900 | below |
| 44 hours | $5,720 | above |
| 60 hours | $7,800 | above |
| 84 hours | $10,920 | above |
| 168 hours | $21,840 | above |
The table shows why hours matter more than rates. A few hours a day of help can cost far less than assisted living, while round-the-clock care at home costs more than any facility. Many Valley families combine paid attendant hours with family care and a weekday adult day center, which is where most of the savings come from.
What does adult day care cost in McAllen?
CareScout's 2025 Texas median for adult day health care is $90 a day, about $1,950 a month for five weekdays, and in Hidalgo County most participants in licensed DAHS centers attend through Medicaid rather than paying privately.
Hidalgo County has 130 licensed adult day (DAHS) centers, more than any other Texas county, and most run their own vans. A center paid by a STAR+PLUS health plan charges the plan, not the family, though a private-pay participant pays the center's own rate. Ask what the daily rate covers, including transportation, meals and nursing.
Is there a published memory care cost for Texas?
No. CareScout does not survey memory care as a separate category, so there is no authoritative memory care median for Texas or McAllen, and any figure quoted online is an estimate.
Expect a certified Alzheimer's unit to charge more than standard assisted living in the same building, because staffing is heavier. Ask for the all-in monthly rate in writing and how it changes as care needs rise.
Side by side
| These figures are | These figures are not | |
|---|---|---|
| Source | CareScout's 2025 Texas medians (released March 2026) | Prices quoted by any McAllen facility |
| Place | Statewide Texas figures | A Rio Grande Valley or McAllen median |
| Use | A planning range | A promise of what you will pay |
| Memory care | Not surveyed separately | Covered by these medians |
Sources: Texas Health and Safety Code ch. 247 and 242; 26 TAC chapters 553, 554, 558 and 559; HHSC directories, TULIP and handbooks; CMS; CareScout; VA rate tables, as cited above. See our editorial standards.
