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Independent living in the United States

Explore independent living communities with public prices, photos, reviews, amenities, and source dates.

12663published communities

Independent living guide

What independent living is—and what it is not

A category name is only a starting point. Compare the actual service package, resident agreement, assessment process, and fee schedule before deciding that a community matches someone’s needs.

At a glance

Independent living

Independent living is senior housing for people who generally manage their own personal care but want fewer household responsibilities and easier access to meals, transportation, activities, or shared amenities.

Who it may fit

Start with day-to-day independence

It may fit someone who can live safely without routine hands-on assistance and values a social, service-oriented community.

Important boundary

Verify what is actually included

The residence fee is not automatically a care plan. Included services, outside-provider rules, and the process for adding support differ by community.

Compare living and care types

Independent living and related options, compared

A higher score means more of the named dimension—not a better community. These editorial planning scores are not quality ratings, clinical recommendations, or licensing definitions; services and responsibilities vary by state and provider.

Showing this guide with three related alternatives selected by setting and planning use.

Editorial one-to-ten planning scores for senior living and care options across five dimensions
Dimension	Independent livingCurrent guide	55+ communities	CCRCs / Life Plan	Assisted living
Independence expected10 = most self-directed	9/10 Usually manages personal care independently.	10/10 Age-qualified housing for self-directed residents.	8/10 Many residents enter while living independently.	5/10 Recurring help with daily activities.
Everyday services10 = more commonly bundled	7/10 Meals, housekeeping, or transportation often offered.	3/10 Amenities vary; a service bundle is not inherent.	8/10 Campus services vary by residence and contract.	8/10 Meals and household services often included.
Personal support10 = more hands-on help	2/10 Usually separate or arranged from outside.	1/10 Residents generally arrange care separately.	6/10 Support can increase across the care continuum.	8/10 Help with daily activities is a core feature.
Supervision structure10 = more structured oversight	3/10 Community safety features vary.	2/10 Housing amenities, not a care setting.	6/10 Oversight ranges from independent housing to nursing care.	7/10 Oversight varies by assessment and state rules.
Housing flexibility10 = broader housing choices	5/10 Usually an apartment in a service-oriented community.	10/10 Rentals, owned homes, and planned communities.	7/10 Multiple residences and care settings may share one campus.	4/10 Residential care setting; state rules apply.

National price orientation

Published monthly starting-price medians

These are separate community samples, not quotes for the same apartment or level of support. It has the lowest median among the 3 care categories with enough published prices.

Assisted living$4,395median starting price · 4,527 communities Memory care$5,995median starting price · 3,907 communities

Independent living$3,240median starting price · 2,469 communities

Skilled nursingNo comparable median yetCMS certification records do not publish each facility's room rate or full charge.Board & Care homesNo comparable median yetCalifornia CDSS license records do not publish residence prices; separately attributed directory prices may appear on individual profiles.CCRCs / Life PlanNo comparable median yetEntrance fees, monthly fees, and contract types are not comparable as one starting-price median.55+ communitiesNo like-for-like care medianHousing may involve rent, a home price, HOA fees, or other property costs.

How this national comparison is calculated

Where a median is shown, national medians use each community's lowest currently published monthly starting price for the applicable care type. An unscoped price is eligible only when the community offers exactly one senior-care type. Standard prices are preferred; a limited-unit promotion is used only when it is the sole qualifying price. Communities without a numeric published price are excluded. Skilled nursing, Board & Care, and CCRC / Life Plan are displayed with their source-specific limitations rather than a fabricated cross-source median.

Financial planning notes

Compare the service bundle with 55+ housing and outside support

Independent living pricing often combines housing with convenience services. Compare the same set of needs—not just the advertised rent—across each option.

Put independent living and 55+ housing on equal footing

For independent living, list the meals, housekeeping, transportation, activities, and maintenance included in the fee. For 55+ housing, add rent or mortgage, HOA fees, taxes, insurance, maintenance, and the same services purchased separately.

Price outside support before it is needed

Independent living does not inherently include personal care. Confirm whether outside providers may enter the community, then model both occasional help and a higher-support scenario. Medicare home health has eligibility and skilled-service limits; it is not round-the-clock home care or ordinary housekeeping.

Check Medicare home health rules ↗Find local aging resources ↗

Medicare and Medicaid pay for defined services—not a lifestyle package

Medicare generally does not pay for long-term non-medical care. A state Medicaid HCBS program may cover eligible services, but do not assume it pays an independent-living residence fee or ordinary room and board.

Read Medicare’s long-term care rules ↗Review Medicaid HCBS ↗

Affordable senior housing is a separate path

HUD Section 202 supports rental housing for qualifying low-income adults age 62 and older. It is different from market-rate independent living, and availability or waitlists vary locally.

Review HUD senior housing ↗

Benefit eligibility is personal and state-specific. Official resources explain programs; only the administering agency can determine eligibility.

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Latest independent living

Profiles most recently checked against their public sources.