Assisted Living Communities in Northfield, Minnesota

Assisted living communities in the Northfield region charge monthly median rates of $5,163 for care. This is about 15% higher than state and national norms and exceeds care costs in other surveyed cities in Minnesota. Local care costs are a little higher than rates in Duluth, where seniors pay $5,000 per month for services. In Rochester and St. Cloud, rates are roughly 20% lower at $4,180 and $4,100, respectively, and in Mankato, care costs are even more competitive at $3,135.

 

In Northfield, seniors expect to pay $5,163 per month for assisted living.

While many families use their own funds or personal assets to pay for assisted living, there are plenty of additional options to cover these costs. Some additional ways to finance assisted living costs include:

 

• Veterans Benefits
• Life Insurance Policy
• Long-Term Care Insurance
• Reverse Mortgage

 

For more information about different ways to finance assisted living, visit our Assisted Living in Minnesota page.

Assisted living facilities in Northfield charge $5,163 per month for care. While this is more than double the cost of adult day health care, which costs $2,102 per month for daytime services in a community environment, other senior care alternatives tend to be more expensive. For example, those who arrange private in-home care and home health care pay 37% more per month for services, and those who require nursing home placement pay $11,708 for semiprivate accommodations.

The Minnesota Department of Health, Health Regulation Division, licenses all assisted living facilities in Northfield and the rest of the state. This department promotes a high standard of care through an initial licensing process and annual renewals, along with on-site inspections throughout the year. It also outlines details on residents’ rights and publishes details on reporting substandard care and conditions.

 

• Northfield is a member of the AARP Age-Friendly Network and ranks in the top 40% of U.S. communities for its amenities and benefits for seniors. The city’s livability score is based on factors such as its walkability and high access to parks, libraries and grocery stores. This may make the city a viable option for active retirees.
• Seniors in Northfield pay state income taxes on all retirement income that’s taxed at the federal level, including their Social Security benefits. The tax rate varies from 5.35% to 9.85%, depending on the taxpayer’s income, but those whose annual income is below $33,700 can claim a deduction of up to $9,600. This may help some seniors pay for local assisted living costs.
• The overall cost of living in Northfield is a little below state and national norms, which may make the city a practical option for older adults seeking affordable assisted living services. On a 100-point index based on living costs nationwide, the city scores 94 compared to the Minnesota rating of 97.2.
• Crime occurs less frequently in Northfield than in a typical U.S. city, which may make local assisted living facilities attractive options to seniors seeking a safe community. The city scores 11.4 for violent crime, which is about half the national norm of 22.7, indicating a very low historic number of incidents per 100,000 people. Its property crime score is higher at 23.8, but this is still well below the national norm of 35.4.
• Northfield has a comfortable climate with four distinct seasons, appealing to prospective assisted living residents who enjoy changing scenery throughout the year. Temperatures range from winter lows of 5 degrees Fahrenheit to summer highs of 82 degrees Fahrenheit, and the city gets about 192 days of sunshine compared to 205 nationally.
• One hospital, Northfield Hospital, is located in the city proper, giving assisted living residents easy access to about four dozen specialties. While there are only 154 doctors per 100,000 residents versus 210 nationally, many assisted living facilities have on-staff nurses and on-call doctors to help residents get the medical support they need.