Memory Care Communities in San Diego, California

Nationally, seniors pay $5,625 per month for memory care, and in California, rates are among the highest in the nation at $6,523. San Diego seniors pay even more for care, with memory care facilities charging $6,844 per month on average. In the Santa Cruz area, care costs are a little higher at $6,938, and in El Centro, residents pay approximately $7,688. Santa Rosa is among the costliest cities in California for care, with rates averaging $8,810. Those seeking more affordable care may consider Riverside, where rates are nearly $2,000 per month lower than in San Diego at $5,000.  

When trying to decide how to pay for memory care, one of the first questions that comes up is "How much does it cost?" With the impact of inflation, it's more important than ever to have up-to-date information when making a financial plan for senior living. To help shed light on real senior living prices, Caring.com has compiled proprietary cost data from its network of more than 75,000 senior living providers to provide insight into the average cost of memory care in San Diego and 139 other cities in California.

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

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

For more information about different ways to finance memory care, visit our Memory Care in California page.

Memory care is more costly than other senior living options, typically costing $6,951 per month due to the 24-hour care and supervision and the need for dementia-care-trained staff. Assisted living fees in San Diego are usually around $4,479, for which seniors receive help with housekeeping and personal care. Healthy and mobile people may find independent living more appropriate and affordable, averaging $3,679 per month.

The California Assisted Living Association monitors memory care facilities in San Diego and the rest of the state. These facilities are licensed as residential care homes for the elderly. Facilities that provide dementia care meet additional guidelines for staffing, staff ratios, care planning, recreational programming and building requirements.  

• San Diego is a relatively expensive place to live, even compared to California’s high cost of living. Housing costs are among the highest in the state, and residents typically pay more for groceries, utilities and transportation than in other California cities. To help seniors control living costs, local agencies, such as the Area Agency on Aging, provide options counseling and public benefits screenings.  
• San Diego is a fairly safe city to live in, which may provide peace of mind to families with loved ones in long-term care. On a 100-point index, the city’s violent crime frequency is rated 24.4 and property crime is rated 31.4, compared to the national respective scores of 22.7 and 35.4. FBI data indicates that crime occurrences have been trending downward for two decades.
• San Diego’s weather makes it one of the most comfortable cities in the nation to live in. The city gets no snow and only about 12 inches of annual rainfall, and year-round high temperatures range from 66-82 degrees. Memory care facilities have secured outdoor areas where residents enjoy activities, such as walking and gardening.
• Health care costs in San Diego are about 15% lower than in the typical U.S. city, and there is a relatively high number of doctors per capita, which may benefit those managing chronic conditions, such as dementia. The city is home to two top-rating hospitals, UC San Diego Health and Scripps La Jolla Hospital.  
• San Diego’s air quality is subpar, with the American Lung Association grading the region an F for ozone pollution and a D for particle pollution. This may impact the quality of life for those with respiratory or cardiovascular conditions.  
• Seniors in San Diego don’t pay state income taxes on Social Security benefits, but all other types of retirement income are fully taxed at the state’s high rates. Sales and property taxes are very high, but seniors may be able to avoid these expenses by transitioning to residential care.  
• San Diego is designated a Dementia-Friendly community, meaning that it has public spaces, emergency response systems and housing options for those with Alzheimer’s.