The 10 Best Memory Care Facilities in Essex County, NJ for 2025

Essex County is located in New Jersey, across the river from New York City, and centered around the city of Newark. The state of New Jersey estimates that over 180,000 of its residents have been diagnosed with dementia or Alzheimer's disease, which is especially prevalent in the 65 and older population, including 13 percent of Essex County's total of 800,000 residents. To treat and care for these people, Essex County is home to seven memory care facilities. 

The New Jersey Department of Health licenses and regulates Dementia Care Homes (DCHs), as they are known in New Jersey, that are required to provide specialized levels of care for persons with Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders. 

• Essex County residents experience all four seasons, having warm and humid summers and winters with plenty of snow. While seniors sensitive to high heat may be comfortable here, the colder winters may aggravate respiratory conditions for those in memory care. 
  
  
• The cost of living in Essex County is one and a half times the national average. This is mostly due to high housing costs, measuring at 200 compared to the baseline average of 100, which may increase operating costs for memory care facilities, meaning higher fees for residents. 
  
  
• Although Social Security benefits are not subject to New Jersey income tax, withdrawals from IRAs and other retirement accounts are taxed on a sliding scale, with higher taxes for larger annual incomes. Essex County families budgeting for a loved one's memory care may want to consider this.  
  
  
• Essex County, as part of the greater New York metropolitan area, is home to world-class medical facilities, including those specializing in brain health and dementia, such as Mount Sinai Hospital and Weill Cornell Hospital, in the event of medical emergencies or illness.

Memory Care costs in Essex County start around $8,655 per month on average, while the nationwide average cost of memory care is $5,694 per month.

It’s important to note that memory care rates in Essex County and the surrounding suburbs can vary widely based on factors such as location, the level of care needed, apartment size and the types of amenities offered at each community.

Learn more about these programs, plus who’s eligible, on our Memory Care in New Jersey page.

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 New Jersey page.

Essex County-area memory care communities must adhere to the comprehensive set of state laws and regulations that all memory care communities in New Jersey are required to follow. Visit our Memory Care in New Jersey page for more information about these laws.