The 5 Best Memory Care Facilities in Smith County, TX for 2024

Smith County, in northeast Texas about 100 miles west of Dallas, is home to 209,714 residents, 14.2 percent of whom are seniors aged 65 and older, the primary age bracket for Alzheimer’s disease and other dementia diagnosis’s. There are currently 380,000 Texans who are living with Alzheimer’s, a number that’s expected to grow by 28.9 percent by 2025. There are four memory care facilities in the county to house and care for these seniors, all located in Tyler.

In all of Texas, including Smith County, memory care facilities are known as Assisted Living Facilities (ALFs) and are overseen by Texas Health and Human Services.

• The cost of living in Smith County ranks 91.7 on a scale where 100 represents the national average. Groceries and transportation also rank slightly lower than the average; however, healthcare ranks higher at 106. Seniors and families may find that although healthcare expenses are higher, they are offset by the lower and grocery and transportation costs.
• Seniors in Smith County and the rest of Texas enjoy tax savings. Texas does not tax Social Security benefits, pensions or retirement savings account income. Seniors may find that these tax benefits result in more money available to put toward healthcare expenses.
• Smith County ranks 44.3 for violent crime and 46.1 for property crime compared to the U.S. averages of 31.1 and 38.1, on a scale where 100 represents the most dangerous areas. Although these numbers are only slightly higher than the national averages, families may want to ask prospective facilities about security measures they have in place to protect their residents.
• The weather in Smith County is quite warm with July highs hitting 93 degrees. Although the county receives 47 inches of rain per year compared to the national average of 39 inches, it only gets 1 inch of snow annually, compared to the national average of 26 inches. Seniors’ families might want to ask facility staff about protocols in place to prevent residents from wandering during inclement weather.

Memory Care costs in Smith County start around $5,394 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 Smith 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 Texas 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 Texas page.

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