The 10 Best Memory Care Facilities in Pierce County, WA for 2024

Pierce County, Washington is home to 795,225 people, with 11 percent of those residents being seniors aged 65 and older, some of whom may be among the 110,000 Washington residents living with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. That number is expected to grow to 140,000 by 2025. There are 16 memory care facilities in Pierce County to support this growing demographic.

Assisted Living Facilities, as memory care facilities are called in Pierce County and the rest of Washington, are licensed by the Aging and Long-term Support Administration Department of the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services.

• Pierce County has poor air quality. On a scale where 100 represents areas with the best air quality, the county only ranks 49 compared to the U.S. average of 58. Seniors with COPD, asthma and other respiratory conditions might find that the poor air quality makes breathing difficult.
  
  
• Washington, including Pierce County, does not apply taxes on Social Security, retirement savings account withdrawals or pensions. Seniors living in the county may find that these tax benefits result in more money to allocate toward facility expenses.
  
  
• Pierce County has a cooler climate with a lot of precipitation. July highs only climb to 76 degrees, and January lows rarely drop below 36. The area receives 48 inches of annual rainfall, compared to the U.S. average of 39 inches but only gets 6 inches of snow yearly — 20 inches lower than the national average. With only 139 sunny days each year, compared to the national average of 205, the county might not be ideal for seniors who enjoy spending a lot of time outdoors.
  
  
• The cost of living in Pierce County ranks 127.9 on a scale where 100 represents the U.S. average, with housing being a major factor. Although seniors can expect to pay less than the average for healthcare, the higher cost of transportation will offset those savings.

Memory Care costs in Pierce County start around $5,695 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 Pierce 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 Washington 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 Washington page.

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