An independent public directory of home care prices
A public directory where licensed agencies publish their own rates, by type of care and shift, signed and dated.
Rate cardSpecimen
| Level of care | Hourly | 12-hour shift | Live-in, per day |
|---|---|---|---|
| Companion | blank | blank | blank |
| Personal care | blank | blank | blank |
| Dementia care | blank | blank | blank |
Families call agency after agency to learn one number. That number already exists. We put it on the page, in writing, with a date.
01The problem
Because listing sites show area averages, and referral services show one starting rate after you share your contact details. The real price depends on the type of care, the hours each week and the length of each visit, so families call agency after agency to ask.
In families’ own words
We called six agencies, got wildly different quotes, had zero idea how to compare them…
The quote per hour was $29 which sounds reasonable until you turn that into 4 hours a day every day.
The phone calls literally started 5 minutes after I entered my info.
What we found when we checked
HomeCareAtlas agency pages show the Miami metro range of $24 to $32 an hour. On Caring.com’s Miami page, every agency listing says “Pricing not available”.10 11
A Place for Mom shows an agency’s starting hourly rate only after you share your contact details.9
Even the cost reports agree: “Actual costs vary by state, city, local agency rates, minimum hour requirements, and care needs.”6
02The difference
Referral services are free to families because agencies pay them for each family they pass on. We are paid differently, and it changes what you see.
| Typical referral service | Home Care Rate Card | |
|---|---|---|
| The price you see | One starting rate, if any | Every rate, by level of care and shift, with minimums |
| When you see it | After you share your contact details | Before you call anyone or share anything |
| How the site is paid | By agencies, each time a family is referred | A flat fee from agencies, the same whether you call or not |
| Your phone number | Passed on so agencies can call you | Never sold or shared. You choose who to call |
| Which agencies appear | Agencies that pay for referrals | Every licensed agency, with a seal on those that signed |
Referral column: A Place for Mom states, “We are paid by home care agencies each time we refer a family to them.” Checked 25 September 2026.8 9
03The rate card
A home care rate card is one agency’s own price list in a standard format: hourly rates for companion, personal and dementia care, 12-hour and live-in rates, minimum hours, and the date the agency last confirmed it. The agency signs it, and we print it exactly as signed.
Definitions4
Hourly, 12-hour shift and live-in, side by side. Home care services generally charge by the hour, and some charge a flat rate for staying overnight.5
The shortest visit and the fewest hours a week the agency will book, next to the smallest possible bill. Most agencies require a weekly minimum of seven hours.7
04How it works
Four steps, the same for every agency. Nobody can pay to skip one.
We match the agency to the State of California’s list of licensed Home Care Organizations.
The agency enters its rate for each level of care and each shift, and its minimums.
Someone at the agency signs the card. We print their name and the date.
If the agency does not confirm its rates again, the card is marked out of date.
05Averages, for now
Home care costs a median of $35 an hour across the US, according to CareScout’s 2025 survey of non-medical caregivers. In California, Florida, Illinois, Pennsylvania and Texas it runs from $30 in Texas to $40 in California. At 44 hours a week, $35 an hour is about $6,673 a month.2
Estimate a month of care
About
a month at the median rate
$35 an hour × 20 hours × 4.33 weeks
An average across agencies, not a quote. A rate card shows what one agency actually charges.
Hourly figures: CareScout Cost of Care Survey 2025, released 2 March 2026. Surveyed July to November 2025.
06For agency owners
Families who find you here already know your rate and minimum, so the calls you get come from people ready to go ahead.
What you get
Franchise location? Please check with your franchisor that you may publish rates.
I get a referral, and I tell them how much it costs, and they immediately hang up because they can’t afford it.
The seal appears only after the agency signs its card.
07Who we are
Home Care Rate Card is independent, founded in 2026. We are not a home care agency, we do not place caregivers, and we take no fee for sending a family anywhere.
We start with Los Angeles County, using the State of California’s own list of licensed agencies. Our income will come from a flat fee agencies pay for the verified seal, never from selling your details.
08Questions
For families
Not for non-medical home care on its own. Medicare lists “Custodial or personal care that helps you with daily living activities (like bathing, dressing, or using the bathroom), when this is the only care you need” among the things it does not pay for. Most families pay privately, sometimes helped by long-term care insurance, VA benefits or a state Medicaid waiver.3 12 13
No. Home care is non-medical help at home, such as company, meals, and help with bathing and dressing. Home health care is medical care from a licensed professional, such as a nurse or physical therapist. Rate cards cover non-medical home care only.4
At the US median of $35 an hour, care around the clock billed by the hour would be about $25,550 a month. Agencies can also price it as 12-hour shifts or as live-in care at a daily rate, which is why a rate card lists those on separate lines.2
Yes. Searching, comparing rate cards and contacting an agency will always be free for families. Our income will come from a flat fee agencies pay for the verified seal. We will never sell your details, and agencies will not pay us per family.
Someone at the agency signs its rate card, and we print the date. We check the agency’s state license before a card goes live. Every 90 days the agency must confirm its rates again, or the card is marked out of date, so an old price never looks current.
Los Angeles County is open now. Every agency California licenses there as a Home Care Organization is listed, and signed rate cards appear as agencies sign them. We plan to add Texas, Illinois, Pennsylvania and Florida next. Join the waitlist with your ZIP code, and we will email you once, when your area opens.18
For agencies
Every licensed agency in Los Angeles County is already listed. Find yours and choose “Claim this listing”, or use the claim form under For agencies. During the pilot, a verified rate card is free for six months. We confirm your state license, you fill in your rates, and someone at the agency signs them. You set every price, and we show it exactly as signed.
No. After a free six-month pilot, agencies pay $49 a month for the verified seal, the same whether families call or not. We count calls and messages so you can see the listing working, but we never sell or share a family’s details, and nobody can pay to rank higher.
09Other areas
Los Angeles County is open now. For anywhere else, tell us where care is needed. When licensed agencies there have signed their rate cards, we will email you once.
10Sources
Numbers on this page link here. We read each source on 25 September 2026.