Fast Facts

Residents

• On any given day, more than 1.3 million individuals receive care in a nursing home or skilled nursing facility, and a total of more than 4 million receive care each year.
• Six out of 10 residents (64%) are short-stay patients who remain in a skilled nursing facility for an average of 25 days.
• Nearly four out of 10 residents (36%) are long-stay residents. These individuals often have multiple health conditions, and their average age is 76.

Workforce

• Nursing homes employ nearly 1.5 million people.
• Nearly 90% are women, and 60% are people of color.
• One out of every five nursing home workers is an immigrant.

Operations

• There are around 15,000 nursing homes in the United States.
• The average size of a nursing home is 109 beds.
• Medicaid covers the cost of care for nearly two out of every three residents (63%).

Get to know the residents of long term care. Learn more about the typical nursing home resident, their medical needs, and how we serve them.

Resident Demographics

On any given day, nursing homes care for roughly 1.38 million residents, with a total of more than 4.12 million individuals cared for each year.

The majority of individuals who receive care in a nursing home stay for fewer than 100 days, typically for post-acute care following a hospital stay. These “short-stay” patients make up 64 percent of the nursing home population. Providers and caregivers work with short-stay patients and their families to develop and implement a care plan that works best for them, often with the goal of helping patients return home as quickly and safely as is medically possible.

Short-Stay Patients:

• 6 out of every 10 nursing home residents
• Typically receiving post-acute care for rehabilitation after a hospital stay
• Defined by a stay at a nursing home of fewer than 100 days, with an average length of stay of 25 days

Long-Stay Residents:

• 4 out of every 10 nursing home residents
• These residents often live with multiple conditions and require 24/7 medical care for extended periods of time
• Average length of stay is usually measured in years, with an average length of stay of 3 years

Medical Conditions

Activities of Daily Living

Who Works in Long Term Care?

With nearly 15,000 facilities nationwide, nursing homes provide essential care while also making a significant contribution to local communities and economies.

Facility Characteristics

• There are just under 14,800 facilities in the United States. 
• Roughly 20% of these facilities are not-for-profit organizations. 
• Another 7% are government-run facilities.
• The average size of a nursing home is 107 beds, and the average occupancy rate of facilities is around 80%.
• Twenty-eight (28%) percent are rural facilities, and the remainder are considered urban, as they exist within areas with core populations of at least 10,000.
• More than 30 percent (32%) of nursing homes are independent “mom and pop” organizations that are not affiliated with any specific chain.

Financials

• Nursing homes are primarily funded via reimbursements from the Medicaid program:
• Medicaid covers the cost of care for 64% of residents.
• Medicare covers the cost of care for roughly 13% of residents.
• The remaining 23% are a combination of private pay and other private insurance options, including Medicare Advantage.
• Nursing homes have an average operating margin of 0.4 percent across all payer types.

Closures

Nursing homes are sometimes forced to close due to chronic Medicaid underfunding, labor shortages, and other specific circumstances. Closures are devastating for residents and their families, staff, and the local community.

As of October 2025:

• Since 2020, nearly 891 nursing homes have closed, displacing 31,993 residents.
• Forty-six (46) additional counties in the United States have become nursing home deserts since February 2020.
• Forty-one (41, or 89 percent) of these nursing home deserts are in rural communities.