Continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs)

Which states are covered — and what to do if yours isn’t

Every CCRC on this page comes from a public state regulator registry or from CARF, so coverage follows which regulators publish a list. Right now that is 28 states — but they are not covered equally, and the difference matters:

• 15 states where we read the regulator’s own list (California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin) — these are close to complete, plus any CARF-accredited communities the state list missed.
• 13 states with CARF-accredited communities only (Arizona, District of Columbia, Georgia, Maine, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas) — these regulators publish no list we could read, so you are seeing only the communities that chose to seek CARF accreditation. There are certainly more CCRCs in those states than we show. Treat those pages as a starting point, not a roster.

More are added as their lists become available — this is a partial, honestly-sourced directory, not a claim of national coverage.

If your state isn’t listed: CCRCs (Life Plan Communities) are regulated state by state, usually by the Department of Insurance or the Department of Aging. Search “[your state] CCRC” or “[your state] continuing care disclosure statement” to find your regulator, which can tell you which communities are registered and hand you each one’s disclosure statement — the same document we tell you to request. That regulator, not a lead-gen site, is the authoritative source for your state.

What a CCRC actually costs — in plain English

CCRC pricing has two parts, and no community publishes its real numbers online — you have to request them. Treat any figure you see advertised as a starting point, not a quote:

• A one-time entrance fee, paid up front — nationally anywhere from about $40,000 at the low end to well over $500,000 — and past $1 million at high-end Type A communities, driven by the floor plan, the location, and how much of it is refundable. It is essentially pre-paying toward your future care.
• A monthly fee for as long as you live there — commonly $2,000 to $6,000+, and it usually rises every year. It covers housing, some meals and services, and — depending on the contract — some or all of your future care.

The contract type decides who carries the risk if you later need years of assisted living or skilled nursing. This is the single most important thing to understand before signing:

• Type A (Life Care) — highest entrance and monthly fees, but your rate barely changes even if you move to full-time nursing care. You pre-pay to cap your future care costs; the community carries the risk.
• Type B (Modified) — lower fees, with a set amount of higher care included (say a number of days) and discounted rates after that. A middle ground where you share the risk.
• Type C (Fee-for-Service) — lowest entrance fee, but you pay the full market rate for assisted living or nursing care if and when you need it. Cheapest to enter, but you carry all the risk.

Refundable vs. non-refundable. Entrance fees come in flavors: fully or partially refundable (often 50–90% returned to you or your estate, for a higher upfront price); declining-balance (the refund shrinks a few percent a month until it reaches zero); or non-refundable (nothing comes back, for the lowest upfront price). This one choice can swing the true cost by six figures.

The solvency questions to ask — in writing. Because your entrance fee funds care you may not use for years, a CCRC is only as safe as its balance sheet. Ask for the state disclosure statement and confirm: How many days of cash on hand does it hold (well over 200 is reassuring; under ~150 warrants hard questions)? Is the entrance-fee liability actuarially funded? What is occupancy, and is it falling? Has the monthly fee risen faster than inflation in recent years? Exactly what is the refund, and when is it paid — on move-out, or only after your unit is re-sold? Get every answer in writing before you commit.

We do not publish per-community fees because no regulator releases them in a comparable form — any site that shows you an exact entrance fee for a named community is guessing. Request each community’s current figures directly, then run them through My Plan, and read our full guide to CCRCs and the entrance-fee model. This is general information, not financial advice — have an elder-law attorney or fee-only advisor review any contract before you sign.

Independent living — the step before a CCRC

Not everyone weighing a CCRC needs one yet. Independent living is simply age-friendly housing for people who manage day-to-day life on their own but want less upkeep and more community — a private apartment or cottage with some mix of meals, housekeeping, transportation, and social activities. Crucially, there is no personal care: no help with bathing or medications and no medical staff. That is the line between independent living and assisted living; because it is not a licensed care setting, there is no inspection rating to look up.

How it differs from a CCRC. A CCRC includes independent living, but ties it to a large entrance fee and a contract for future care on the same campus. Standalone independent living is usually a plain monthly rental — no entrance fee, no care guarantee — simpler and far cheaper to enter, but you are on your own to arrange care if your needs grow.

Typical cost: roughly $1,500 to $4,000+ a month, usually paid privately, varying widely by location and amenities. It generally runs cheaper than assisted living because you are not paying for care staff — but these are national ranges, and your quote will differ.

How to find it: look for 55+ or 62+ communities and senior apartments near you. On a limited income, the honest option is subsidized senior housing — HUD Section 202 and USDA 515 apartments cap rent near 30% of income for adults 62+ (expect waiting lists). Our independent living guide walks through what’s included, what it costs, and the signs it’s time for more care.