Nursing Homes in Massachusetts

What nursing homes in Massachusetts provide

Nursing Homes in Massachusetts provide round-the-clock licensed nursing, medication management, rehabilitation therapy and help with every activity of daily living. We track 320 nursing homes statewide, alongside 98 other providers — nursing homes, assisted living, memory care, hospice and home health — that families often compare before deciding.

Every Medicare-certified nursing home in Massachusetts is surveyed by state inspectors on behalf of CMS roughly once a year, and those survey results feed the star ratings shown on each profile. That makes nursing homes the most transparent care type in Massachusetts: you can see deficiencies, staffing hours per resident per day and penalty history before you ever tour.

Typical pricing for nursing homes in Massachusetts runs $7,900 to $11,200 per month. Semi-private rooms sit at the low end of that range and private rooms typically add 15 to 25 percent. Expect the higher end of that range in Worcester and other high-cost metros, and the lower end in rural counties.

Care homes, senior housing and 55+ communities in Massachusetts

Families searching for care homes near them in Massachusetts usually mean one of the 418 licensed providers on this page — "care home" is the everyday phrase for what regulators call a nursing home, assisted living community or personal care home. If you searched senior housing near me or 55 and older communities near me and landed here, the directory below covers the care side of that market: every Massachusetts provider is listed with its rating, inspection record and estimated monthly cost.

The terms are not interchangeable, and the difference decides what you pay. Senior housing and 55+ communities (also called independent living, active adult or retirement communities) sell housing, not care — you get an age-restricted apartment or villa, amenities and social programming, but no licensed caregivers. Care homes, personal care homes, board and care homes, residential care homes and assisted living communities all provide licensed hands-on help with bathing, dressing and medications. Nursing care homes go further, adding round-the-clock licensed nursing.

A useful rule for Massachusetts families: if a parent only needs less housekeeping and more company, a 55+ community or senior housing complex is enough. Once someone else needs to help with daily living, you need a licensed care home. When help is needed overnight and clinically, you need one of the 320 nursing care homes in Massachusetts. Small residential care homes in a converted house often cost less than a large community and appear in this directory alongside them.

• 55+ communities and senior housing in Massachusetts

  Age-restricted independent living with no licensed care. Rent-based, and residents typically bring in home care privately if needs grow.

• Care homes and personal care homes in Massachusetts

  Licensed residential settings — including board and care homes and assisted living communities — providing daily help with bathing, dressing and medications. 21 are tracked statewide.

• Nursing care homes in Massachusetts

  320 Medicare-certified skilled nursing facilities with 24-hour licensed nursing and federal CMS star ratings — the most transparent option in the state.

• Care at home instead of a move

  Home care and 24-hour in-home care keep a senior in their own house. See our home care guide for hourly and around-the-clock cost benchmarks.

• 24 hour home care costs and options — Hourly, live-in and around-the-clock in-home care compared.
• Senior care costs by state — Free published cost data, no email required.

How to choose a nursing home in Massachusetts

With 320 nursing homes in Massachusetts, families need a repeatable way to narrow the list. These six steps work in any county.

• 1. Check the government inspection reports first

  Every Clear Care Connect profile shows the real CMS inspection record — deficiencies cited, their scope and severity, and how fast they were corrected. Read that before any brochure.

• 2. Compare star ratings across a shortlist, not in isolation

  A three-star facility reads differently next to the Massachusetts average of 2.99. Line up four or five nursing homes side by side instead of judging one alone.

• 3. Visit at least three facilities, including one unannounced

  Tour options in Worcester plus one nearby community, then drop in once outside tour hours to see normal staffing and resident engagement.

• 4. Ask about staff-to-resident ratios and turnover

  Ask for nursing hours per resident per day and annual turnover in writing. High turnover is the strongest predictor of inconsistent care in Massachusetts facilities.

• 5. Understand exactly what the monthly price includes

  Get the base rate, care-level surcharges, medication fees and past annual increases. Two Massachusetts communities quoting the same headline number can differ by thousands once care tiers apply.

• 6. Read the most recent inspection findings, not just the score

  One old citation matters far less than a repeated pattern. Clear Care Connect publishes the full history so you can compare Massachusetts providers on that record in one place.

Top cities for nursing homes in Massachusetts

Senior care in Massachusetts clusters around its largest population centers. These 8 cities hold the highest concentration of nursing homes statewide, and each links to a local directory with ratings and costs.

• Worcester — 20 facilities, 15 of them nursing homes, averaging 3.3 CMS stars.
• Fall River — 12 facilities, 7 of them nursing homes, averaging 1.7 CMS stars.
• Boston — 11 facilities, 11 of them nursing homes, averaging 3.3 CMS stars.
• Holyoke — 9 facilities, 7 of them nursing homes, averaging 3.4 CMS stars.
• Lowell — 8 facilities, 7 of them nursing homes, averaging 2.3 CMS stars.
• Haverhill — 7 facilities, 6 of them nursing homes, averaging 2.3 CMS stars.
• Danvers — 6 facilities, 5 of them nursing homes, averaging 3.0 CMS stars.
• Framingham — 6 facilities, 4 of them nursing homes, averaging 2.6 CMS stars.

Understanding CMS ratings for nursing homes in Massachusetts

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services scores certified facilities from one to five stars using three inputs: on-site health inspections, payroll-reported staffing levels, and clinical quality measures. Five stars means much above average within that state's peer group; one star means much below.

In Massachusetts, 339 of the 418 providers we track carry a published CMS rating, and 141 — roughly 42% — hold four or five stars. The statewide average is 2.99 stars. That average is close to the national midpoint, so quality varies widely from one provider to the next and comparing individual facilities matters more than comparing states.

Weight the health inspection component most heavily: it is the only piece built from unannounced on-site visits by state surveyors. Staffing is the next best signal, and quality measures are partly self-reported. Clear Care Connect shows all three sub-scores, the inspection date and any penalties on every Massachusetts profile.

Nursing Homes costs in Massachusetts

Nursing Homes costs $7,900 to $11,200 per month as a national average, and that is the benchmark families in Massachusetts should start from — these are national figures rather than a Massachusetts-specific survey. Semi-private rooms sit at the low end of that range and private rooms typically add 15 to 25 percent. Pricing tracks local housing and wage costs closely, so expect Worcester to price above the national midpoint while rural counties come in below it.

For comparison, the national averages are $7,900–$11,200 a month for a nursing home, $4,500–$7,500 for assisted living, $6,000–$9,000 for memory care, and little to nothing for Medicare-covered home health or hospice. Clear Care Connect publishes an estimated monthly range on each facility page so you can sanity-check any quote against a real local price.

Frequently asked questions

Ready to find the right nursing home in Massachusetts?

Clear Care Connect shows real government inspection data, CMS star ratings and cost information for the 318 nursing homes we publish in Massachusetts. Compare them side by side, see what inspectors found, and choose the right care for your loved one without a sales call.

Browse Massachusetts Nursing Homes