Cost of home care
A local cost guide for a conversation, not a quote.
Home care pricing in Buffalo and Western New York depends on the schedule, the service, the provider, and the person’s needs. Use this page to prepare for a more useful comparison.
What to expect locally
Ask for the rate behind the headline.
The most recent survey we found, CareScout’s 2025 Cost of Care Survey (conducted July–November 2025), puts the median rate for a non-medical in-home caregiver in New York State at $35 an hour, or about $80,080 a year at 44 hours a week. That is a statewide figure, not a Buffalo quote, and local rates vary. Ask each provider for their current rate, minimum schedule, and an estimate for the care you are actually considering.
A practical starting point
Compare total weekly and monthly cost—not just an hourly number.
Two providers can quote similar hourly rates but produce different totals because of minimum visits, schedule, travel, overnight arrangements, or the amount of support included.
What changes the price
The details of the day matter.
- The type of support: personal care, companionship, respite, or skilled home health
- How many hours or visits are needed and whether a provider has a minimum visit
- The schedule, including evenings, weekends, holidays, or overnight support
- The person’s routines, mobility, supervision, and clinical needs
- Whether the arrangement is through an agency, an independent caregiver, or a clinical provider
Private pay
Ask how the arrangement is billed.
Many families compare a provider’s private-pay rate with the number of hours they actually need. Ask about invoices, minimums, cancellations, weekend or holiday rates, and what is included in the quoted service.
Insurance and Medicare
Coverage depends on the service and the person.
Medicare covers part-time skilled home health care for people who are homebound and have a doctor’s order, but not personal care when that is the only need. Non-medical home care and skilled home health care are different. Ask providers and your plan about eligibility, required orders, covered services, visit limits, and what would remain the family’s responsibility. Do not treat a general estimate as a coverage decision.
Three kinds of care, three ways of paying
Make sure the quotes are for the same kind of care.
Non-medical home care
Help with bathing, dressing, meals, housekeeping, and companionship from a personal care aide or home health aide. Usually paid privately by the hour; the $35 statewide median above applies to this kind of care. Medicare does not pay for it when it is the only care needed.
Learn morePrivate-duty care
Ongoing hourly care arranged directly with an agency, sometimes including nursing for longer shifts or overnight. Rates depend on whether an aide or a nurse provides care, so ask for each rate separately.
Learn moreSkilled home health
Part-time nursing and therapy ordered by a doctor and provided by a certified agency. For people who qualify, Medicare pays the full cost of covered visits, so it is rarely priced by the hour for families.
Learn moreMore detail: how much home care costs in Buffalo, what Medicare pays for, and private pay vs. covered care.
Questions to bring to a provider
Make the first estimate easier to compare.
Sources
Last reviewed October 2026. Rates change; figures are survey medians, not quotes.
A simple next step
Compare care options with a clearer cost conversation.
Share a few details about what you are exploring. You do not need to know the exact care term before you begin.