Talk to a local advisor for free
The sunny city of Tucson is located in the southern region of Arizona and is most widely known for its world-class museums and dynamic visual and performing arts scene. Among its most popular attractions is the Tucson Museum of Art, which offers discounted admission for seniors. Nearly 550,000 people reside here, making it the second-most populous city in Arizona. While Tucson is commonly known as a college town with a young population, it also has a large senior community that makes up about 14% of the population.
Tucson is home to over 90 assisted living facilities, ranging from small communities with homelike environments to sprawling communities with resort-style amenities. It is one of the most expensive cities in Arizona for assisted living, with monthly costs coming in at $4,695 on average. This is over 20% higher than the statewide average of $3,750 and about 15% higher than the national average of $4,051.
Hundreds of thousands of American seniors utilize assisted living, a figure that is only growing. For these seniors, assisted living combines residential housing,assistance in daily activities, and some healthcare. These communities also strive to provide an atmosphere that is comfortable and engaging for their residents… Read More >
Genworth Financial’s 2019 Cost of Care Survey shows that Arizona is among the more cost-effective states in the Southwest for assisted living. Here, this level of care is $3,750 per month on average, which is about $300 below the national average of $4,051. Of Arizona’s five bordering states, Utah and Nevada are more affordable at $3,400 per month. More expensive care is found in Colorado, New Mexico and California, where seniors pay $4,095, $4,100 and $4,500, respectively.
While Arizona is generally affordable for assisted living, costs vary widely across the state. Tucson is one of the state’s priciest cities for this level of care, with an average monthly cost of $4,695, which surpasses the state and national averages. The only major city in Arizona with higher assisted living costs is Flagstaff, where care averages $5,000 per month. Seniors seeking more affordable care may find lower monthly costs in Yuma ($3,475), Phoenix ($3,500), Prescott ($3,790), Lake Havasu City ($4,000) and Sierra Vista ($4,410).
Qualifying Tucson seniors may have assisted living services covered under the Arizona Long-Term Care System, which operates under a Medicaid 1115 demonstration waiver. This waiver is an entitlement program without enrollment caps, meaning that everyone who qualifies for services is guaranteed to receive them. Rates and coverage for services are negotiated with each facility and sometimes with individual beneficiaries and vary by location.
For more information about the ALTCS program, see our Assisted Living in Arizona page.
| Contact | Description | |
| Ellie Towne Flowing Wells Community Center | 520-724-5360 | The Ellie Towne Flowing Wells Community Center is operated by the county’s Natural Resources, Parks and Recreation Department and provides numerous programs and classes for older adults. The center has a lunch program that serves noontime meals three days per week for a modest donation, and its senior lounge has a computer lab for those aged 50 and over. The center shows recently released movies at no charge on a monthly basis, and social activities like card games are offered daily. The center also hosts fitness classes that focus on improving strength, balance and heart health. |
| Pima Council on Aging | 520-790-7262 | The Pima Council on Aging is an Area Agency on Aging, a non-profit organization that offers innovative and integrated services to meet the needs of seniors in Tucson and the surrounding area. Services that it provides include home-delivered meals, Medicare options counseling, classes on falls prevention and medical transportation. It also maintains a resource directory that seniors can access to locate services such as legal assistance, moving resources, case management and health care providers. |
| Senior Corps at Interfaith Community Services | 520-526-9308 | Senior Corps is the largest volunteer organization in the country and provides a variety of volunteer opportunities to adults aged 55 and over. Volunteers choose how much they want to work, from a few hours to 40 hours per week, and they choose how they want to serve. Some volunteer opportunities include greeting visitors and answering phones at food banks, tutoring at-risk children and helping with fundraising events. |
| City of Tucson Senior Programs | 520-791-4873 | Tucson Parks and Recreation offers an array of services and programs for area seniors. These include EnhanceFitness, which is an exercise and falls prevention program, and a meal program. It also operates three dedicated senior centers where members can socialize, use a computer lab and access a library. For a low fee, those aged 50 and over can purchase an activity card that covers year-round programming, field trips, computer access, health programs, educational opportunities and services. |
| Tucson Vet Center | 520-882-0333 | The Tucson Vet Center is a community-based center that serves eligible veterans and their family members. The services offered include counseling, VA benefits explanation and referrals, screening and referrals for medical issues, community events and referrals to other VA services. Through the center, eligible veterans may receive assistance in applying for VA Aid and Attendance, which may help cover assisted living expenses. All services and activities provided by the center are free to eligible users. |
Tucson’s assisted living facilities are overseen by the Division of Public Health Licensing Services. This department enforces the laws and regulations that define what services facilities must offer, admission and retention requirements, staffing ratios and building requirements. For more information on these regulations, visit our Assisted Living in Arizona page.