Senior living in Santa Maria, CA
45 licensed communities in Santa Maria, Santa Barbara County with real, all-in monthly pricing. Compare honestly and book your own tours — Chapter never sells your information.
What senior living costs in Santa Maria
Real all-in monthly cost — base rent plus a typical care add-on — across 45 local communities.
21 homes in Santa Maria are licensed by the state to care for residents with dementia. A dementia license doesn't always mean a secured unit, so ask each home. See dementia-licensed homes →
At about $6,942/mo all-in, Santa Maria runs 8% above the California average of $6,401, and 22% above the national benchmark of about $5,700/mo (Genworth/CareScout Cost of Care).
All-in pricing is base rent plus a typical care add-on. Estimated figures are marked on each listing and refined as communities verify their rates on Chapter.
How Santa Maria compares to nearby cities
Average all-in monthly cost in other Santa Barbara County cities, so you can weigh options a short drive away.
Communities in Santa Maria
Ranked by resident rating — never by who pays us.
Erneil Board And Care
Lorie's Rcfe Llc #3
Magnolia
Tina's Gentle Care Homes I
Janelle's Rcfe
Mydor's Open Guest Home, Inc. I
Tina's Gentle Care Homes Ii
Villa-care Home Iv
Mydor's Open Guest Home, Inc. Ii
Merrill Gardens At Santa Maria
Villa-care Home Iii
A Casa Ranch
La Salle Care Home Inc.
Mydor's Open Guest Home, Inc. Iii
Sunrise Care-home For The Elderly
A Splendid Living, Rcfe
Aaa Kindness Care Ii
Pedflor's Residential Care Ii
Superior Residential Care For The Elderly Ii
Amalia's Residence
Hillview Senior Living
Oani Home Care Rcfe
Santa Maria Terrace
Prefer a smaller, home-like setting? 39 of Santa Maria's communities are board and care homes with six or fewer residents. See board and care homes in Santa Maria
All 45 licensed communities in Santa Maria, with monthly cost
- A Casa Ranch$6,700/mo est.
- A Splendid Living, Rcfe$6,850/mo est.
- Aaa Kindness Care Ii$6,850/mo est.
- Amalia's Residence$6,950/mo est.
- Amalia's Residence Ii$7,200/mo est.
- Andrea's Board & Care$7,300/mo est.
- Ave's Board And Care$7,200/mo est.
- Cacho's Home Care$7,300/mo est.
- Cavilla Care Home$7,300/mo est.
- Cloe And Erica's Board & Care$7,200/mo est.
- Erneil Board And Care$6,500/mo est.
- Estrell Home Care Llc$7,450/mo est.
- Grapevine Rcfe, The$6,500/mo est.
- Hillview Senior Living$6,950/mo est.
- Janelle's Rcfe$6,500/mo est.
- Jireh Senior Home Corporation$7,100/mo est.
- La Salle Care Home Inc.$6,700/mo est.
- Lifetouch The Elegant Living Residential Home Care$7,300/mo est.
- Lorie's Rcfe Llc #2$7,300/mo est.
- Lorie's Rcfe Llc #3$6,500/mo est.
- Lynn's Rcfe #2$7,200/mo est.
- Magnolia$6,500/mo est.
- Maria's Guest Home$7,100/mo est.
- Merrill Gardens At Santa Maria$6,700/mo est.
- My Family Residential Care Home$7,100/mo est.
- Mydor's Open Guest Home Iv$7,100/mo est.
- Mydor's Open Guest Home, Inc. I$6,500/mo est.
- Mydor's Open Guest Home, Inc. Ii$6,600/mo est.
- Mydor's Open Guest Home, Inc. Iii$6,700/mo est.
- Oani Home Care For The Elderly, Inc.$7,300/mo est.
- Oani Home Care Rcfe$6,950/mo est.
- Pedflor's Residential Care Ii$6,850/mo est.
- Primrose$7,100/mo est.
- Royal Care Home$7,200/mo est.
- Santa Maria Terrace$6,950/mo est.
- Silver Hills Rcfe$7,300/mo est.
- Sunrise Care-home For The Elderly$6,700/mo est.
- Superior Residential Care Facility For The Elderly$7,450/mo est.
- Superior Residential Care For The Elderly Ii$6,850/mo est.
- Tina's Gentle Care Homes I$6,500/mo est.
- Tina's Gentle Care Homes Ii$6,500/mo est.
- Villa-care Home I$6,950/mo est.
- Villa-care Home Ii$7,450/mo est.
- Villa-care Home Iii$6,700/mo est.
- Villa-care Home Iv$6,500/mo est.
How to pay for senior living in California
Most families combine private funds with one or more of these programs. Here's a plain-English rundown of what's available in California.
Medi-Cal Assisted Living Waiver (ALW)
California's Assisted Living Waiver lets Medi-Cal cover the care portion of assisted living — personal care and health services, not room and board — for people who would otherwise qualify for a nursing home. You generally must have full Medi-Cal with no share of cost, be 21 or older, need nursing-facility level of care, and live in one of the roughly 15 participating counties (which include Los Angeles, San Diego, Sacramento, Orange, and San Francisco). Slots are capped and there's usually a waitlist, so families apply early through a local Care Coordination Agency.
VA Aid & Attendance pension
Wartime veterans and their surviving spouses who need help with daily activities may qualify for the VA's Aid & Attendance pension, which is added on top of the basic VA pension to help pay for care. For December 2025 through November 2026, the maximum is roughly $2,424 a month for a single veteran, $2,874 for a veteran with a spouse, and $1,558 for a surviving spouse. Eligibility depends on service history, income, and net worth.
Long-term care insurance
If your loved one holds a long-term care insurance policy, it often pays toward assisted living or memory care once they need help with two or more activities of daily living. Check the daily or monthly benefit amount, the elimination (waiting) period, and whether the policy requires a licensed community — nearly every community in our directory is state-licensed.
Medical expense tax deduction
When a resident is chronically ill — needing help with at least two activities of daily living, or requiring supervision due to cognitive decline — and care follows a documented plan of care, the IRS lets you deduct qualifying medical costs above 7.5% of adjusted gross income, if you itemize. Care services, medication management, and dementia care typically qualify; pure room and board usually doesn't. A tax professional can confirm what applies to your situation.
This is general information to help you plan — not financial, tax, or legal advice. Benefit amounts and eligibility rules change, so confirm details with the program or a qualified professional before making decisions.
Senior living in Santa Maria — FAQ
How much does senior living cost in Santa Maria?
Across 45 communities in Santa Maria, the average all-in cost is about $6,942 per month (median $6,950), generally ranging from $6,500 to $7,450. All-in means base rent plus a typical monthly care add-on. Assisted living and memory care usually cost more than independent living because of the added personal care.
How many homes in Santa Maria are licensed for dementia care?
21 homes in Santa Maria are licensed by California's Community Care Licensing Division to care for residents with dementia. A dementia license means the home meets the state's dementia-care rules; it doesn't always mean a secured (locked) memory care unit, so ask each home how it handles wandering and what training its staff have.
How can I pay for senior living in Santa Maria?
Most families combine private funds with programs like the Medi-Cal Assisted Living Waiver (which covers care costs — not room and board — in participating California counties), the VA's Aid & Attendance pension for wartime veterans and their spouses, long-term care insurance, and medical-expense tax deductions. See the "How to pay for senior living in California" section above for details on each.
What levels of senior care are available in Santa Maria?
Santa Maria has 45 licensed communities offering assisted living. Chapter shows every licensed community — not just the ones that pay to be featured.
Does Chapter charge families or sell my information in Santa Maria?
No. Chapter is always free for families, and we never sell or share your contact information. When you book a tour, your details go only to that one community — you'll never get calls from a dozen sales teams. That's the opposite of how referral sites in California typically work.
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