Florida Nursing Home Statistics 2026: How the State Compares Nationally

Florida families searching for nursing home care are navigating one of the most complex decisions of their lives, often with limited access to the underlying data that should inform those choices. Government records contain more than most families realize. The 2026 Florida Senior Care Report translates that data into a clear picture of where Florida stands nationally on staffing, costs, and facility quality.

Here is what the numbers say.

Florida's Staffing Floor Is the Highest in the Country

Florida law requires nursing homes to provide at least 3.6 hours of nursing care per resident per day. No state requires more. The federal government does not currently set a binding national floor; rules passed in 2024 have been placed under a moratorium through 2034. Florida's statutory requirement fills that gap and then some.

The practical question is what actually happens at the bedside.

Staffing Metric	Florida Actual	National Average	What to Look For
Total Nurse Hours / Resident / Day	3.6 hrs	3.9 hrs	4.0+ hrs preferred
RN Hours / Resident / Day	0.52 hrs	0.68 hrs	0.6+ hrs preferred
CNA Hours / Resident / Day	2.2 hrs	2.1 hrs	2.4+ hrs preferred
Staff Turnover Rate (Annual)	~52%	~48%	Below 40% is strong

Source: CMS Care Compare staffing data, 2025-2026.

On total nurse hours, Florida's actual average of 3.6 hours per resident per day sits below the national average of 3.9 hours. The legal minimum is being met, but facilities are not exceeding it in aggregate. The gap is sharper for registered nurse hours: Florida averages 0.52 RN hours per resident per day against a national average of 0.68. Registered nurses handle assessments, care planning, and medical oversight. Their role is not interchangeable with certified nursing assistants, and their relative absence in Florida nursing homes is one of the 2026 report's more significant findings.

Staff turnover adds another layer of concern. At roughly 52% annually, Florida's nursing home turnover rate runs above the national average of 48%. High turnover disrupts continuity of care, makes it harder for residents to build trusting relationships with staff, and often signals deeper management or compensation problems within a facility.

Star Ratings: On Par Nationally, but the Spread Is Wide

Florida nursing homes carry an average CMS star rating of 3.1 out of 5, roughly in line with the national average of 3.0. At first glance, that reads as a neutral result. The distribution tells a more textured story.

Star Rating	Share of Florida Nursing Homes
5 stars (highest)	14%
4 stars	22%
3 stars	28%
2 stars	18%
1 star (lowest)	18%

Source: CMS Care Compare, 2025-2026 data.

Nearly one in five Florida nursing homes holds a one-star overall rating. CMS reserves that designation for facilities with serious, ongoing concerns across health inspections, staffing levels, or resident outcomes. Just 14% reach the five-star tier. The result is a state average that understates how wide the quality gap between facilities actually is.

One important caveat: a facility's overall star rating combines three subscores, and a weak staffing score can drag down an otherwise solid inspection record, or vice versa. Looking at each component score individually gives a more accurate read of what is driving a facility's number.

Cost: A Consistent and Meaningful Advantage

On cost, Florida is genuinely competitive. Across every category of care, Florida families pay less per month than the national average.

Care Type	Florida Monthly Average	National Monthly Average	Monthly Savings
Assisted Living	$5,484	$6,129	$645
Memory Care	$6,800	$7,500	$700
Nursing Home (Shared Room)	$9,885	$10,950	$1,065
Nursing Home (Private Room)	$11,406	$12,800	$1,394
In-Home Care	$4,419	$5,720	$1,301

Source: Genworth Cost of Care Survey, A Place for Mom 2026 Report, CareScout.

For a family paying out of pocket for a private nursing home room, the monthly savings add up to more than $16,700 per year compared to the national average. That advantage is not uniform across the state. South Florida and Northeast Florida markets run well above the state average, while Southwest Florida and North Central Florida offer the largest discounts. The 2026 report includes a full city-by-city cost breakdown across 18 Florida markets.

What This Means for Families Choosing a Facility

Florida's statutory staffing requirement sets a meaningful baseline protection, but the data makes clear that many facilities are meeting the minimum and stopping there. The actual staffing picture, particularly for registered nurse hours, lags behind the national average despite the state's leading legal standard.

Two metrics are worth examining at the facility level before anything else: RN hours per resident per day and annual staff turnover rate. Both are published by CMS for every certified nursing home in the country, and both are more predictive of care quality than the overall star rating alone. A facility with fewer than 0.5 RN hours per resident per day, or turnover above 60% annually, deserves pointed questions before any decision is made.

The cost advantage is real and consistent. Florida families pay several hundred to over a thousand dollars less per month than they would in most other states, which matters for both immediate affordability and long-term planning.

Star ratings provide a useful starting point. The staffing and inspection data underneath them tells the complete story.