Is board and care different from assisted living?
In California both hold the same state license. The difference is size: board and care usually means a home licensed for 6 or fewer residents.
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- The license
- The same for both, from the California Department of Social Services.
- The difference
- Size. 6,924 of the 8,620 licensed homes are for 6 or fewer residents, 1,368 for 16 or more (CDSS records, November 12, 2026).
See both kinds of homes near you
In California, “board and care” and “assisted living” are everyday names for the same kind of licensed home. The state calls it a residential care facility for the elderly (RCFE). Nursing homes are a different, medical license.
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What is a board and care home?
A board and care home is usually a house in a neighborhood, licensed for 6 or fewer residents. Staff help with bathing, dressing and medicines, cook the meals, and provide the care and supervision the license requires. Health and Safety Code §1569.2(o)(1)
6,924 homes in California are licensed for 6 or fewer residents. That is 80% of all 8,620 licensed homes (CDSS records, November 12, 2026).
What is an assisted living community?
“Assisted living” usually means a larger building with apartments or rooms, a dining room and planned activities. 1,368 homes are licensed for 16 or more residents, and another 328 for 7 to 15 (CDSS records, November 12, 2026).
They hold the same license as a small home, and most of the same rules apply; night staffing is one that differs by size. The state sets no fixed number of staff per resident for either size. Staff must be “sufficient in numbers” to meet residents’ needs. Title 22 §87411(a)
How do they compare?
| Board and care (6 or fewer) | Assisted living (16 or more) | |
|---|---|---|
| License | RCFE, licensed by the state | The same RCFE license |
| Licensed homes | 6,924 | 1,368 |
| Usual setting | A house in a neighborhood | A building with apartments or rooms |
| At night, 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. | A qualified person on call on the premises | At least one employee awake on duty, and another on call within 10 minutes |
| A resident with dementia who needs awake care at night | One person awake and on duty | Someone is already awake |
Homes near you, by size
Type a ZIP code or a city. You’ll see the 53 nearest, closest first.
Or see them by county:
- Los Angeles County (1,618)
- Orange County (994)
- Sacramento County (612)
- Riverside County (497)
- San Diego County (453)
- Contra Costa County (396)
- Fresno County (260)
- San Bernardino County (230)
Or we ask the homes about availability, price and the care you describe, and email you each answer.
Check availabilityNo home pays to appear here. Nothing on this page is ranked by quality, popularity or payment.
Is board and care cheaper?
No survey we found gives a price for board and care homes in California. The one survey with a California figure covers assisted living as a whole: a median of $7,000 a month in 2025 (CareScout). Each home sets its own rates.
Ask each home for its all-in monthly rate for the care your family member needs, in writing, and what would make it go up. A home must give 90 days’ written notice of a rate increase, with the reasons. Health and Safety Code §1569.655(a)
On SSI/SSP, in a home that accepts it, 2026
A home may charge for basic services$1,444.07
What the basic services amount is made of
- Room and board
- $706.07
- Care and supervision, at most
- $738
- A home may charge for basic services
- $1,444.07
SSI/SSP pays $1,626.07 a month to someone in a licensed care home, who keeps at least $182 for personal needs (CDSS notice PIN 25-19-CCLD). The state calls the basic services amount the “Basic Rate”. Title 22 §87101(b)(1)
No law we read makes a home accept the SSI/SSP rate. A home need not accept a particular resident Title 22 §87464(d), so ask each one before the move.
Is someone awake at night?
Not always in a small home. Between 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m., a home for fewer than 16 residents must have a qualified person on call on the premises. A home for 16 to 100 residents must have at least one employee awake and on duty, and another on call who can respond within 10 minutes. Title 22 §87415(a)
Ask who is awake at night
Ask each home who is on the premises at night, whether that person is awake, and how many residents they look after.
Can a small home care for dementia?
Yes, if it follows the state’s dementia care rules, which apply to any home caring for a resident with dementia. Title 22 §87705(a)
A home for fewer than 16 residents adds one thing at night: one person awake and on duty, if a resident with dementia needs awake supervision. Title 22 §87705(b)(2)
Does Medicare or Medi-Cal pay?
Medicare does not pay to live in either kind of home (Medicare.gov).
Medi-Cal’s Assisted Living Waiver can pay a participating home of either size for care, not rent, in 15 counties. For every way to pay, see paying for a care home.
Which suits your family member?
Neither size is better. A small home is a household with a few residents. A large community has apartments, a dining room, and more people and staff around.
Visit one of each, at a mealtime and in the evening. Ask every home the same things:
Questions families ask · 4
Is a board and care home licensed?
A licensed one holds the same RCFE license as a large community. Check the license on the home’s page here, or on the state’s own search, before you visit.
How many people live in a board and care home?
Most are licensed for 6 or fewer residents. The number a home is licensed for is on its page.
Do board and care homes take Medi-Cal?
Medi-Cal does not pay the rent. A home of either size that takes part in the Assisted Living Waiver can be paid for care, in 15 counties. Some homes accept the SSI/SSP rate.
How is a board and care home different from a nursing home?
A nursing home is a medical facility, licensed by the California Department of Public Health, with nurses on duty around the clock. A board and care home is not: it may not admit or keep someone who needs 24-hour skilled nursing care. Health and Safety Code §1569.72(a)
Next, step 2 of 6: Ways to pay for care
- Paying for a care home in California
Most residents pay privately: about 17% had any care paid by Medicaid in 2022 (CDC). The California median for assisted living was $7,000 a month in 2025 (CareScout).
- Medi-Cal’s Assisted Living Waiver
Medi-Cal can pay a participating home for care, not rent, in 15 counties. 15,910 people were waiting in March 2026 (DHCS).
- SSI in a care home
SSI/SSP pays $1,626.07 a month in a licensed care home in 2026. A home that accepts it may charge $1,444.07 for basic services.
- When the money runs out
A home may give 30 days’ notice once the basic rate is 10 days late. Ask before moving in whether it will take SSI or Medi-Cal later.