Our reporting on how the price of care erodes what families leave behind started with a simple question: What does it actually cost to grow old in the United States?
The typical American who died between 2006 and 2022 spent about $19,000 out of pocket on care in their final decade, a Washington Post analysis of federal data found. But that figure hides two things. It is an average: 1 in 6 ends up spending more than $50,000. More importantly, it excludes room and board at a facility, often the biggest cost, which can range from about $4,400 to more than $12,000 a month depending on location.