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Senior Living in Phoenix, AZ: Verified Testimonials & 2026 Costs

Data updated November 2026·Testimonials verified by phone through Aug 2026·Ratings from CMS Care Compare

Senior living in Phoenix, Arizona spans 1 verified communities and 80 Medicare-certified nursing homes across Maricopa and Pinal counties in Arizona. Published starting rates at featured communities run $3,000–$3,000 per month, 36 area nursing homes hold a 5-star CMS rating, and every community testimonial here comes from a verified phone interview, 20+ in total. 1597 state-licensed assisted living, memory care, and independent living communities are listed below by county.

Free family guideWhat care costs and how families pay

Compare 1 verified communities

Every community below has testimonials from recorded phone interviews with its own residents and families. Prices shown are the operators’ published starting rates — not estimates, and not gated behind a form.

CommunityLocationCare typesStarting pricePhone-verified testimonialsCMS rating
The Gardens of Sun CitySun City, AZAssisted LivingMemory CareFrom $3,000/mo20+ verifiedlatest Aug 2026—

Starting rates published by each operator, verified June 2026. Skilled nursing is typically billed by payer (Medicare/Medicaid/private) rather than a monthly rate. CMS ratings apply to Medicare-certified skilled nursing only — assisted living is state-licensed and has no federal rating.

The Gardens of Sun City

Sun City, AZ · Assisted Living · Memory Care
“My mother in law lives in this community and they have a very responsive memory care staff. They are very kind and patient. They have a lot going on there and…”
— Margaret Eisnaugle, Sep 2024 · phone-verified
Read 20+ verified testimonials →

All senior living in Phoenix: 1597 licensed communities by county

Every assisted living, memory care, and independent living community licensed by the state in Maricopa and Pinal counties in Arizona, from state licensing records. Listing here is not a rating: Lilisity publishes no score for any community that has not earned an award. Communities marked verified testimonials have phone-verified resident and family interviews on file.

Also listed from public records: 12 independent living, life plan or 55+ communities and 59 income-restricted senior apartment buildings. Independent living is not licensed by the state, so they are listed apart on each county page.

Maricopa County, AZ 1535 communities

Pinal County, AZ 62 communities

How much does senior living cost in Phoenix?

Verified starting rates at featured Phoenix communities range from $3,000 per month at The Gardens of Sun City (assisted living) to $3,000 at The Gardens of Sun City (assisted living and memory care). Memory care generally runs $1,000–$1,500 above assisted living; skilled nursing is billed through Medicare, Medicaid, or private pay rather than monthly rent.

Care typeTypical Phoenix rangeWhat it covers
Independent living$3,000 – $4,500Private apartment or cottage, meals and services optional
Assisted living$4,500 – $6,500Daily personal care, meals, medication management
Memory care$5,500 – $8,000Secured neighborhood, dementia-trained staff
Skilled nursingPayer-based24/7 medical care; Medicare/Medicaid/private pay

Ranges reflect published rates at verified Phoenix-area communities plus operator-published market rates, November 2026. Arizona’s Medicaid waiver programs and VA Aid & Attendance can offset costs — see the FAQ below.

What are the highest-rated nursing homes in Phoenix?

36 of the 80 Medicare-certified nursing homes in the Phoenix metro hold the highest possible 5-star overall rating from CMS — including Coronado Healthcare Center in Phoenix. Every facility below links to its full inspection history, staffing hours, and deficiency record.

Facility ↕Location ↕CMS rating ↕Beds ↕Operator ↕
Coronado Healthcare CenterPhoenix, AZ★★★★★ 5/5191The Ensign Group
Peoria Post Acute and RehabilitationPeoria, AZ★★★★★ 5/5179The Ensign Group
Plaza HealthcareScottsdale, AZ★★★★★ 5/5179Independent
Estrella Health and Rehabilitation CenterAvondale, AZ★★★★★ 5/5161The Ensign Group
North Mountain Medical and Rehabilitation CenterPhoenix, AZ★★★★★ 5/5155The Ensign Group
AZ - Rio Vista Post Acute and RehabilitationPeoria, AZ★★★★★ 5/5150The Ensign Group
Sun West Choice Healthcare & RehabSun City West, AZ★★★★★ 5/5140The Ensign Group
Osborn Health and RehabilitationScottsdale, AZ★★★★★ 5/5130The Ensign Group
Citadel Post AcuteMesa, AZ★★★★★ 5/5128The Ensign Group
Archstone Care CenterChandler, AZ★★★★★ 5/5120Independent
Shea Post Acute Rehabilitation CenterScottsdale, AZ★★★★★ 5/5120The Ensign Group
Boswell Transitional Care of CascadiaSun City, AZ★★★★★ 5/5115Cascadia Healthcare
Freedom Plaza Care CenterPeoria, AZ★★★★★ 5/5111Independent
Heritage Court Post Acute of ScottsdaleScottsdale, AZ★★★★★ 5/5108The Ensign Group
Surprise Health and Rehabilitation CenterSurprise, AZ★★★★★ 5/5100The Ensign Group

Source: CMS Care Compare, federal five-star quality rating system, retrieved November 2026. Lilisity republishes this government data unmodified; no facility can pay to change its rating.

Which Phoenix areas have senior living?

Senior living in the Phoenix metro is spread across Maricopa and Pinal counties in Arizona. The cities with the most licensed communities and nursing homes are listed below; most sit within a short drive of the region’s hospital systems, which matters for families coordinating specialist care or hospital discharge.

Arizona

  • Phoenix (376)
  • Mesa (201)
  • Scottsdale (184)
  • Chandler (153)
  • Glendale (146)
  • Surprise (139)
  • Peoria (124)
  • Gilbert (82)
  • Goodyear (36)

How these testimonials were collected and how we’re paid

  1. We interview residents and family members by phone, voice to voice — never web forms, never scraped from other sites.
  2. Every testimonial is named and dated, and verified against the community’s current resident or family list before publishing.
  3. Testimonials are published as given, including critical ones. Of the 20 on this page, 20 are five-star and 0 are four-star. None were removed.

How Lilisity is paid: Communities can pay Lilisity a flat monthly fee to manage their own listing: photos, prices, contact details, and receiving the inquiries families choose to send them. The fee is the same no matter how many families contact them or move in. Senior Living Alliance, which runs Lilisity, offers the same listing to its member communities as part of their membership; members pay SLA for its resident and family interview program. No community pays Lilisity per inquiry, per referral or per move-in. Payment never changes a testimonial, a rating, or the order of search results. The "Nearby Senior Living Alliance communities" box shows member communities only. CMS ratings come from the federal government, and testimonials come from residents. Read the full methodology → · How we are paid →

Recent verified testimonials from Phoenix families

★★★★★

“The management is excellent and responsive. The dining is pretty good, with a definite variety of choices and very good service. They try to have activities every day for the people who live here, and everything is cleaned. The nursing staff is very on schedule. I'm very satisfied with the…”

Elena Surak · Aug 2026 · The Gardens of Sun Cityphone-verified

Assisted living and memory care by city

Assisted Living in Phoenix 352Assisted Living in Mesa 189Assisted Living in Scottsdale 172Assisted Living in Chandler 148Assisted Living in Glendale 140Assisted Living in Surprise 137Assisted Living in Peoria 119Assisted Living in Gilbert 80Assisted Living in Goodyear 35Assisted Living in Queen Creek 24Assisted Living in Maricopa 22Assisted Living in Tempe 22Assisted Living in Avondale 16Assisted Living in Paradise Valley 16Assisted Living in Sun City 16Assisted Living in San Tan Valley 15Assisted Living in Apache Junction 11Assisted Living in Fountain Hills 11Assisted Living in Casa Grande 10Assisted Living in Anthem 9Assisted Living in Litchfield Park 9

Phoenix senior living questions, answered

Most states, including Arizona, offer a Medicaid waiver that covers care costs (not room and board) at participating assisted living communities for people who qualify financially and medically. Not every community accepts the waiver, so ask early. Veterans and surviving spouses may also qualify for VA Aid & Attendance, worth up to roughly $2,300 per month toward care.

Assisted living provides housing, meals, and help with daily tasks like bathing and medications in an apartment setting, state-licensed and mostly private pay. Nursing homes (skilled nursing) provide 24/7 medical care, are federally certified and CMS-rated, and are typically paid through Medicare, Medicaid, or long-term-care insurance.

Every facility in the table above links to its full record — CMS star ratings, health-inspection findings, staffing hours per resident, and any fines or penalties, sourced from Medicare's Care Compare data. 36 Phoenix-area facilities currently hold a 5-star overall rating.

Assisted living moves can happen in days when a community has availability — after a nurse assessment and paperwork. Memory care placements after a crisis often complete within one to two weeks. Ask each community about openings when you call.

Yes. All 20 testimonials on this page come from recorded, voice-to-voice phone interviews with named residents and family members, conducted and verified by Senior Living Alliance. Nothing is scraped, anonymous, or edited, including the four-star testimonials.

Free help with senior living in Phoenix

Our free guide shows the starting prices communities post for each kind of care, walks you through a monthly budget, and explains how insurance, VA benefits, Medicaid and Medicare can help. We don’t share your information with any community.

Cover of the Lilisity guide Paying for Senior Living

Free guide · 16 pages

Paying for Senior Living

Costs by type of care, a monthly budget, and how insurance, the VA, Medicaid and Medicare help.

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Cover of the Lilisity guide Paying for Senior Living

Free guide · 16 pages

Paying for Senior Living

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Free for families. No community pays Lilisity per inquiry, per referral or per move-in. How we are paid.
Explore more: All Arizona senior livingMaricopa CountyPinal CountyHow testimonials are verifiedSenior living costs by state
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