Honolulu Senior AdvisorHow many hours of home care equal assisted living in Hawaii?
At CareScout's 2025 Hawaii median of about $41 an hour, roughly 68 hours of paid home care a week costs about the same as the state's assisted living median of $12,089 a month, and around-the-clock home care (168 hours) costs about $29,800 a month, far more than any residential option.
| Paid hours per week | Monthly home care at $41/hour | Versus assisted living median ($12,089) |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | $1,777 | less |
| 20 | $3,553 | less |
| 30 | $5,330 | less |
| 44 | $7,817 | less |
| 56 | $9,949 | less |
| 68 | $12,081 | less |
| 84 | $14,924 | more |
| 112 | $19,899 | more |
| 168 | $29,848 | more |
The numbers show why most families combine unpaid family help with a modest number of paid hours, and why a move becomes the cheaper option once supervision is needed overnight.
What do these numbers leave out?
The comparison leaves out the cost of the home itself (mortgage, property tax, maintenance and utilities that continue at home), the unpaid hours family members give, overtime and holiday rates, agency minimum shifts, and the fact that a care home rate includes meals and supervision.
It also leaves out care homes, because no one publishes their median. If a care home on your side of the island quotes a rate below the assisted living median, that quote is the number to put in the comparison.
When does staying home make the most sense?
Staying home makes the most sense when the help needed is predictable and mostly daytime (bathing, meals, medication reminders, rides), when a family member lives nearby, and when the home is safe or can be made safe with grab bars and fall alerts.
Med-QUEST long-term care can also pay for services at home for members at the right level of care, and EAD's in-home services can fill gaps. See Kupuna Care and caregiver support.
When does a move make more sense?
A move makes more sense when someone needs help at night, can no longer be left alone, has dementia with wandering, or when the hours of paid help are climbing past 50 or 60 a week.
At that point a care home's single monthly rate usually costs less than the equivalent home care hours and provides 24-hour supervision. Compare home care and a care home.
At a glance
| This math shows | This math does not show | |
|---|---|---|
| Break-even | When paid hours equal a facility median | Your parent's actual quote |
| Inputs | CareScout's 2025 Hawaii medians | Care home prices (not surveyed) |
| Costs at home | Paid care hours | Mortgage, utilities, family time |
| Decision | A starting point | The right answer for every family |
Sources include Hawaii Administrative Rules chapters 11-100.1, 11-90 and 11-800, HRS 321-481 and 321-1.8, Office of Health Care Assurance rosters and pages, the 2026 HHS poverty guidelines, CMS, CareScout and VA rate tables as cited above; see our editorial standards.
