Direct answer: Every published price object must identify what was measured, geography, source, source date or survey year, period, methodology label and last-verification date. Different datasets are not silently blended into one fake average.
What qualifies as a publishable cost object
| Field | Required |
|---|---|
| Care type | Assisted living, memory care or another clearly defined setting. |
| Geography | State, county or city/search area. |
| Metric | Median, average, starting rate, quoted rate or other explicitly named measure. |
| Amount + period | For example, monthly USD. |
| Source | Named publisher with a traceable source URL. |
| Source date | Survey year or publication/review date where available. |
| Last verified | Date this site last checked the source. |
| Methodology note | Enough explanation to prevent unlike datasets from being treated as identical. |
What we refuse to do
- Average two unrelated published numbers and call the result a “Golden Care average.”
- Turn a provider's starting rate into a city average.
- Present an old directory number as a current provider quote.
- Publish an exact local number where no defensible local evidence exists.
- Hide the fact that two sources use different methodologies.
Freshness rule
Planning benchmarks should be rechecked at least annually. Provider-specific pricing is more volatile and should be confirmed directly whenever a family is making an actual placement decision.
Machine-readable access
The public Cost Knowledge Objects hub summarizes the active dataset. A machine-readable copy is also included at /data/cost-knowledge-catalog.json.
Compare the Complete Cost, Not the Headline Rate
Use source-labeled benchmarks for planning, then request a written provider quote based on the resident's actual care needs.
Start the Decision Process