Greenville Senior AdvisorIs home care cheaper than assisted living in Greenville?
It depends on hours: at CareScout's 2025 South Carolina median of about $31 an hour, home care costs less than the $5,350 monthly assisted living median below roughly 40 hours a week and more above it, and round-the-clock home care costs several times as much.
| Paid hours per week | Monthly home care at $31/hour | Versus assisted living median ($5,350) |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | $1,343 | less |
| 20 | $2,687 | less |
| 30 | $4,030 | less |
| 40 | $5,373 | more |
| 44 | $5,911 | more |
| 50 | $6,717 | more |
| 60 | $8,060 | more |
| 84 | $11,284 | more |
| 168 | $22,568 | more |
Those figures leave out the costs of the house itself, food and utilities, which assisted living includes. They also assume an agency's hourly rate; many agencies set minimum shift lengths, so a parent who needs short visits several times a day may pay for more hours than they use.
When is home care the better choice?
Home care fits best when a parent is safe alone at night, needs help mainly at predictable times such as mornings and evenings, has a home that is accessible or can be adapted, and has family nearby who can cover gaps when an aide calls out.
DPH's data lists 295 licensed in-home care providers with offices in Greenville, Anderson, Pickens and Laurens counties, 227 of them in Greenville County. The Community Choices waiver can pay for personal care, companion care and respite at home for Medicaid-eligible adults who meet nursing facility level of care, which makes home care the more affordable path for some lower-income families.
When is assisted living the better choice?
Assisted living fits better when help is needed at unpredictable hours, especially at night, when falls or missed medications keep happening, when isolation is wearing a parent down, or when the family caregiver can no longer keep up.
A South Carolina CRCF must keep a staff member awake and dressed at all times, with at least one staff member per eight residents at peak hours. That is coverage a household can rarely match without very expensive overnight care.
How are home care agencies licensed in South Carolina?
DPH licenses in-home care providers, the agencies that send aides for non-medical personal care and companionship, and separately licenses home health agencies, which provide skilled nursing and therapy, usually under Medicare.
Check any agency on DPH's Find a Facility map under In-Home Care Providers. Hiring an individual caregiver privately avoids agency markup but makes the family the employer, responsible for background checks, taxes and backup coverage.
Can we combine home care and assisted living?
Yes. Some families add private hours from an in-home care agency or a private sitter inside a CRCF for extra one-on-one time, and Regulation 60-84 allows private sitters through a formal facility program with background checks and orientation (Section 506).
That combination can delay a move to a higher level of care. Ask the facility about its private sitter policy before hiring anyone.
At a glance
| Home care | Assisted living (CRCF) | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | About $31/hour (2025 SC median) | About $5,350/month (2025 SC median) |
| Nights | Covered only if you pay for overnight hours | Staff awake and dressed at all times |
| License | DPH in-home care provider or home health agency | DPH CRCF |
| Public help | Community Choices waiver at home | OSS or Residential Personal Care in participating CRCFs |
Sources include S.C. Code Regs. 60-84, DPH Healthcare Quality and SCDHHS pages and bulletins, CareScout, CMS and VA rate tables as cited above; see our editorial standards.
