Updated October 15, 2026. Data: U.S. Labor Department, Bureau of Labor Statistics, quarterly count of jobs and wages from employer tax records, first quarter 2026 vs. first quarter 2025. Figures are preliminary. Second-quarter 2026 figures are due in December.
Privately owned nursing homes employed about 1.56 million people in early 2026, up 2.5% from a year earlier. The number of locations barely changed (+0.4%, to 20,233), so the growth came from more staff per home. Among states, jobs grew fastest in District of Columbia (+17.8%), Oregon (+9.7%) and Hawaii (+9.0%) and fell most in Montana (-7.9%), Mississippi (-6.8%) and North Dakota (-3.6%).
Change in jobs in each state
The biggest employers are California (152,594 jobs), Texas (108,286 jobs) and New York (103,427 jobs).
Every state: jobs, locations and pay
Click a column to sort. Jobs are the average of January, February and March.
| State | Jobs, Q1 2026 | Jobs, Q1 2025 | Change | Locations, Q1 2026 | Locations change | Average weekly pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. | 1,562,724 | 1,524,363 | +2.5% | 20,233 | +0.4% | $959 |
| Alabama | 27,749 | 27,164 | +2.2% | 282 | +6.8% | $793 |
| Alaska | 846 | 584 | +44.9% | 14 | +16.7% | $1,188 |
| Arizona | 17,900 | 17,421 | +2.8% | 238 | -6.7% | $1,103 |
| Arkansas | 20,713 | 19,914 | +4.0% | 272 | +1.5% | $739 |
| California | 152,594 | 147,675 | +3.3% | 2,034 | -2.2% | $1,142 |
| Colorado | 20,587 | 20,153 | +2.2% | 267 | +1.5% | $1,042 |
| Connecticut | 27,185 | 26,765 | +1.6% | 254 | +5.4% | $1,004 |
| Delaware | 4,860 | 4,760 | +2.1% | 58 | -1.7% | $993 |
| District of Columbia | 3,160 | 2,683 | +17.8% | 44 | -8.3% | $1,174 |
| Florida | 94,388 | 92,033 | +2.6% | 1,301 | +2.4% | $887 |
| Georgia | 37,000 | 34,732 | +6.5% | 621 | +4.5% | $917 |
| Hawaii | 4,448 | 4,080 | +9.0% | 56 | +1.8% | $1,154 |
| Idaho | 5,786 | 5,643 | +2.5% | 139 | -2.1% | $971 |
| Illinois | 70,389 | 69,753 | +0.9% | 815 | +1.7% | $926 |
| Indiana | 46,777 | 45,541 | +2.7% | 643 | -0.6% | $905 |
| Iowa | 27,537 | 26,842 | +2.6% | 370 | -1.1% | $815 |
| Kansas | 18,424 | 17,859 | +3.2% | 300 | +2.4% | $791 |
| Kentucky | 27,376 | 25,711 | +6.5% | 402 | +5.0% | $880 |
| Louisiana | 25,374 | 25,423 | -0.2% | 334 | +2.1% | $799 |
| Maine | 6,692 | 6,629 | +1.0% | 80 | -2.4% | $983 |
| Maryland | 28,359 | 27,331 | +3.8% | 476 | +0.4% | $1,110 |
| Massachusetts | 41,628 | 41,551 | +0.2% | 424 | -0.7% | $1,138 |
| Michigan | 42,434 | 43,165 | -1.7% | 484 | -2.2% | $928 |
| Minnesota | 40,755 | 39,923 | +2.1% | 553 | -0.9% | $879 |
| Mississippi | 15,410 | 16,539 | -6.8% | 205 | -1.4% | $781 |
| Missouri | 40,852 | 39,798 | +2.6% | 642 | +3.4% | $811 |
| Montana | 4,313 | 4,684 | -7.9% | 85 | -2.3% | $986 |
| Nebraska | 13,242 | 12,798 | +3.5% | 163 | +7.2% | $831 |
| Nevada | 8,564 | 8,032 | +6.6% | 81 | +6.6% | $1,013 |
| New Hampshire | 5,914 | 6,009 | -1.6% | 77 | -31.2% | $1,144 |
| New Jersey | 47,105 | 45,550 | +3.4% | 458 | +6.8% | $1,050 |
| New Mexico | 7,247 | 6,948 | +4.3% | 102 | -2.9% | $1,005 |
| New York | 103,427 | 102,687 | +0.7% | 756 | +1.7% | $1,141 |
| North Carolina | 42,352 | 40,772 | +3.9% | 585 | +3.9% | $911 |
| North Dakota | 7,232 | 7,505 | -3.6% | 71 | -7.8% | $907 |
| Ohio | 92,535 | 90,708 | +2.0% | 1,162 | -1.9% | $834 |
| Oklahoma | 21,661 | 21,219 | +2.1% | 345 | -1.7% | $765 |
| Oregon | 14,557 | 13,266 | +9.7% | 197 | -0.5% | $1,095 |
| Pennsylvania | 65,658 | 63,671 | +3.1% | 638 | +0.3% | $975 |
| Rhode Island | 8,486 | 8,654 | -1.9% | 94 | +0.0% | $1,047 |
| South Carolina | 20,469 | 20,397 | +0.3% | 394 | +0.8% | $908 |
| South Dakota | 6,486 | 6,350 | +2.1% | 89 | -7.3% | $878 |
| Tennessee | 32,293 | 31,328 | +3.1% | 395 | +0.5% | $941 |
| Texas | 108,286 | 103,939 | +4.2% | 1,793 | +1.2% | $892 |
| Utah | 10,242 | 10,111 | +1.3% | 152 | -5.0% | $867 |
| Vermont | 3,449 | 3,294 | +4.7% | 55 | -8.3% | $1,032 |
| Virginia | 29,986 | 29,623 | +1.2% | 412 | +3.8% | $993 |
| Washington | 22,197 | 21,034 | +5.5% | 263 | -1.5% | $1,205 |
| West Virginia | 9,721 | 8,919 | +9.0% | 165 | -1.8% | $945 |
| Wisconsin | 26,087 | 25,217 | +3.4% | 365 | -2.1% | $846 |
| Wyoming | 1,988 | 1,976 | +0.6% | 28 | -3.4% | $816 |
What the numbers show, and what they don’t
- Alaska is left out of the rankings. It had only about 584 private nursing home jobs a year earlier, so its +45% change rests on a small number. It stays in the table.
- Government-run homes aren’t here. This page counts privately owned nursing homes. Homes owned by governments, such as state veterans homes and county homes, are counted separately.
- What’s included: skilled nursing facilities and nursing homes. Assisted living and home health care are counted separately. Compare with home health care jobs.
For owners and would-be owners
- Staffing is the hard part. Nursing homes rely on nurses and aides, and many hire through staffing agencies. Small staffing firms are a common way into this field. See how to set up an LLC.
- Licensing is strict. Running a nursing home takes a state facility license and, to bill Medicare or Medicaid, federal certification.
Starting a health care staffing or home care business?
Form your LLC with ZenBusiness. For coverage, compare business insurance quotes from Simply Business.
We may earn a commission if you use this link. It doesn’t change what you pay, and it doesn’t affect the data on this page.
How we counted
- Source: U.S. Labor Department, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, industry 6231 (nursing care facilities, skilled nursing), privately owned businesses, first quarter of 2026 and 2025.
- Jobs are the average of the three monthly counts and include full- and part-time workers on payroll. Owners with no payroll and self-employed people aren’t counted.
- Locations are individual work sites (establishments), not companies. One company with ten offices counts ten times.
- State is where the job is located as reported by the employer.
- Preliminary: first-quarter 2026 figures can be revised.
Sources
Cite this data
Reporters and bloggers may use these numbers and charts. Please credit StartBusinessByState and link to this page.
Source: StartBusinessByState, “Nursing Home Jobs Grew 2.5% in a Year, to 1.56 Million,” https://startbusinessbystate.com/nursing-home-jobs/ (updated October 15, 2026).
FAQ
How many people work in nursing homes?
About 1,562,724 at privately owned nursing homes in the first quarter of 2026, up 2.5% from a year earlier, according to the U.S. Labor Department.
Where are nursing home jobs growing fastest?
Leaving out Alaska’s small numbers, District of Columbia (+17.8%), Oregon (+9.7%) and Hawaii (+9.0%).
Which states lost nursing home jobs?
Montana (-7.9%), Mississippi (-6.8%) and North Dakota (-3.6%).
How many nursing homes are there?
About 20,233 private locations, almost the same as a year earlier.
Where is this data from?
The U.S. Labor Department’s quarterly count of jobs from employer unemployment-insurance tax records, which covers nearly all payroll jobs.
Last updated October 15, 2026 by StartBusinessByState.