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Senior living providers have stepped up their game in 2026, study finds

Satisfaction has increased in spite of rising costs

Updated:

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By:
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Mark Huffman
Reporter

Mark Huffman has covered consumer issues since 2004, with a special focus on protecting and empowering older adults. A former news correspondent for the Associated Press Radio Network, Westwood One, and ConsumerAffairs, Mark brings decades of journalistic experience to RetirementLiving.com. He is passionate about giving consumers a voice and helping them make informed decisions. Mark has also created educational content, including Senior Scam Alert, a video resource designed to help seniors recognize and avoid fraud. He holds a B.A. from the University of Kentucky and lives with his family in Richmond, Virginia.
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Key Insights

  • Overall satisfaction with senior living communities increased in 2025 despite sharp rises in housing and care costs
  • Independent living residents report major gains in perceived value, staff performance, and facility quality
  • Assisted living and memory care satisfaction hits record highs, led by improvements in dining and activities

Even as the cost of senior living continues to climb at some of the steepest rates in years, residents and families say they are more satisfied than ever with the care and services they receive, according to the newly released J.D. Power 2025 U.S. Senior Living Satisfaction Study.

The report shows that overall satisfaction across both independent living and assisted living/memory care communities improved significantly over the past year, defying trends of rising rents and service fees that have increased between 7% and 10% across the industry.

Residents of independent living communities reported an average satisfaction score of 753, a 25-point climb from 2024. According to J.D. Power, much of that improvement was fueled by heightened perceptions of value.

Key drivers of the gains include:

  • Price paid for services: +28 points
  • Community staff performance: +25
  • Buildings and grounds: +21

Andrea Stokes, practice lead for hospitality and senior living at J.D. Power, said the increases indicate that residents feel they are receiving strong value despite higher costs.

‘Milestone achievement’

“One area showing improvement this year, particularly in the independent living segment, is satisfaction with community staff,” she noted. “That is a milestone achievement for an industry that continues to face staffing challenges.”

Family members and decision-makers overseeing a loved one’s assisted living or memory care saw satisfaction rise by 12 points, reaching 867. Improvements were most pronounced in:

  • Dining quality: +11 points
  • Resident activities: +8
  • Living units/apartments: +7

The quality of care provided by assisted living and memory care staff reached a record high, achieving an average rating of 8.89 out of 10—the highest level J.D. Power has ever recorded in the category.

The top-ranked providers

In the 2025 rankings, LCS (Life Care Services) continued its dominance in independent living, taking the top spot for the seventh straight year with a score of 831. The next highest performers were:

  1. Discovery Senior Living – 761
  2. Five-Star Senior Living – 757

In the assisted living and memory care category, Discovery Senior Living earned top honors with a score of 884, followed closely by:

  1. Atria Senior Living – 879
  2. Frontier Senior Living – 877

The 2025 U.S. Senior Living Satisfaction Study measures satisfaction with six foundational aspects of the senior living experience: buildings and grounds, staff, dining, price/value, activities, and living units. The study reflects responses from 2,917 residents and decision-makers collected between May and August 2025.

Despite economic pressures, the data suggests that many senior living operators are delivering stronger experiences, and that consumers increasingly feel the higher costs are justified by quality, staff performance, and amenities.