Alzheimer's Report

Which states are best placed for Alzheimer’s care support?

Mirador Living ranked all 50 states across four care-access signals, from Alzheimer’s prevalence growth to nursing homes, geriatric clinicians, and paid care workers.

Explore the rankings US Rankings Read methodology

Key findings

Missouri came first. Here's why, and who led on each measure.

See which states ranked highest and what the numbers reveal for families thinking about memory care.

Missouri ranked No. 1.

Its lead came from steady performance across all four measures, ranking between 5th and 15th on each, rather than relying on one standout metric. For prevalence growth, a lower percentage is stronger. For the three access measures, higher values are stronger.

82.15Alzheimer's Care Score

18.18%Prevalence growth (#5, lower is better)

3.63Nursing homes per 10K (#9)

43.7Clinicians per 100K (#15)

68.34Care workers per 1K (#10)

These four states led on the individual measures.

Lowest 10-year prevalence growth

North Dakota

Had the lowest 10-year Alzheimer’s prevalence increase in the index at 14.29%.

Highest nursing home availability

Iowa

Led all states in the index for nursing home availability, with 5.82 homes per 10,000 older adults.

Highest geriatric clinician access

Rhode Island

Had the highest geriatric clinician rate, with 73.7 clinicians per 100,000 older adults.

Highest care workforce availability

New York

Had the highest paid care worker rate, with 160.69 care workers per 1,000 older adults.

Why care support matters

A state ranking is one thing. Daily life is another.

For someone living with Alzheimer's, a familiar room can feel unfamiliar. See what that looks like.

Small changes can make familiar spaces harder to process.

The rankings measure broad care access, but families feel the need for support in everyday moments like a forgotten routine, a room that suddenly feels wrong, or a sense that something is off. That's care that starts at home.

This is an illustrative example, not a universal experience. Alzheimer's affects people differently.

Everyday view Possible challenges

Drag the handle right or left to compare both views.

US Rankings

Compare the top 10 and bottom 10 states.

Use the tabs to switch between the 10 highest and 10 lowest states in the overall index. Scores are out of 100 and compare states with one another across this specific set of indicators, not individual care communities.

Rank	State	Prev. Growth	Nursing Homes / 10K	Clinicians / 100K	Care Workers / 1K	Alzheimer's Care Score

Full data table

Compare all 50 states.

Use the selector to highlight a state in the table, then switch between the overall ranking and each metric ranking.

Find your state

Jump to one state in the rankings.

Choose a state to keep its row easy to find while you move between ranking views. It’s a quick way to see which care-access signals shape that state’s overall position.

Choose a state

Metric view

State-level Alzheimer's and memory care access indicators. Use the controls above to switch between the overall score and individual measures.

Methodology

How the index was calculated.

Each state was scored across four state-level care signals, then the scores were averaged equally. Higher scores suggest stronger overall access signals, not a rating of any individual community.

Quick read

Use the ranking as a starting point.

The report compares broad state-level signs that may affect Alzheimer’s and memory care access. Families should pair it with local details such as services, pricing, reviews, availability, and a loved one’s needs.

It does not measure individual care quality, open beds, waitlists, assisted living capacity, memory-care specialization, or local rural and urban differences.

Score four care signals

10-year prevalence growth, nursing homes per older adult, geriatric clinicians, and paid care workers.

Convert to percentile ranks

Each measure was ranked across the 50 states so different types of data could be compared fairly.

Average the four scores

All four measures were weighted equally. 10-year prevalence growth was reversed, so slower growth counted as stronger.

Sources: Alzheimer’s Association, CMS Care Compare, America’s Health Rankings and CMS NPPES underlying data, and Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS May 2024.

Next step

Found your state? Compare memory care options with more context.

State rankings can show broad patterns, but family decisions come down to local fit: services, pricing, reviews, availability, and the level of support your loved one needs. If the report raises questions about care where you live, Mirador Living can help you compare local senior living and memory care communities with guidance from local advisors.

Compare care options near you