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 Compare metrics Read methodology

Key findings

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

See which states ranked highest, which led on each care-access measure, and what the numbers reveal for families thinking about memory care.

Missouri ranked No. 1 with an Alzheimer's Care Score of 82.15.

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)

While Missouri won overall through balanced performance, 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

Alzheimer’s care is about more than a state ranking.

Everyday spaces can feel different for someone living with Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia. Drag the slider to compare a familiar room with possible dementia-related challenges.

Small changes can make familiar spaces harder to process.

The report looks at state-level care signals, but families often feel the need for support at home first, through daily routines, safety concerns, and moments that become harder to explain.

This is an illustrative example, not a universal experience. Alzheimer’s and dementia affect 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.

State comparison

Compare two states side by side.

Choose any two states, then switch between prevalence growth, nursing home availability, geriatric clinician access, and caregiver workforce to see how each state ranks on that measure.

Metric comparison See which state is stronger on each care signal.

For 10-year Alzheimer’s prevalence growth, lower growth ranks better because it suggests less added demand pressure. For the access and workforce measures, higher values rank better.

State A State B

North Dakota14.29%

#1 prevalence growth

Missouri18.18%

#5 prevalence growth

Lower growth is stronger in this index because it suggests less added demand pressure.

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

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