Nursing homes by ownership type
Most US nursing homes are for-profit, a large minority are non-profit, and a small share are government-run. Aggregating the CMS ratings by ownership shows how the groups compare on overall quality and on staffing. 14,690 facilities3 ownership groups
Key findings
- Non-profit facilities have the highest average overall rating (3.58 of 5), with a staffing rating of 3.86.
- For-profit facilities average 2.81 overall and 2.64 on staffing.
- For-profit homes are the largest group by count (10,875 facilities) — ownership is not a niche difference in this industry, it is the majority case.
| Ownership | Facilities | Certified beds | Average overall rating | Average staffing rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Non-profit | 2,859 | 255,227 | 3.58 ★ | 3.86 ★ |
| Government | 956 | 106,451 | 3.32 ★ | 3.30 ★ |
| For-profit | 10,875 | 1,205,774 | 2.81 ★ | 2.64 ★ |
How to read it
Ownership correlates with ratings but does not determine them: the best and worst facilities exist in every group. The staffing column is the more actionable signal for families, because staffing hours and turnover map directly to daily experience.
Method
Facility counts and bed totals from the CMS Nursing Home Provider Information dataset, grouped from the ownership field; averages use facilities with a valid rating. Data: CMS Provider Data Catalog (public domain).