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Why trust this guide?
Our editorial team analyzed 346 nursing homes in CA using CMS data, inspection records, complaints, amenities, and facility-level details. How we rank nursing homes in CA
Video Tour: Top-rated Nursing Homes facilities in California.
Watch this Video to see California's Top-rated Senior Communities
Avg Overall CMS Rating:3.1/ 5The average Overall CMS Rating for all CMS-certified nursing homes in California. Ratings combine health inspections, staffing, and quality measures, with inspections weighted most. Individual facilities can vary widely from this average.
National Average:3.2/ 5
Avg Staffing Rating:3.1/ 5The average Staffing Rating across all CMS-certified nursing homes in California. Reflects nursing staff hours per resident per day (including RNs), adjusted for residents' care needs. Individual facilities can vary widely from this average.
National Average:3.4/ 5
Avg Health Insp. Rating:2.8/ 5The average Health Inspection Rating across all CMS-certified nursing homes in California. Based on each facility's recent inspections and complaint investigations, weighing the number, scope, and severity of deficiencies. Individual facilities can vary widely from this average.
Info below is compiled from CMS reports & the CA Dept. of Social Services (CDSS), senior community websites & trusted data sources such as Walk Score & BBB.
Communities are listed from highest to lowest based on our ranking methodology.
Enjoy a worry-free retirement at St. Paul’s Towers, a dedicated life-plan community in Oaklanc, CA, offering independent living, assisted living, memory care, rehabilitation, and skilled nursing. Featuring beautifully designed and spacious studio to two-bedroom floor plans, the community ensures residents are comfortable and safe. Residents can keep their peace of mind with the community’s weekly housekeeping, linen services, and round-the-clock security.
With a variety of engaging activities and enriching programs, residents are encouraged to live actively and make new friends. Delightful and well-balanced meals are also served in different dining venues to foster comfort and satisfy dietary needs and preferences. The community is equipped with libraries, an art studio, a game room, a hair salon, a community store, and a rooftop garden, creating the ideal setting for residents’ recreation and wellness.
Beautifully nestled near William R Mason Regional Park in Irvine, CA, Regents Point is an exceptional life plan community that offers independent living, assisted living, memory care, and skilled nursing. Residents can keep their peace of mind with a compassionate and highly trained team attending to their needs around the clock. The community also helps with housekeeping and chores, so residents can focus on the things they truly enjoy.
Exciting events and enriching programs are conducted, encouraging residents to live actively and make new friends. Delightful and healthy meals are served to satisfy residents’ dietary needs and preferences. With its comprehensive care and extensive amenities, residents experience a better quality of life in their golden years.
Manjot Kaur manages Baywood Court, a 72-bed nursing home on Dolores Street in Castro Valley, California. The building has been open for 35 years and stays filled to about 72 percent capacity, so they usually have open rooms. Stays average around 79 days, a timeline that shows the daily schedule splits its time between temporary post-hospital rehab and intermediate residential care. For payments, the billing department handles accounts through private funds and standard Medicare.
The surrounding neighborhood relies heavily on cars, scoring just 25 out of 100 for walkability, so visitors will almost always need to drive to the property. On the floor, the nursing crew delivers an average of 5 hours and 35 minutes of hands-on care to each resident daily. This round-the-clock staffing includes registered nurses, vocational nurses, and aides who run physical therapy routines and respite stays. For daily life, the campus offers restaurant-style dining, a swimming pool, a hot tub, and vegetable gardens, alongside structured social hours and exercise sessions.
Older adults looking into local care options can call the front office to ask how the admissions process works or to check on current openings. The intake coordinator can also set up a time for visitors to walk through the therapy building and check out the outdoor gardens.
Belinda Leung serves as the administrator for Bellaken Garden, an established 58-bed nursing home run by Bellaken Health Group, Inc., on 26th Avenue in Oakland’s Fruitvale neighborhood. The building has been open for 26 years and is full. Resident stays average 325 days, showing that the daily operation handles a mix of permanent long-term care and temporary rehab for people transitioning back home after a hospital stay. To clear care bills, the front office accepts private funds, Medicare, and Medicaid.
The facility sits in a pedestrian-friendly neighborhood with a walk score of 95 out of 100, so visiting relatives can run quick errands on foot or take local public transit. Inside the building, residents receive an average of 3 hours and 58 minutes of hands-on attention every day. This direct care is split among a 24-hour team of registered nurses, practical nurses, and assistants who focus on short-term physical therapy and structured restorative care programs.
Government health inspectors keep tabs on the property through routine compliance audits to make sure clinical staffing and building safety stay up to code.
Prospective residents can call the main office to see how the waiting list works for incoming patients, ask about the admissions process, or coordinate a good afternoon to walk through the therapy areas.
Operating for 11 years with 71 residents housed at a moderate occupancy level, Creekview Assisted Living is a 136-bed nursing care facility in Pleasanton, California. Owned and operated by Troy Bourne, the home caters to residents who need skilled nursing, rehabilitation, and ongoing care. The setting, with a Walk Score of 47, offers a somewhat walkable environment where some services and destinations are reachable on foot, though most trips require quick driving.
Creekview Assisted Living spotlights rehabilitation services and respite care, drawing on a blend of nursing talent to bolster residents every day. Total nursing care averages 4 hours and 34 minutes per resident each day, the time split among registered nurses, licensed nurses, and nursing aides. This level of attentive support mirrors a commitment to recovery from acute conditions and longer-term stability for residents. The community’s dining program fits the five-star facility standards, highlighting quality and presentation. Medicare and private pay are accepted, which gives families flexibility in how they cover care. With an average stay duration of 50 days, the facility serves short-term rehabilitation residents and those requiring more extended nursing support. It’s then a grounded choice for those transitioning from hospital care or seeking skilled nursing services in Pleasanton.
Facility inspections show a tidy record. The recent visits found complete documentation and no deficiencies across resident care, medications, and safety systems. With no citations issued, historical complaint investigations over the past several years were determined to be unsubstantiated.
Creekview Assisted Living is a practical choice for those in Pleasanton shifting from hospital care or wanting skilled nursing services.
Find the care you need at Victoria Care Center, an esteemed community located in the harmonious residential area of Ventura, CA, that offers therapy and skilled nursing. With exceptional care and support 24/7, residents are guaranteed to live comfortably in their golden years. Medicare and Medicaid are also accepted in the community, easing residents’ financial burdens.
Aside from their healthcare needs, residents are encouraged to live actively with stimulating programs and exciting events. Through traditional and innovative approaches, the community strives to enhance residents’ living experiences. Make every moment of your golden years count with the community’s top-notch care and purposely designed amenities. The community was also awarded U.S. News Best Nursing Home, proving its exceptional and trusted quality.
The Sequoias Portola Valley is a well-regarded life plan community in Portola Valley, CA, that offers comprehensive care options, ranging from independent living to skilled nursing. Featuring beautifully designed and well-lit floor plans, the community ensures older adults experience its home-like atmosphere. Maintenance services, 24-hour security, and restaurant-style dining ensure residents have a maintenance-free retirement. The community’s wide range of care allows residents to age in place.
Creative activities, fun-filled excursions, and a variety of games provide residents with plenty of options to spend their days actively and happily. Residents can also lounge and interact with their surroundings with the community’s top-notch amenities, including the library, beauty salon, and gift shop. Set in the tree-lined neighborhood near public transportation in Portola Valley, the community guarantees accessibility and convenience. With several recognitions from esteemed partners, this life plan community is one of the best choices for senior living in California.
Utah Lake Holdings, LLC operates Jacob Health Care Center, a 40-bed nursing home located at 4075 54th Street in San Diego’s College area. Joseph Cruz serves as the administrator for the property, which has been in business for 29 years and currently runs at a 78 percent occupancy rate. Stays average 77 days, showing that the daily operation concentrates heavily on temporary post-hospital therapy and short-term recovery. For billing, the front desk manages room rates and clinical costs through private funds, traditional Medicare, and state Medicaid.
Residents receive roughly 3 hours and 17 minutes of direct attention every day from the on-site team of nurses and aides. This daily clinical schedule centers on short-term physical rehabilitation, sub-acute therapies, and complex wound care, while day-to-day amenities include outdoor courtyards, social activities, and an on-site barber salon. The surrounding neighborhood is only somewhat walkable, so visiting family members will typically need to drive when coming to the property.
Recent filings from government health inspectors flagged recurring issues here with medication management, staffing levels, infection control, and care plan documentation. Prospective residents can contact the front office to ask how the management team has addressed these specific compliance areas, request information on current bed availability, or arrange an afternoon to look around the therapy setups.
Maintain independence in retirement with The Avenues Transitional Care Center, an astounding community in San Francisco, CA, offering rehabilitation and therapy. Residents can keep their peace of mind with a wide range of care services, including pain management, diabetic management, hospice program, wound care, and dementia care. The community ensures residents receive the right care for their unique needs by creating personalized care plans.
Residents will surely recover without hassle, accompanied by the community’s comprehensive care and dedicated services. With an on-site dietitian, residents delight with delicious and well-balanced meals that satisfy their dietary needs and preferences. The community is ideal for those seeking exceptional care for their unique needs, ensuring the finest retirement experience.
Ideally nestled in the beautiful setting of Walnut Creek, CA, Tice Valley Post Acute is an outstanding community that offers skilled nursing and rehabilitation. Featuring a wide range of care options, including complex wound care, outpatient therapy, restorative nursing, long-term care, and therapy, the community ensures residents find the right care for their unique needs. Residents experience the best of their golden years with top-tier care provided by a compassionate and highly trained team 24/7.
A carefully curated calendar of engaging activities and enriching programs is conducted so residents can live actively and remain socially connected. Meals are also carefully curated to meet residents’ dietary needs and preferences. The community is equipped with a state-of-the-art rehabilitation gym and spacious courtyards, making it an ideal setting for those seeking a place to begin their healing journey.
Every nursing home above is evaluated across five weighted categories using CMS data including Care Compare, Payroll-Based Journal, and Medicare Cost Reports.
How we're paid:If we help you find a home and you move in, that home may pay us a referral fee. This never affects where they rank or what you pay. Learn more
Frequently Asked Questions about Nursing Homes in California
What's the difference between assisted living and a nursing home in California?
Assisted living in California is a residential model focused on housing, hospitality, and help with daily activities. Nursing homes (skilled nursing facilities) provide 24/7 medical care from licensed nurses for residents with significant health needs, and are regulated more strictly under both state and federal CMS rules.
Does California Medicaid cover nursing home care?
Yes — California Medicaid covers nursing home care for residents who meet income, asset, and medical-need eligibility requirements. Most CMS-certified nursing homes accept Medicaid as a primary payer once long-term-care eligibility is established.
What is nursing home care?
Nursing homes (also called skilled nursing facilities) provide 24/7 medical care from licensed nurses, rehabilitation services, and long-term custodial care for residents with significant health or functional needs.
How many nursing homes are listed on this page?
This page features 346 nursing homes in California. Use the filters and comparison tools above to compare ratings, amenities, and pricing.
How do I choose the right nursing home in California?
Start by matching the level of care offered to the resident's current and anticipated needs, then compare licensing status, staff-to-resident ratios, recent inspection results, and pricing. Tour at least two or three communities in California, talk to current residents and families, and confirm what is included in the base rate versus billed as add-on services.
What should I look for when visiting nursing homes in California?
Pay attention to staff interactions with residents, cleanliness and odor, food quality at meal times, the activity calendar, and how questions about pricing and care plans are answered. Ask to see the most recent state inspection report, the move-out / level-of-care-change policy, and a sample monthly bill that lists every fee.
If you move into a community through us, that community may pay us a referral fee. This never changes your cost or which options we recommend. Learn more
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