Local Ties Senior Advisors · Tom McCahan · Call or text (971) 610-0047 · localtiespdx.com
Adult foster home or assisted living?
An adult foster home is a licensed house with five or fewer residents and caregivers there day and night. Assisted living is your own apartment in a bigger building, with staff on site. Foster homes often give more hands-on care for about the same money. Assisted living gives more space, privacy and things to do.
Updated October 2026 · Tom McCahan, registered Oregon long-term care referral agent #2443
How they compare in Oregon.
| Adult foster home | Assisted living | |
|---|---|---|
| Where | A real house in a neighborhood | An apartment building, often with a dining room and activities |
| How many live there | Five or fewer | Usually dozens |
| Who gives care | Usually the owner, who lives there, plus caregivers. Someone is there day and night. | A care team on shifts, with a nurse who oversees care |
| Typical month | about $7,000private room, first care level | about $6,900total, care included |
| Takes Medicaid | 83% of homes (2024) | 77% of buildings (2024) |
| Residents with dementia | 41% (2024) | 30% (2024) |
Prices: private pay, Portland metro, last reviewed October 2026, my estimate from the state's surveys, current industry price data, and the rates I've been quoted on my own tours. Percentages: the state's 2024 survey of adult foster homes and 2024 survey of assisted living, residential care and memory care, run by Portland State University for the Oregon Department of Human Services.
It's about the person, not the building.
An adult foster home often fits someone who needs a lot of hands-on help, does better in a quiet house, or gets lost in a big building. It's also where Medicaid goes furthest in Oregon.
Assisted living often fits someone who wants their own apartment and door, likes having people and activities around, and needs some help but not all day.
Every foster home is different, because it's mostly one owner and their caregivers. That's why I go see them. In the 2024 survey, 92% of foster home owners lived in the home.
Look at the state record.
Every licensed foster home and assisted living building has a public record of inspections and complaints at ltclicensing.oregon.gov. In Multnomah County, the county does its own foster home licensing too, so I check both records.
Want the real numbers for places near you?
Call or text. The call is free, about 20 minutes, and I'll tell you what I know about the places in your area.