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Nursing homes in California

California has 1,165 Medicare- or Medicaid-certified nursing homes in 55 counties, with 114,991 certified beds in total. The state average CMS overall rating is 3.2 of 5 against a national average of 3.0, and homes report 4.52 nurse staffing hours per resident per day against 3.86 nationally.

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California against the national average

MeasureCaliforniaUnited States
Overall rating (1 to 5)3.23.0
Health inspection rating2.82.8
Staffing rating3.32.9
Nurse staffing hours per resident per day4.523.86
Registered nurse hours per resident per day0.670.69
Nursing staff turnover36.7%45.8%
Health deficiencies in the latest inspection15.69.2
Fines per home, past three years0.80.9

Averages are published by CMS. Health inspection ratings are set within each state, so compare them across states with care.

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Cities with at least 3 homes, by the city in each home's CMS address. Every home is also listed by county below.

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Nursing home rules and contacts in California

Federal rules on residents' rights, discharge notices and Medicare coverage are the same in every state. These are the offices to call in California, and the rules the state sets for itself.

Minimum staffing
Most skilled nursing facilities must provide at least 3.5 direct care service hours per patient day, including at least 2.4 certified nurse assistant hours. Units that are part of an acute care hospital, and state-owned hospitals and developmental centers, follow a separate standard. A home may ask the state for a waiver if it still provides 3.2 nursing hours per patient day. Source: Cal. Code Regs. tit. 22, § 72329.2
Personal needs allowance (Medicaid)
A Medi-Cal resident keeps $35 a month for personal needs. Most of the rest of the resident's monthly income goes toward the cost of care. Source: Cal. Code Regs. tit. 22, § 50605(a)(1); DHCS notice 7077 (07/2026)
Holding a bed during a hospital stay or leave
If the resident chooses to hold the bed, Medi-Cal pays for up to 7 bed-hold days for each physician-ordered stay in an acute care hospital. It also pays for leave-of-absence days, such as visits with relatives or friends: up to 18 days a year for most residents (different limits apply to residents with developmental disabilities and in certain mental health programs), and up to 12 more days a year may be approved if they are in line with the resident's care plan. If a home refuses to readmit a resident after a hospital stay, the resident may appeal, and the refusal is handled like an involuntary transfer. Source: Cal. Code Regs. tit. 22, §§ 51535 and 51535.1; Health & Safety Code § 1599.1(h)
Visiting
Residents have the right to daily visiting hours; to visits at any time from people of their choosing when critically ill, unless medically contraindicated; to visits from clergy at any time on request; and to privacy for visits. Source: Cal. Code Regs. tit. 22, § 72527(a)
Discharge notice
The federal transfer and discharge rules (as in effect in July 2017) apply to every skilled nursing facility in California, whatever pays for the resident's care and even if the home is not Medicare or Medi-Cal certified, and every resident may appeal an involuntary transfer or discharge. Since January 1, 2025, the notice must say whether the home takes Medi-Cal and Medicare. Appeals are heard by the Department of Health Care Services Office of Administrative Hearings and Appeals, 916-445-9775. Source: Health & Safety Code § 1599.1(i); SB 1354 (2024), per CDPH All Facilities Letter 25-10
When private funds run out
In a home that takes Medi-Cal, a resident may not be discharged, or moved within the home, only because they switch from paying privately or through Medicare to Medi-Cal; the one exception is a possible move from a private room to a semiprivate room. Under SB 1354 (2024), homes certified for Medi-Cal must give Medi-Cal residents care and services in the same manner and at the same level and quality as the general public, including in admissions, room placement and meals. Source: SB 1354 (2024), per CDPH All Facilities Letter 25-10

Checked against California state sources on Oct 9, 2026. Rules and phone numbers change, so confirm with the office listed. For the rules that apply in every state, see residents' rights, how to file a complaint and how Medicaid pays for a nursing home.

Source: CMS Provider Data Catalog, nursing home datasets processed Sep 1, 2026.