Assisted living and RCFE homes in California
In California, assisted living homes for seniors are licensed as Residential Care Facility for the Elderlys (RCFEs) by the California Department of Social Services, Community Care Licensing Division. This directory lists 7,962 currently licensed RCFEs with room for 208,746 residents.6,275 of them (79%) are small homes with six beds or fewer.
Counties
- Los Angeles County1,649
- Orange County1,054
- Sacramento County641
- San Diego County581
- Riverside County531
- Contra Costa County436
- San Bernardino County280
- Fresno County264
- Santa Clara County247
- Ventura County245
- Alameda County232
- Placer County226
- San Mateo County214
- Sonoma County159
- Solano County157
- Kern County135
- San Joaquin County111
- Santa Barbara County102
- Stanislaus County102
- San Luis Obispo County98
- San Francisco County51
- Marin County48
- Tulare County47
- Shasta County44
- Monterey County42
- Napa County36
- El Dorado County34
- Butte County28
- Santa Cruz County26
- Merced County21
- Yolo County21
- Mendocino County17
- Humboldt County14
- Tehama County9
- Nevada County8
- Sutter County8
- Amador County6
- Imperial County6
- Kings County6
- Madera County6
- Lake County4
- Yuba County4
- Glenn County3
- San Benito County3
- Calaveras County2
- Tuolumne County2
- Lassen County1
- Siskiyou County1
California guides
- How to Check a California Care Home's License and Inspection ReportsHow to look up a California RCFE's license status, inspection reports and complaint findings on the state's Care Facility Search, and what they mean.
- Hospice Care in a California Residential Care HomeCan a resident get hospice in a California RCFE? What the CDSS hospice care waiver allows, who does what, what Medicare covers and what to ask the home.
- Paying for Assisted Living in CaliforniaHow to pay for a California residential care home (RCFE): private pay, the Medi-Cal Assisted Living Waiver, SSI/SSP, VA benefits and insurance.
- RCFE vs. Nursing Home: How California's Two Care Settings DifferHow a California RCFE differs from a skilled nursing facility: who licenses each, the level of care, and what Medicare and Medi-Cal cover.
- What Is an RCFE? Residential Care Homes in California ExplainedWhat a California RCFE is, what care it can and can't provide, who licenses it, and why most licensed homes have six beds or fewer.
Source: California Department of Social Services, Community Care Licensing Division, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY). Data as of May 25, 2025. Always confirm current license status with the state facility search.