How Nursing Home Ratings Work
Every nursing home in the U.S. that accepts Medicare or Medicaid is surveyed by federal inspectors.
NursingHomeGrade takes that public CMS data and converts it into an A–F grade so you can compare
facilities at a glance.
How the A–F grade is calculated
The NursingHomeGrade Score (0–100) maps to letter grades: A (80–100), B (65–79), C (50–64), D (35–49), and F (0–34). The score is a weighted composite of four CMS data points:
Staffing Compliance (35%)
RN hours per resident per day vs. the 2024 federal benchmark of 0.55, repealed February 2026. Facilities below this threshold are flagged.
Inspection Clean Rate (30%)
Number of health deficiencies cited during the most recent CMS inspection cycle.
Quality Measures (20%)
CMS quality star rating covering clinical outcomes, vaccination rates, and hospital readmissions.
Staffing Consistency (15%)
CMS staffing star rating — how consistently a facility meets staffing benchmarks.
What the letter grades mean
A
Score 80–100. Excellent staffing, clean inspection records, strong quality measures.
B
Score 65–79. Above average. Meets or exceeds most standards.
C
Score 50–64. Average. Some deficiencies on record but no pattern of severe harm.
D
Score 35–49. Below average. Multiple deficiencies or staffing below the repealed 0.55 hr RN benchmark.
F
Score 0–34. Well below acceptable standards. Serious inspection or staffing failures.
Where the data comes from
All data is sourced from CMS Nursing Home Compare, the official federal dataset covering 15,000+ Medicare- and Medicaid-certified nursing facilities. Updated monthly. No editorial adjustments — what CMS reports is what you see.
Start searching
Ready to find ratings for a specific facility? Search by ZIP code or browse our state directory to compare nursing home grades in your area.