Little Rock Senior AdvisorWhat is assisted living in Arkansas?
Assisted living in Arkansas is an apartment-style residence licensed by the DHS Office of Long Term Care that provides meals, housekeeping, supervision and help with daily activities for more than three adults, at Level I or Level II.
Level II buildings have a registered nurse on staff or under contract and can serve residents at nursing home level of care; Level I buildings cannot.
How many assisted living facilities are there around Little Rock?
Arkansas's July 2026 Bed Need Book lists 31 assisted living facilities with licensed beds in the six-county Little Rock metro: 27 Level II and 4 Level I, with 2,442 licensed beds in all, 18 of the buildings in Pulaski County.
What does assisted living cost around Little Rock?
CareScout's 2025 Arkansas median is $54,744 a year, about $4,562 a month; no Little Rock-only figure is published, and newer Level II buildings often quote above the median.
Living Choices can pay for care services, not rent, in participating Level II buildings. See costs and paying.
Who is assisted living right for?
Someone who needs some daily help and supervision, values privacy and company, and does not need 24-hour nursing.
If 24-hour nursing, two-person transfers or bed rest are needed, a nursing home is the right setting under Arkansas rules.
What should we ask an assisted living building near Little Rock?
Ask about the license level, staffing on each shift, the registered nurse's hours at Level II, whether there is a special care unit, the price sheet and the discharge terms.
See choosing a community for the full list.
Is assisted living more common at Level I or Level II around Little Rock?
Level II dominates: of the 2,442 licensed assisted living beds in the six counties, 2,166 (89%) are Level II, spread across 27 buildings, while 4 buildings hold the 276 Level I beds.
That means a family that wants to avoid a second move as needs grow will find plenty of Level II choices in Pulaski, Saline and Faulkner counties.
Side by side
| Assisted living is | Assisted living is not | |
|---|---|---|
| Nursing | Personal care and, at Level II, nurse oversight | 24-hour nursing |
| Medicaid | Living Choices services at participating Level II | Payment for rent and meals |
Sources: Arkansas Office of Long Term Care assisted living rules, the Health Services Permit Agency's Bed Need Book, Arkansas DHS waiver and PACE fact sheets, CMS, CareScout and VA rate tables, each cited in the text. Our editorial standards explain how we check them.
