Healthcare quality in North Carolina
North Carolina has 1,036 Medicare-certified facilities. Their average CMS overall rating is 3.2 stars — about the national average — and 32% are rated 4 or 5 stars. Overall, North Carolina ranks #21 of 51 states on our Care Score.
Cura Rank Care Score
Our composite of care quality (avg rating), consistency (% rated 4-5★) and access (facilities per senior). North Carolina ranks #21 of 51 nationally. See the full ranking.
Quality by facility type in North Carolina
Top-rated nursing homes in North Carolina
Who needs care in North Carolina
About 18.0% of North Carolina's residents are 65 or older (1,974,069 people), and that population has grown +14.1% since 2020. See the full North Carolina statistics & charts.
Median household income is $69,904, and 10.2% of seniors live below the poverty line — a factor in how many families rely on Medicaid-certified care.
Choosing care in North Carolina
Use the state ranking as a starting point, then compare specific facilities by city: browse nursing homes, hospitals and more in North Carolina, read our ratings explainer, and bring our tour questions when you visit.
Quality comes from the federal CMS five-star rating system, which scores nursing homes, hospitals, home health agencies and dialysis centers on inspections, staffing and clinical outcomes. We summarize those official ratings for every North Carolina facility.
Four or five stars is above average; three is average; one or two is below average. In North Carolina, 32% of rated facilities earn 4-5 stars.
No. North Carolina ranks #21 of 51 overall, but quality varies widely between facilities and cities. Always check the specific facility and visit in person.