Live-In Caregivers in Clay Center, KS: 24-Hour Home Care

Local figures

Live-In Caregivers in Clay Center, KS: the local picture

115

residents 85 or older (2.8% of all residents)

432

households headed by someone 65+ own their home (73%)

69%

of Clay Center homes have 3 or more bedrooms (73% in Clay County)

$7.25

Kansas minimum wage per hour

About 115 Clay Center residents are 85 or older. Live-in care is most often arranged for this age group, when help is needed through the day and someone should be close at night.

A live-in caregiver needs a private room. 69% of homes in Clay Center have three or more bedrooms (73% in Clay County), while 10.0% have one bedroom or none, where live-in care rarely works; the median home has 6.3 rooms.

Of Clay Center households headed by someone 65 or older, 432 own their home and 159 rent; among householders 85 and older it is 59 owners and 39 renters. Renters should check that the lease allows another adult to live in before anyone moves in.

Clay Center compared with Clay County and Kansas

Census figure	Clay Center	Clay County	Kansas
Residents 85 or older	2.8%	2.5%	2.0%
Residents 65+ in households who live alone	31%	26%	30%
Residents 65+ with a disability	35%	36%	33%
Residents 65+ below the poverty line (approx.)	9.7%	13%	8.8%
Residents 65 or older	24%	24%	17%
Residents 5+ who speak a language other than English at home	1.2%	2.1%	12%
Median income, households headed by someone 65+	$35,481	$48,229	—

Older residents in towns around Clay Center

Town	Distance	Residents 65+	Residents 85+
Fort Riley, KS	25 mi	0	0
Junction City, KS	29 mi	2,164	459
Concordia, KS	31 mi	934	108
Manhattan, KS	31 mi	5,364	667
Abilene, KS	32 mi	1,520	265
Marysville, KS	41 mi	674	93

Emergency hospitals near Clay Center

Hospital with an emergency department	Town	Distance	CMS overall rating	Phone
Clay County Medical Center	Clay Center, KS	0.2 mi	3 of 5	(785) 632-2144
Irwin Ach (Ft Riley)	Fort Riley, KS	29 mi	not rated	(785) 239-7000
Stormont Vail Health Flint Hills, LLC	Junction City, KS	29 mi	4 of 5	(785) 238-4131

Straight-line miles from the center of Clay Center. Medicare (CMS) data, October 2026; call ahead to confirm. We are not affiliated with these providers.

What it covers

What a live-in caregiver can help with

Help across the day: meals, housekeeping, personal care
Someone in the home overnight if help is needed
Medication reminders and appointment rides
Companionship and a steady routine

Cost

What live-in care costs in Clay Center

Live-in pay is often agreed by the day or week, but every hour worked counts toward minimum wage. At $15.03 an hour (the Kansas median aide wage), a live-in caregiver paid for 50 hours a week costs about $3,257 a month (110% of the $2,957 monthly median income of Clay Center households headed by someone 65+). Round-the-clock shift care, 168 paid hours a week across two or three caregivers, comes to about $10,942 a month (370% of the $2,957 monthly median income of Clay Center households headed by someone 65+). Private rates are agreed with the caregiver, and overtime rules can add to both. Kansas's minimum wage is $7.25 an hour (U.S. Department of Labor table, updated July 1, 2026).

Hiring directly, you agree the rate with the caregiver and usually become the household employer (U.S. Department of Labor rules). Some families qualify for programs that pay for care at home; see Medicaid programs for family caregivers: who can be paid, and the rules in 12 states.

Before you hire

What to know before hiring a live-in caregiver

Put the arrangement in writing: hours on duty, sleep time, days off, the room and pay (federal rules: DOL Fact Sheet 79B).

Questions worth asking: Have you lived in with a client before, and for how long? What days off and sleep time do you need? How do you handle being woken at night? More in our live-in caregivers guide.

CaregiverConnect does not run background checks. Check identity, references and any certification yourself before anyone starts. The Safety Center explains how.

Questions

Live-In Caregivers in Clay Center: common questions

Where is the nearest emergency hospital to Clay Center?

Clay County Medical Center in Clay Center, about 0.2 mi in a straight line from the center of Clay Center (Medicare hospital file). Its listed phone number is (785) 632-2144. In an emergency, call 911.

How much does live-in care cost in Clay Center?

Live-in pay is often agreed by the day or week, but every hour worked counts toward minimum wage. At $15.03 an hour (the Kansas median aide wage), a live-in caregiver paid for 50 hours a week costs about $3,257 a month (110% of the $2,957 monthly median income of Clay Center households headed by someone 65+). Round-the-clock shift care, 168 paid hours a week across two or three caregivers, comes to about $10,942 a month (370% of the $2,957 monthly median income of Clay Center households headed by someone 65+). Private rates are agreed with the caregiver, and overtime rules can add to both. Kansas's minimum wage is $7.25 an hour (U.S. Department of Labor table, updated July 1, 2026).

Live-in or 24-hour care in Clay Center?

A live-in caregiver sleeps in the home and has protected sleep and break time. 24-hour care uses two or three caregivers in shifts so someone is always awake; in Clay Center it costs more than three times as much a month (see the cost section above). Choose shifts if help is needed several times a night.

More near Clay Center

More senior care near Clay Center

Live-In Caregivers in nearby cities

Other care in Clay Center

More for Clay Center families

Sources

Census ACS 2020–2024 5-year; CMS provider data (October 25, 2026); U.S. DOL state minimum wages (July 1, 2026); BLS OEWS May 2025 aide wages, which cover employed aides rather than private rates.

Live-In Caregivers in Clay Center, KS