Live-In Caregivers in Columbus, WI: 24-Hour Home Care

Local figures

Live-In Caregivers in Columbus, WI: the local picture

97

residents 85 or older (1.8% of all residents)

313

households headed by someone 65+ own their home (56%)

54%

of Columbus homes have 3 or more bedrooms (68% in Columbia County)

$7.25

Wisconsin minimum wage per hour

About 97 Columbus 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. 54% of homes in Columbus have three or more bedrooms (68% in Columbia County), while 19% have one bedroom or none, where live-in care rarely works; the median home has 5.3 rooms.

Of Columbus households headed by someone 65 or older, 313 own their home and 243 rent; among householders 85 and older it is 53 owners and 14 renters. Renters should check that the lease allows another adult to live in before anyone moves in.

Columbus compared with Columbia County and Wisconsin

Census figure	Columbus	Columbia County	Wisconsin
Residents 85 or older	1.8%	1.9%	2.1%
Residents 65+ in households who live alone	46%	27%	30%
Residents 65+ with a disability	32%	25%	28%
Residents 65+ below the poverty line (approx.)	18%	7.7%	9.1%
Residents 65 or older	15%	20%	19%
Residents 5+ who speak a language other than English at home	5.0%	4.5%	9.0%
Median income, households headed by someone 65+	$48,750	$57,885	—

Older residents in towns around Columbus

Town	Distance	Residents 65+	Residents 85+
Waterloo, WI	11 mi	598	89
Marshall, WI	12 mi	389	18
Beaver Dam, WI	13 mi	3,018	374
Windsor, WI	14 mi	1,284	52
Sun Prairie, WI	15 mi	5,317	921
Juneau, WI	17 mi	464	62

Emergency hospitals near Columbus

Hospital with an emergency department	Town	Distance	CMS overall rating	Phone
Columbus Community Hospital	Columbus, WI	0.4 mi	4 of 5	(920) 623-2200
Marshfield Medical Center - Beaver Dam (Mmc-Bd)	Beaver Dam, WI	13 mi	2 of 5	(920) 887-7181
Watertown Memorial Hospital	Watertown, WI	16 mi	3 of 5	(920) 261-4210

Straight-line miles from the center of Columbus. 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 Columbus

Live-in pay is often agreed by the day or week, but every hour worked counts toward minimum wage. At $17.47 an hour (the Wisconsin median aide wage), a live-in caregiver paid for 50 hours a week costs about $3,785 a month (93% of the $4,063 monthly median income of Columbus households headed by someone 65+). Round-the-clock shift care, 168 paid hours a week across two or three caregivers, comes to about $12,718 a month (313% of the $4,063 monthly median income of Columbus households headed by someone 65+). Private rates are agreed with the caregiver, and overtime rules can add to both. Wisconsin'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 IRIS in Wisconsin: how a family member gets paid as a caregiver.

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 Columbus: common questions

Where is the nearest emergency hospital to Columbus?

Columbus Community Hospital in Columbus, about 0.4 mi in a straight line from the center of Columbus (Medicare hospital file). Its listed phone number is (920) 623-2200. In an emergency, call 911.

How much does live-in care cost in Columbus?

Live-in pay is often agreed by the day or week, but every hour worked counts toward minimum wage. At $17.47 an hour (the Wisconsin median aide wage), a live-in caregiver paid for 50 hours a week costs about $3,785 a month (93% of the $4,063 monthly median income of Columbus households headed by someone 65+). Round-the-clock shift care, 168 paid hours a week across two or three caregivers, comes to about $12,718 a month (313% of the $4,063 monthly median income of Columbus households headed by someone 65+). Private rates are agreed with the caregiver, and overtime rules can add to both. Wisconsin'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 Columbus?

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 Columbus 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 Columbus

More senior care near Columbus

Live-In Caregivers in nearby cities

Other care in Columbus

More for Columbus 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 Columbus, WI