Live-In Caregivers in Cottonwood, CA: 24-Hour Home Care

Local figures

Live-In Caregivers in Cottonwood, CA: the local picture

0

residents 85 or older (0.0% of all residents)

483

households headed by someone 65+ own their home (84%)

77%

of Cottonwood homes have 3 or more bedrooms (63% in Shasta County)

$16.90

California minimum wage per hour

About 0 Cottonwood 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. 77% of homes in Cottonwood have three or more bedrooms (63% in Shasta County); the median home has 5.4 rooms.

Of Cottonwood households headed by someone 65 or older, 483 own their home and 93 rent. Renters should check that the lease allows another adult to live in before anyone moves in.

Cottonwood compared with Shasta County and California

Census figure	Cottonwood	Shasta County	California
Residents 85 or older	0.0%	2.4%	1.9%
Residents 65+ in households who live alone	20%	28%	23%
Residents 65+ with a disability	44%	39%	33%
Residents 65+ below the poverty line (approx.)	12%	11%	12%
Residents 65 or older	12%	22%	16%
Residents 5+ who speak a language other than English at home	8.1%	7.8%	44%
Median income, households headed by someone 65+	$66,466	$55,167	—

Older residents in towns around Cottonwood

Town	Distance	Residents 65+	Residents 85+
Anderson, CA	4.2 mi	1,936	115
Lake California, CA	6.0 mi	745	6
Happy Valley, CA	7.5 mi	1,431	95
Redding, CA	13 mi	18,907	2,769
Palo Cedro, CA	13 mi	799	103
Red Bluff, CA	15 mi	2,135	310

Emergency hospitals near Cottonwood

Hospital with an emergency department	Town	Distance	CMS overall rating	Phone
Mercy Medical Center Redding	Redding, CA	13 mi	2 of 5	(530) 225-6102
Shasta Regional Medical Center	Redding, CA	13 mi	2 of 5	(530) 244-5454

Straight-line miles from the center of Cottonwood. 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 Cottonwood

Live-in pay is often agreed by the day or week, but every hour worked counts toward minimum wage. At $16.90 an hour (the California minimum; the May 2025 median aide wage, $16.50, is below it), a live-in caregiver paid for 50 hours a week costs about $3,662 a month (66% of the $5,539 monthly median income of Cottonwood households headed by someone 65+). Round-the-clock shift care, 168 paid hours a week across two or three caregivers, comes to about $12,303 a month (222% of the $5,539 monthly median income of Cottonwood households headed by someone 65+). Private rates are agreed with the caregiver, and overtime rules can add to both. California's minimum wage is $16.90 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 How to get paid to care for a family member in California: IHSS, VA, Paid Family Leave.

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 Cottonwood: common questions

Where is the nearest emergency hospital to Cottonwood?

Mercy Medical Center Redding in Redding, about 13 mi in a straight line from the center of Cottonwood (Medicare hospital file). Its listed phone number is (530) 225-6102. In an emergency, call 911.

How much does live-in care cost in Cottonwood?

Live-in pay is often agreed by the day or week, but every hour worked counts toward minimum wage. At $16.90 an hour (the California minimum; the May 2025 median aide wage, $16.50, is below it), a live-in caregiver paid for 50 hours a week costs about $3,662 a month (66% of the $5,539 monthly median income of Cottonwood households headed by someone 65+). Round-the-clock shift care, 168 paid hours a week across two or three caregivers, comes to about $12,303 a month (222% of the $5,539 monthly median income of Cottonwood households headed by someone 65+). Private rates are agreed with the caregiver, and overtime rules can add to both. California's minimum wage is $16.90 an hour (U.S. Department of Labor table, updated July 1, 2026).

Live-in or 24-hour care in Cottonwood?

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 Cottonwood 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 Cottonwood

More senior care near Cottonwood

Live-In Caregivers in nearby cities

Other care in Cottonwood

More for Cottonwood 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 Cottonwood, CA