Live-In Caregivers in Ellensburg, WA: 24-Hour Home Care

Local figures

Live-In Caregivers in Ellensburg, WA: the local picture

312

residents 85 or older (1.5% of all residents)

785

households headed by someone 65+ own their home (55%)

46%

of Ellensburg homes have 3 or more bedrooms (60% in Kittitas County)

$17.13

Washington minimum wage per hour

About 312 Ellensburg 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. 46% of homes in Ellensburg have three or more bedrooms (60% in Kittitas County), while 18% have one bedroom or none, where live-in care rarely works; the median home has 4.5 rooms.

Of Ellensburg households headed by someone 65 or older, 785 own their home and 639 rent; among householders 85 and older it is 151 owners and 117 renters. Renters should check that the lease allows another adult to live in before anyone moves in.

Ellensburg compared with Kittitas County and Washington

Census figure	Ellensburg	Kittitas County	Washington
Residents 85 or older	1.5%	1.3%	1.8%
Residents 65+ in households who live alone	37%	21%	26%
Residents 65+ with a disability	41%	34%	33%
Residents 65+ below the poverty line (approx.)	4.8%	5.6%	8.9%
Residents 65 or older	9.9%	17%	17%
Residents 5+ who speak a language other than English at home	11%	7.8%	21%
Median income, households headed by someone 65+	$52,969	$66,458	—

Older residents in towns around Ellensburg

Town	Distance	Residents 65+	Residents 85+
Gleed, WA	24 mi	553	27
Selah, WA	24 mi	1,237	141
Terrace Heights, WA	28 mi	1,892	146
Yakima, WA	28 mi	16,069	2,392
Ahtanum, WA	31 mi	402	18
Union Gap, WA	31 mi	860	37

Emergency hospitals near Ellensburg

Hospital with an emergency department	Town	Distance	CMS overall rating	Phone
Kittitas Valley Community Hospital	Ellensburg, WA	1.6 mi	not rated	(509) 962-9841
Confluence Health Hospital	Wenatchee, WA	31 mi	3 of 5	(509) 662-1511
Quincy Valley Medical Center	Quincy, WA	36 mi	not rated	(509) 787-3531

Straight-line miles from the center of Ellensburg. 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 Ellensburg

Live-in pay is often agreed by the day or week, but every hour worked counts toward minimum wage. At $22.95 an hour (the Washington median aide wage), a live-in caregiver paid for 50 hours a week costs about $4,973 a month (113% of the $4,414 monthly median income of Ellensburg households headed by someone 65+). Round-the-clock shift care, 168 paid hours a week across two or three caregivers, comes to about $16,708 a month (379% of the $4,414 monthly median income of Ellensburg households headed by someone 65+). Private rates are agreed with the caregiver, and overtime rules can add to both. Washington's minimum wage is $17.13 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 Ellensburg: common questions

Where is the nearest emergency hospital to Ellensburg?

Kittitas Valley Community Hospital in Ellensburg, about 1.6 mi in a straight line from the center of Ellensburg (Medicare hospital file). Its listed phone number is (509) 962-9841. In an emergency, call 911.

How much does live-in care cost in Ellensburg?

Live-in pay is often agreed by the day or week, but every hour worked counts toward minimum wage. At $22.95 an hour (the Washington median aide wage), a live-in caregiver paid for 50 hours a week costs about $4,973 a month (113% of the $4,414 monthly median income of Ellensburg households headed by someone 65+). Round-the-clock shift care, 168 paid hours a week across two or three caregivers, comes to about $16,708 a month (379% of the $4,414 monthly median income of Ellensburg households headed by someone 65+). Private rates are agreed with the caregiver, and overtime rules can add to both. Washington's minimum wage is $17.13 an hour (U.S. Department of Labor table, updated July 1, 2026).

Live-in or 24-hour care in Ellensburg?

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 Ellensburg 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 Ellensburg

More senior care near Ellensburg

Live-In Caregivers in nearby cities

Other care in Ellensburg

More for Ellensburg 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 Ellensburg, WA