Live-In Caregivers in Le Mars, IA: 24-Hour Home Care

Local figures

Live-In Caregivers in Le Mars, IA: the local picture

237

residents 85 or older (2.2% of all residents)

910

households headed by someone 65+ own their home (74%)

59%

of Le Mars homes have 3 or more bedrooms (69% in Plymouth County)

$7.25

Iowa minimum wage per hour

About 237 Le Mars 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. 59% of homes in Le Mars have three or more bedrooms (69% in Plymouth County), while 7.8% have one bedroom or none, where live-in care rarely works; the median home has 5.8 rooms.

Of Le Mars households headed by someone 65 or older, 910 own their home and 320 rent; among householders 85 and older it is 79 owners and 45 renters. Renters should check that the lease allows another adult to live in before anyone moves in.

Le Mars compared with Plymouth County and Iowa

Census figure	Le Mars	Plymouth County	Iowa
Residents 85 or older	2.2%	2.4%	2.3%
Residents 65+ in households who live alone	42%	31%	31%
Residents 65+ with a disability	35%	27%	30%
Residents 65+ below the poverty line (approx.)	14%	10%	8.4%
Residents 65 or older	18%	20%	18%
Residents 5+ who speak a language other than English at home	12%	6.9%	9.1%
Median income, households headed by someone 65+	$42,768	$56,204	—

Older residents in towns around Le Mars

Town	Distance	Residents 65+	Residents 85+
Orange City, IA	16 mi	1,082	114
Sioux Center, IA	20 mi	1,060	174
Hawarden, IA	22 mi	452	96
Sioux City, IA	23 mi	12,804	1,235
North Sioux City, SD	24 mi	640	0
South Sioux City, NE	25 mi	1,535	261

Emergency hospitals near Le Mars

Hospital with an emergency department	Town	Distance	CMS overall rating	Phone
Floyd Valley Healthcare	Le Mars, IA	1.0 mi	3 of 5	(712) 546-7871
Orange City Area Health System	Orange City, IA	17 mi	3 of 5	(712) 737-2000
Sioux Center Health	Sioux Center, IA	21 mi	not rated	(712) 722-1271

Straight-line miles from the center of Le Mars. 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 Le Mars

Live-in pay is often agreed by the day or week, but every hour worked counts toward minimum wage. At $17.34 an hour (the Iowa median aide wage), a live-in caregiver paid for 50 hours a week costs about $3,757 a month (105% of the $3,564 monthly median income of Le Mars households headed by someone 65+). Round-the-clock shift care, 168 paid hours a week across two or three caregivers, comes to about $12,624 a month (354% of the $3,564 monthly median income of Le Mars households headed by someone 65+). Private rates are agreed with the caregiver, and overtime rules can add to both. Iowa'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 Le Mars: common questions

Where is the nearest emergency hospital to Le Mars?

Floyd Valley Healthcare in Le Mars, about 1.0 mi in a straight line from the center of Le Mars (Medicare hospital file). Its listed phone number is (712) 546-7871. In an emergency, call 911.

How much does live-in care cost in Le Mars?

Live-in pay is often agreed by the day or week, but every hour worked counts toward minimum wage. At $17.34 an hour (the Iowa median aide wage), a live-in caregiver paid for 50 hours a week costs about $3,757 a month (105% of the $3,564 monthly median income of Le Mars households headed by someone 65+). Round-the-clock shift care, 168 paid hours a week across two or three caregivers, comes to about $12,624 a month (354% of the $3,564 monthly median income of Le Mars households headed by someone 65+). Private rates are agreed with the caregiver, and overtime rules can add to both. Iowa'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 Le Mars?

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 Le Mars 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 Le Mars

More senior care near Le Mars

Live-In Caregivers in nearby cities

Other care in Le Mars

More for Le Mars 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 Le Mars, IA