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

Local figures

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

522

residents 85 or older (3.1% of all residents)

1,596

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

51%

of Live Oak homes have 3 or more bedrooms (51% in Santa Cruz County)

$16.90

California minimum wage per hour

About 522 Live Oak 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. 51% of homes in Live Oak have three or more bedrooms (51% in Santa Cruz County), while 15% have one bedroom or none, where live-in care rarely works; the median home has 4.7 rooms.

Of Live Oak households headed by someone 65 or older, 1,596 own their home and 586 rent; among householders 85 and older it is 123 owners and 175 renters. Renters should check that the lease allows another adult to live in before anyone moves in.

Live Oak compared with Santa Cruz County and California

Census figure	Live Oak	Santa Cruz County	California
Residents 85 or older	3.1%	2.1%	1.9%
Residents 65+ in households who live alone	36%	26%	23%
Residents 65+ with a disability	30%	28%	33%
Residents 65+ below the poverty line (approx.)	14%	9.6%	12%
Residents 65 or older	20%	19%	16%
Residents 5+ who speak a language other than English at home	29%	34%	44%
Median income, households headed by someone 65+	$75,476	$85,666	—

Older residents in towns around Live Oak

Town	Distance	Residents 65+	Residents 85+
Capitola, CA	1.6 mi	2,401	348
Twin Lakes, CA	1.8 mi	1,001	40
Pleasure Point, CA	1.9 mi	1,200	102
Soquel, CA	2.0 mi	2,426	258
Santa Cruz, CA	3.1 mi	9,295	927
Seacliff, CA	3.5 mi	686	75

Emergency hospitals near Live Oak

Hospital with an emergency department	Town	Distance	CMS overall rating	Phone
Dominican Hospital	Santa Cruz, CA	1.6 mi	4 of 5	(831) 462-7700
Watsonville Community Hospital	Watsonville, CA	13 mi	2 of 5	(831) 724-4741
Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital	Hollister, CA	18 mi	not rated	(831) 637-5711

Straight-line miles from the center of Live Oak. 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 Live Oak

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 (58% of the $6,290 monthly median income of Live Oak 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 (196% of the $6,290 monthly median income of Live Oak 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 Live Oak: common questions

Where is the nearest emergency hospital to Live Oak?

Dominican Hospital in Santa Cruz, about 1.6 mi in a straight line from the center of Live Oak (Medicare hospital file). Its listed phone number is (831) 462-7700. In an emergency, call 911.

How much does live-in care cost in Live Oak?

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 (58% of the $6,290 monthly median income of Live Oak 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 (196% of the $6,290 monthly median income of Live Oak 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 Live Oak?

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 Live Oak 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 Live Oak

More senior care near Live Oak

Live-In Caregivers in nearby cities

Other care in Live Oak

More for Live Oak 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 Live Oak, CA