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

Local figures

Live-In Caregivers in Marshalltown, IA: the local picture

698

residents 85 or older (2.5% of all residents)

2,086

households headed by someone 65+ own their home (80%)

59%

of Marshalltown homes have 3 or more bedrooms (65% in Marshall County)

$7.25

Iowa minimum wage per hour

About 698 Marshalltown 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 Marshalltown have three or more bedrooms (65% in Marshall County), while 11% have one bedroom or none, where live-in care rarely works; the median home has 5.4 rooms.

Of Marshalltown households headed by someone 65 or older, 2,086 own their home and 534 rent; among householders 85 and older it is 300 owners and 115 renters. Renters should check that the lease allows another adult to live in before anyone moves in.

Marshalltown compared with Marshall County and Iowa

Census figure	Marshalltown	Marshall County	Iowa
Residents 85 or older	2.5%	2.7%	2.3%
Residents 65+ in households who live alone	37%	32%	31%
Residents 65+ with a disability	39%	33%	30%
Residents 65+ below the poverty line (approx.)	12%	9.3%	8.4%
Residents 65 or older	17%	18%	18%
Residents 5+ who speak a language other than English at home	34%	25%	9.1%
Median income, households headed by someone 65+	$50,714	$51,189	—

Older residents in towns around Marshalltown

Town	Distance	Residents 65+	Residents 85+
Tama, IA	18 mi	496	76
Grinnell, IA	23 mi	2,034	290
Grundy Center, IA	24 mi	629	150
Newton, IA	24 mi	3,381	699
Eldora, IA	25 mi	481	54
Nevada, IA	29 mi	1,242	151

Emergency hospitals near Marshalltown

Hospital with an emergency department	Town	Distance	CMS overall rating	Phone
Unitypoint Health - Marshalltown	Marshalltown, IA	0.5 mi	3 of 5	(641) 754-5151
Grinnell Regional Medical Center	Grinnell, IA	22 mi	2 of 5	(641) 236-7511
Grundy County Memorial Hospital	Grundy Center, IA	24 mi	not rated	(319) 824-5421

Straight-line miles from the center of Marshalltown. 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 Marshalltown

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 (89% of the $4,226 monthly median income of Marshalltown 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 (299% of the $4,226 monthly median income of Marshalltown 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 Marshalltown: common questions

Where is the nearest emergency hospital to Marshalltown?

Unitypoint Health - Marshalltown in Marshalltown, about 0.5 mi in a straight line from the center of Marshalltown (Medicare hospital file). Its listed phone number is (641) 754-5151. In an emergency, call 911.

How much does live-in care cost in Marshalltown?

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 (89% of the $4,226 monthly median income of Marshalltown 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 (299% of the $4,226 monthly median income of Marshalltown 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 Marshalltown?

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 Marshalltown 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 Marshalltown

More senior care near Marshalltown

Live-In Caregivers in nearby cities

Other care in Marshalltown

More for Marshalltown 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 Marshalltown, IA