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

Local figures

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

360

residents 85 or older (3.4% of all residents)

779

households headed by someone 65+ own their home (61%)

65%

of Pella homes have 3 or more bedrooms (70% in Marion County)

$7.25

Iowa minimum wage per hour

About 360 Pella 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. 65% of homes in Pella have three or more bedrooms (70% in Marion County), while 10% have one bedroom or none, where live-in care rarely works; the median home has 6.6 rooms.

Of Pella households headed by someone 65 or older, 779 own their home and 495 rent; among householders 85 and older it is 49 owners and 209 renters. Renters should check that the lease allows another adult to live in before anyone moves in.

Pella compared with Marion County and Iowa

Census figure	Pella	Marion County	Iowa
Residents 85 or older	3.4%	3.2%	2.3%
Residents 65+ in households who live alone	32%	26%	31%
Residents 65+ with a disability	35%	37%	30%
Residents 65+ below the poverty line (approx.)	7.5%	7.8%	8.4%
Residents 65 or older	19%	19%	18%
Residents 5+ who speak a language other than English at home	5.1%	3.3%	9.1%
Median income, households headed by someone 65+	$57,675	$56,557	—

Older residents in towns around Pella

Town	Distance	Residents 65+	Residents 85+
Knoxville, IA	11 mi	1,720	484
Oskaloosa, IA	16 mi	2,347	306
Newton, IA	21 mi	3,381	699
Grinnell, IA	25 mi	2,034	290
Albia, IA	27 mi	812	204
Mitchellville, IA	30 mi	263	23

Emergency hospitals near Pella

Hospital with an emergency department	Town	Distance	CMS overall rating	Phone
Pella Regional Health Center	Pella, IA	0.2 mi	4 of 5	(641) 628-3150
Knoxville Hospital & Clinics	Knoxville, IA	11 mi	2 of 5	(641) 842-2151
Mahaska Health Partnership	Oskaloosa, IA	16 mi	4 of 5	(641) 672-3100

Straight-line miles from the center of Pella. 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 Pella

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 (78% of the $4,806 monthly median income of Pella 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 (263% of the $4,806 monthly median income of Pella 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 Pella: common questions

Where is the nearest emergency hospital to Pella?

Pella Regional Health Center in Pella, about 0.2 mi in a straight line from the center of Pella (Medicare hospital file). Its listed phone number is (641) 628-3150. In an emergency, call 911.

How much does live-in care cost in Pella?

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 (78% of the $4,806 monthly median income of Pella 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 (263% of the $4,806 monthly median income of Pella 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 Pella?

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 Pella 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 Pella

More senior care near Pella

Live-In Caregivers in nearby cities

Other care in Pella

More for Pella 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 Pella, IA