Live-In Caregivers in Portsmouth, NH: 24-Hour Home Care

Local figures

Live-In Caregivers in Portsmouth, NH: the local picture

592

residents 85 or older (2.6% of all residents)

1,902

households headed by someone 65+ own their home (64%)

40%

of Portsmouth homes have 3 or more bedrooms (61% in Rockingham County)

$7.25

New Hampshire minimum wage per hour

About 592 Portsmouth 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. 40% of homes in Portsmouth have three or more bedrooms (61% in Rockingham County), while 20% have one bedroom or none, where live-in care rarely works; the median home has 4.9 rooms.

Of Portsmouth households headed by someone 65 or older, 1,902 own their home and 1,080 rent; among householders 85 and older it is 246 owners and 117 renters. Renters should check that the lease allows another adult to live in before anyone moves in.

Portsmouth compared with Rockingham County and New Hampshire

Census figure	Portsmouth	Rockingham County	New Hampshire
Residents 85 or older	2.6%	1.8%	2.0%
Residents 65+ in households who live alone	32%	24%	27%
Residents 65+ with a disability	29%	26%	28%
Residents 65+ below the poverty line (approx.)	5.8%	6.0%	7.7%
Residents 65 or older	22%	20%	20%
Residents 5+ who speak a language other than English at home	10%	6.5%	7.9%
Median income, households headed by someone 65+	$73,426	$75,258	—

Older residents in towns around Portsmouth

Town	Distance	Residents 65+	Residents 85+
Kittery, ME	2.9 mi	1,402	427
South Eliot, ME	5.2 mi	1,380	95
Newmarket, NH	8.2 mi	756	59
Hampton, NH	8.4 mi	2,720	289
York Harbor, ME	8.8 mi	981	228
Durham, NH	9.2 mi	802	133

Emergency hospitals near Portsmouth

Hospital with an emergency department	Town	Distance	CMS overall rating	Phone
Portsmouth Regional Hospital	Portsmouth, NH	1.5 mi	3 of 5	(603) 436-5110
York Hospital	York, ME	9.0 mi	4 of 5	(207) 351-2478
Exeter Hospital Inc	Exeter, NH	10 mi	4 of 5	(603) 778-7311

Straight-line miles from the center of Portsmouth. 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 Portsmouth

Live-in pay is often agreed by the day or week, but every hour worked counts toward minimum wage. At $18.64 an hour (the New Hampshire median aide wage), a live-in caregiver paid for 50 hours a week costs about $4,039 a month (66% of the $6,119 monthly median income of Portsmouth households headed by someone 65+). Round-the-clock shift care, 168 paid hours a week across two or three caregivers, comes to about $13,570 a month (222% of the $6,119 monthly median income of Portsmouth households headed by someone 65+). Private rates are agreed with the caregiver, and overtime rules can add to both. New Hampshire'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 Portsmouth: common questions

Where is the nearest emergency hospital to Portsmouth?

Portsmouth Regional Hospital in Portsmouth, about 1.5 mi in a straight line from the center of Portsmouth (Medicare hospital file). Its listed phone number is (603) 436-5110. In an emergency, call 911.

How much does live-in care cost in Portsmouth?

Live-in pay is often agreed by the day or week, but every hour worked counts toward minimum wage. At $18.64 an hour (the New Hampshire median aide wage), a live-in caregiver paid for 50 hours a week costs about $4,039 a month (66% of the $6,119 monthly median income of Portsmouth households headed by someone 65+). Round-the-clock shift care, 168 paid hours a week across two or three caregivers, comes to about $13,570 a month (222% of the $6,119 monthly median income of Portsmouth households headed by someone 65+). Private rates are agreed with the caregiver, and overtime rules can add to both. New Hampshire'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 Portsmouth?

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 Portsmouth 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 Portsmouth

More senior care near Portsmouth

Live-In Caregivers in nearby cities

Other care in Portsmouth

More for Portsmouth 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 Portsmouth, NH