Alpharetta isn't just another Atlanta suburb when it comes to home care pricing — it sits at the very top of Georgia's market. In 2026, a reputable agency here charges $30–$40 per hour, above the statewide median of $32 per hour (CareScout's published state data) and within reach of the $35 national median from the CareScout 2025 Cost of Care Survey. For a typical part-time schedule of 20 hours a week, that puts most families around $2,770 a month at the state median rate.
The reason is the city's own economics. Alpharetta's median household income is $160,154 (Esri data via Connected Alpharetta) and the median home value is $649,000 (U.S. Census Bureau) — this is one of the most affluent communities in Metro Atlanta. A high cost of living means caregivers need higher wages to live and work here, and steady demand from a senior population that makes up 13.3% of residents keeps competition for good caregivers strong. The rate you actually pay still comes down to your hours, the level of care, and who employs the caregiver. Below is the full picture for Alpharetta families — real numbers, cited sources, and the practical ways people here pay for care. You can also see how Castleton Home Care structures its pricing.
Alpharetta first, then the wider context:
Put together, the pattern is clear: Alpharetta commands the premium end of every dataset. Local wages, local demand, local prices — the number that matters for your family is the one quoted for your situation, from a provider that actually staffs your neighborhood.
Hourly rates only make sense once you attach them to a week. The figures below use the $32-per-hour Georgia median for the math — illustrative, not quotes:
Most families land somewhere between the first two scenarios to start. Castleton's schedules begin at a 4-hour minimum per visit and a 12-hour weekly minimum.
Companionship, meal preparation, light housekeeping, errands, and transportation sit at the lower end of the range. Hands-on personal care — bathing, dressing, toileting, transferring, mobility assistance — is more physically demanding and specialized, so it prices higher. Support that requires extra training also tends to cost more.
Short visits carry more travel and scheduling overhead per billable hour, which is why most agencies set a 4-hour minimum. Longer, consistent schedules — the same caregiver, the same days — often price more favorably and attract more stable staffing.
Weekday daytime is the baseline. Evenings, overnights, weekends, and holidays tighten caregiver availability, so rates rise — A Place for Mom's North Atlanta data shows overnights running a few dollars above the daytime average, for example. Urgent starts after a hospital discharge can also affect pricing when staffing has to be arranged on short notice.
The Care.com average of $24.13 per hour in Alpharetta is essentially the raw cost of caregiver labor — what a senior home caregiver charges when your family becomes the employer. An agency charging $30–$40 for comparable hours isn't pocketing the difference; it's covering the infrastructure around the caregiver: recruiting and interviewing, background and reference checks, training and supervision, payroll and employment taxes, workers' compensation and liability insurance, scheduling, and backup coverage when someone calls out sick.
Hire directly and the legal and financial exposure sits with you. Payroll, tax withholding and reporting, overtime compliance — get any of it wrong and you're looking at back taxes or penalties. If a caregiver is injured in your home, your family may be personally exposed without the right coverage. And when an independent caregiver quits, moves, or isn't a good fit, you're back to posting ads and interviewing under time pressure.
Run the honest math on 20 hours a week. The independent route might save several dollars an hour on paper — then add what your time is worth managing payroll and taxes, what standalone insurance costs, what a missed shift with no backup costs, and what a rushed replacement search costs in stress. For households already juggling careers and kids, the agency premium frequently pays for itself in the first month.
The direct answer: Castleton's rates run $30–$40 per hour depending on the level of care and the schedule, with a 4-hour minimum per visit and a 12-hour weekly minimum. The full breakdown is on our pricing page.
That covers a trained, background-checked, agency-employed caregiver with RN oversight, a written care plan, and an office to call when plans change. And since we're headquartered on Lakeview Parkway in Alpharetta, this is home turf — many of our caregivers live in the surrounding neighborhoods, from Windward to Crabapple to the subdivisions off Old Milton Parkway, which keeps travel times short and staffing reliable. Our process page walks through how a care plan comes together, step by step.
There's usually more than one way to fund care — and one thing Medicare won't do. (Our guide to 7 practical ways to pay for senior care goes deeper on all of these.)
The most common path: retirement income, pensions, savings, investment withdrawals, or contributions from adult children. Private pay also buys the most flexibility — no eligibility rules, no networks, care starts when you're ready.
Many policies reimburse home care once benefit triggers are met, like needing help with a set number of daily activities. The catch, per LIMRA data reported by KFF Health News: only 3–4% of Americans 50 and older actually hold a policy, even though roughly 70% of people 65+ will eventually need significant long-term care. If you're in that 3–4%, Castleton can supply the documentation and visit notes insurers require for claims.
Eligible veterans and surviving spouses can receive monthly, tax-free pension support toward in-home care. The current maximums (effective December 1, 2025) are $2,874 for a married veteran, $2,424 for a single veteran, and $1,558 for a surviving spouse (VA rate tables). With 1,879 veterans living in Alpharetta and 13.3% of the city over 65 (Census Bureau), plenty of local families leave this money on the table — a VA-accredited representative or Veterans Service Officer can walk you through the application. (Castleton is a private-pay agency and doesn’t bill the VA directly.)
Georgia's Elderly and Disabled Waiver Program can cover in-home services — personal care, respite, home-delivered meals — for people who are Medicaid-eligible and meet a nursing-home level of care. Applications run through the Area Agency on Aging (statewide: 866-552-4464), and Georgia notes there is often a waitlist, so treat this as a plan-ahead option. (Castleton is a private-pay agency and doesn't bill Medicaid.)
Traditional Medicare generally does not cover ongoing non-medical home care — no custodial personal care on its own, no 24-hour care, no homemaker services, no meal delivery. It pays only for intermittent skilled care a doctor orders. Our full breakdown of what Medicare does and doesn't cover for in-home caregivers has the details.
Don't shop on the hourly rate alone. The lowest number on a marketplace listing excludes payroll setup, tax compliance, background checks, insurance, and backup coverage. Price the whole arrangement — not just the hour — before you compare.
Start before the crisis. Families who begin with a few hours a week while things are calm get to choose their caregiver and build trust gradually. Families who wait for the emergency take whoever is available fastest. Earlier is easier, cheaper over time, and far less stressful.
Ask every agency the same questions. Licensed and insured in Georgia? How are caregivers screened — background checks, references, CNA/CPR requirements? What training and supervision do they get? Minimum hours? How are nights, weekends, holidays, call-offs, and emergencies handled? Is there a written care plan, and how often is it reviewed? Good agencies welcome the interrogation.
Cost of living and labor market. Alpharetta's median household income ($160,154) and median home value ($649,000) are among the highest in Metro Atlanta, so caregivers command higher wages here — and strong demand keeps competition for experienced caregivers fierce. Care.com's own marketplace data shows Alpharetta rates running about 19% above its Georgia average.
A reputable agency typically charges $30–$40 per hour in 2026. Georgia's statewide median is $32 per hour (CareScout). Independent caregivers on marketplaces list lower — around $24 per hour in Alpharetta — but those rates exclude screening, insurance, taxes, and backup coverage.
Hiring a senior home caregiver directly in Alpharetta starts around $24 per hour, according to Care.com's local marketplace data — but that rate covers the caregiver's time alone, before payroll taxes, insurance, background screening, and backup coverage. Through a licensed home care agency, senior home care in Alpharetta typically runs $30–$40 per hour with all of that included.
24/7 around-the-clock care is structured as coordinated caregiver shifts and typically runs about $20,000 or more per month. It's priced individually after an assessment — get a detailed written quote, because shift structure (awake vs. sleep overnights, number of caregivers, days per week) swings the total significantly.
Not ongoing non-medical care. Medicare pays for intermittent skilled nursing or therapy ordered by a physician — it doesn't cover custodial personal care, companionship, 24-hour care, or homemaker services on their own.
Possibly, through the Elderly and Disabled Waiver Program, if you're Medicaid-eligible and meet a nursing-home level of care. Apply through the Area Agency on Aging at 866-552-4464 — and expect a possible waitlist.
They're close cousins — same North Metro labor market, same $30–$40 agency band. Alpharetta tends to sit slightly higher on marketplace rates thanks to its cost of living. If you're comparing options across the area, our Roswell cost guide breaks down that market the same way.
Cost is only part of the picture — where care happens matters too. These are the local touchpoints Alpharetta families run into most.
Guides get you in the ballpark; a conversation gets you the number. Here's how it works with us:
1. A 10–15 minute call. Dial 770-810-5974 and tell us where your loved one lives, what kind of help they need, and what schedule you're picturing. No obligation, no pressure — When we get in touch, we’ll take the time to personally understand your unique situation and offer solutions that fit. You can also reach us at office@castletonhomecare.com.
2. An in-home or virtual assessment. A care coordinator meets you and your loved one — at home in Alpharetta or over secure video — to understand mobility, fall risk, home safety, medications, routines, and preferences. This is what makes the care match and the pricing accurate.
3. A written plan and quote. Recommended services, a suggested schedule, your exact hourly rate, and estimated weekly and monthly costs — plus lower-cost alternatives (fewer days, shorter shifts, a phased start) if you want to fit care to a budget.
4. A start date, with room to adjust. We introduce your caregiver, guide the first visits, and stay in close contact to fine-tune the plan as needs change — so the support (and the cost) always matches real life.
Prefer to start online? Send us a message through our contact form, or read about the caregivers serving Alpharetta — many of them are your neighbors.
Disclaimer: The information in this article is provided for general educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as, and should not be taken as, medical, nursing, legal, financial, tax, or insurance advice. You should consult with qualified professionals—including, but not limited to, a doctor, attorney, financial planner, or tax advisor—for guidance specific to your situation. Castleton Home Care does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or timeliness of the information contained in this article and assumes no liability for any actions taken based on its contents.
.avif)
%2520(1).jpeg)
John Britt, CNA, is the owner and administrator of Castleton Home Care, an independent, non‑franchise in‑home senior care agency serving Alpharetta and North Metro Atlanta. Drawing on formal training as a certified nursing assistant and his experience providing direct hands‑on care in private homes and his local community, he now oversees care quality standards, caregiver recruitment and training, and individualized care planning for older adults who want to age in place safely at home.
John has worked closely with seniors, families, home health nurses, and local senior living communities to coordinate post‑hospital care, support chronic condition management at home, and navigate transitions between home care, assisted living, memory care, and skilled nursing facilities. His practical, evidence‑informed approach emphasizes clear communication, realistic expectations, and care plans that protect safety while preserving dignity, independence, and personal preferences.
As a lifelong Metro Atlanta resident, John is deeply familiar with local healthcare and senior care resources in Alpharetta, Johns Creek, Roswell, Milton, Cumming, and surrounding communities. He regularly shares guidance on aging in place, choosing and managing home care, and comparing local senior care options through educational articles, informative videos, caregiver training, and community outreach so families can make informed, confident decisions.
By clicking "Subscribe Now," you agree to receive periodic emails from Castleton Home Care with updates, news, and special offers. Your information will be processed in accordance with our Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Subscribe to be updated when new educational videos, local expert interviews, and other written tips and guides for family caregivers are released.