For Dallas families weighing board & care homes, here's the 2026 picture — local costs, Texas licensing, and the questions that matter most before you tour.
The local picture in Dallas
Dallas is the metro's population center and has by far the deepest inventory of senior care, from small residential assisted living homes in Oak Cliff and Pleasant Grove to large purpose-built campuses in North Dallas, Preston Hollow, and Lake Highlands.
Dallas sits in Dallas County. Nearby hospitals include UT Southwestern Medical Center, Baylor University Medical Center, Texas Health Presbyterian Dallas, and Medical City Dallas, which matters for discharge planning and for staying close to a parent's doctors. Families here commonly focus on areas such as Uptown, Lakewood, Preston Hollow, North Dallas, Oak Cliff, Lake Highlands. Because Dallas spans the full metro price range, it is where families have the most room to compare communities on cost and care level.
Paying for board & care homes in Dallas
In the Dallas market, board & care homes typically runs $3,000 to $5,000 a month. Because Dallas spans the full metro price range, it is where families have the most room to compare communities on cost and care level. Most families combine sources over time: private savings and Social Security first, then long-term-care insurance if it's in place, VA Aid & Attendance for eligible veterans and surviving spouses, and Texas's STAR+PLUS Medicaid (including the HCBS waiver), which can cover care services (not room and board) for those who meet the income and asset tests.
Verify any community's license and inspection record on the HHSC Long-Term Care Provider Search (apps.hhs.texas.gov) before you commit — it's the one statewide database that covers every facility in Dallas County.
Board & Care Homes: what you're actually buying
Board-and-care homes are small residential assisted living homes — often a converted house with a handful of residents — offering a quieter, family-style alternative to a big campus.
In Texas these are small Type A or Type B ALFs licensed by HHSC under Texas Health & Safety Code Chapter 247 and 26 Texas Administrative Code Chapter 553, with the same disclosure and inspection standards as larger communities. A typical monthly range is $3,000 to $5,000 a month.
Here's what separates a strong community from a weak one:
- the owner or operator's tenure and hands-on involvement
- the caregiver-to-resident ratio, which is the small home's main selling point
- what happens if care needs exceed what the home is licensed for
How to move forward
A free Dallas Senior Advisor advisor can shortlist options that fit your budget and timeline and set up tours. Reach out online — there's never a fee for families.
