Average Cost of Assisted Living in Highlands, TX

Published November 9, 2026 · Mountbatten House · Highlands, TX

A practical guide to Houston Area assisted living medians, monthly fees, rate questions and payment options for families comparing care in Highlands, Texas.

The average cost of assisted living in Highlands TX is best approached with a regional benchmark because CareScout does not publish a separate Highlands median. Its 2025 survey reports a Houston Area assisted living monthly median of $6,395, based on data collected from July through November 2025. That Houston Area figure is the relevant metro comparison for this east Harris County community, but it is not a quote for any particular home. The CareScout Cost of Care Survey 2025 explains the regional basis for these comparisons.

Mountbatten House is at 213 Maple St in Highlands, an unincorporated community near Baytown, Crosby and the San Jacinto River. Public listings describe it as a small nonprofit Texas Type A assisted living home. It is not a dedicated memory care community. These regional figures are not its prices; families should call for current rates and confirm current operations and availability directly.

The average cost of assisted living in Highlands TX, in context

CareScout places the Houston Area median above both statewide and national figures. Texas has a monthly median of $5,666 and an annual figure of $67,992; the national figures are $6,200 monthly and $74,400 annually. The Houston Area annual figure is $76,740. On a monthly basis, Houston Area is $729 higher than Texas and $195 higher than the national median, according to CareScout's cost of care data.

Multiplying each monthly median by 12 produces the annual amount shown. This annual view helps families compare care with income, savings and benefits over a full year. A median is a survey midpoint, not a promise of what a Highlands resident will pay; individual quotes can sit above or below it.

What a monthly fee may include

A monthly assisted living fee often combines housing and support, but there is no universal package. Before comparing prices, ask for a written service plan and fee schedule. Depending on the residence, the base quote may cover some of the following, while other items are billed separately:

• The room or apartment, utilities, furnishings and whether the space is private or shared.
• Meals, snacks, housekeeping, laundry, maintenance and planned activities.
• Help with daily activities such as bathing, dressing, toileting or eating, and the assessed level of that help.
• Medication assistance, transportation, personal supplies, incontinence supplies or salon services, if offered, plus any extra charges.

Texas licensing rules also affect fit. Texas Health and Human Services says Type A residents can evacuate without help, follow emergency directions and do not need routine nighttime attendance. Type B residents may need staff help to evacuate, may not follow emergency directions and may need nighttime attendance. Facilities advertising care for Alzheimer’s disease or related disorders must hold the required state certification. These are licensing distinctions, not measures of warmth or quality.

Public listings identify Mountbatten House as Type A, so families should verify the current license and discuss whether it matches the person’s needs. Its care and support information can help frame that conversation, alongside a direct assessment.

Why individual quotes vary

Room type is one reason quotes differ. A private space may be priced differently from a shared one, and the base package may change with bathroom arrangements, furnishings or other features. Care level is another: hands-on help, supervision and the frequency of assistance can change after an assessment. A small residential home and a large community may also bundle services differently. Neither setting is automatically the less expensive or better choice; the details of support and staffing matter more than the label.

Compare written quotes on the same basis. Note the room, included personal support, supplies, transportation and any one-time charges. Ask which changes trigger a reassessment and whether the monthly fee can change before an annual renewal. A lower base rate can be less useful if ordinary needs are extra, while a higher quote may include items another residence lists separately. Do not infer Mountbatten House’s pricing or service package from the Houston Area median.

How other Houston Area care options compare

Home care illustrates why schedules matter. CareScout lists a Houston Area non-medical in-home caregiver rate of $29 an hour. Its standard 44-hour-per-week schedule comes to $5,529 a month. At 20 hours a week, the monthly figure is $2,513; around-the-clock care at 168 hours a week is $21,112. The 44-hour figure is $866 below the Houston Area assisted living monthly median. These comparisons do not include every household expense, and unpaid family time can fill gaps in a part-time schedule.

Adult day health care is listed at $90 a day and $1,950 a month. Nursing home care has different monthly medians: $6,083 for a semi-private room and $8,015 for a private room. The corresponding annual figures are $73,000 and $96,178. The semi-private monthly median is $312 below assisted living, while the private-room median is $1,620 above it. All of these figures come from the same CareScout Houston Area survey, but they describe different settings and service bundles.

Adult day support may cover only part of a day, home care may leave housing and meal costs with the family, and a nursing room is not interchangeable with assisted living. Compare the actual hours, supervision, living expenses and care needs behind each quote rather than choosing by the monthly total alone.

Questions about rate increases and extra charges

A useful quote explains both today’s charge and how it may change. The rates page is a starting point for that conversation, followed by a request to Mountbatten House for its current written terms. Useful questions include:

1. Which services and supplies are included in the base monthly fee, and which are separate?
2. How is the care level set, how often is it reviewed, and who takes part in that decision?
3. How often are rates reviewed, and how much written notice accompanies a change?
4. Can a reassessment change the fee between regular rate adjustments?
5. Are there assessment, deposit, second-person or other one-time charges, and which payments are refundable?
6. What happens if needs exceed the home’s license or services, and what do the discharge and refund policies say?

Request a sample invoice if available and keep answers with the service agreement. Ask about the history of increases without treating past practice as a guarantee. For Mountbatten House, current rates must come from the home itself, along with confirmation of operations and availability; neither a metro median nor an older directory listing can supply that information.

Payment sources and their limits

Medicare’s long-term care guidance says Medicare does not cover long-term custodial care when that is the only care needed, and most long-term care is custodial. Families should not assume that Medicare will pay assisted living room, board or ongoing personal support. Review the person’s own coverage before building it into a budget.

Texas Medicaid works differently. The STAR+PLUS Handbook explains that Home and Community Based Services can pay for assisted living services for members who meet nursing facility level of care, in a licensed facility contracted with the member’s managed care organization. Members pay room and board and any applicable copayment. Interest lists may apply. This does not establish that any particular Highlands home participates.

Long-term care insurance may pay for assisted living when the policy’s conditions are met. Benefits commonly depend on an elimination period and on needs involving daily activities or cognitive impairment. Read the policy for covered settings, daily limits, benefit periods and documentation requirements instead of relying on its title.

For eligible wartime-era Veterans and surviving spouses, VA Aid and Attendance can increase a VA pension when daily-help or other qualifying needs are present. The current VA pension rates list a maximum annual pension rate of $29,093 for a Veteran with no dependents and $34,488 for a Veteran with one dependent. If countable income were zero, the corresponding monthly figures are $2,424 and $2,874. These are benefit limits, not automatic awards or Highlands care prices. The VA net worth limit from December 1, 2025 through November 30, 2026 is $163,699. Pension generally equals the applicable annual rate minus countable income, and certain unreimbursed medical expenses can affect that calculation. VA rules also include review of some earlier asset transfers, so individualized benefits guidance is important.

Building a practical Highlands care budget

The average cost of assisted living in Highlands TX is therefore a starting benchmark, not a complete budget. List expected housing and care charges alongside personal supplies, transportation and family travel from Baytown, Crosby or Channelview. Compare that monthly picture with reliable income, savings and confirmed benefits, then consider how the plan would change if needs increased. Access via Interstate 10 may matter to visiting relatives, but convenience should be weighed alongside fit and affordability.

Short-term help can also support a longer decision. The National Institute on Aging describes respite care as a break for family caregivers through in-home help, adult day centers or short residential stays; local availability must be checked, and this does not mean Mountbatten House offers respite. The Eldercare Locator can connect families with the local Area Agency on Aging for broader guidance.

For any Highlands option, a current care assessment, a clear written quote and confirmation of licensing provide a firmer basis for a decision than a regional median alone.