US News & World Report Expands Best Senior Living Ratings in 2025
In an effort to provide more comprehensive information to families seeking quality senior living options, US News & World Report has announced the expansion of its Best Senior Living program for 2025. This initiative recognizes more independent living, assisted living, memory care, and continuing care retirement communities than ever before, offering new opportunities for providers to gain notable recognition.
The program’s latest ratings, unveiled recently, are based on an extensive survey involving nearly 450,000 residents and family members across 3,819 senior living communities nationwide. Participants were asked to evaluate various aspects of community life, including safety, caregiving quality, enrichment activities, management effectiveness, food services, and overall value. Only the communities that received the highest ratings were designated as “Best.” More details surrounding the evaluation methodology can be found here.
In its fourth year, the program recognizes 1,894 communities as “Best” within one or more care/service categories, marking a steady increase from its inaugural year in 2022, where 1,275 communities were acknowledged. This figure rose in successive years to 1,675 in 2023 and 1,703 in 2024. Additionally, 61 of the communities recognized this year are classified as Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRCs), reflecting a growing diversity in senior living options.
A notable addition to this year’s evaluation is the introduction of “High Performing” accolades. Communities scoring in the top 25% nationwide in areas such as caregiving, activities and enrichment, management, and food services have been awarded this designation. Liz Pearce, US News’s Director of Senior Living, emphasized that these new accolades will better equip families with the information necessary to make informed comparisons among communities, thereby enhancing their decision-making process.
The 2025 ratings also indicate that 129 operators participated in the evaluation, with nearly all achieving recognition for at least one community. Among these, Brookdale Senior Living, Sunrise Senior Living, and Discovery Senior Living led with over 100 recognized communities each. Sunrise CEO Jack R. Callison Jr. expressed pride in the recognition, attributing it to the dedication of staff and the quality of life offered in their communities.
In terms of geographic representation, communities from 48 states and Washington, D.C., were included in the ratings, with Texas, California, Florida, and Illinois boasting the highest number of recognized communities.
Looking to the future, US News anticipates that the Best Senior Living program will continue its growth, as an increasing number of communities engage in consumer satisfaction surveys, thus qualifying for the program. This growth is expected to enhance the underlying data set and further influence the evaluation process.
For senior living operators interested in understanding the evaluation criteria or seeking to participate in future ratings, more information can be obtained by contacting US News directly.
In an ever-growing market that seeks to cater to the evolving needs of seniors, these enhanced ratings serve as a critical resource for families navigating the complexities of senior living options.
