2026 Rankings

Best Nursing Homes in California

Top 25 nursing homes in California ranked by CareGrader’s A-F grading system, based on real CMS government inspection data.

1,163 total facilities3.1 avg rating6 Special Focus Facilities

How we rank: Facilities are ranked by CareGrader composite score (0-100), which combines CMS health inspections (35%), staffing levels (25%), quality measures (25%), and penalty history (15%). Read our methodology

#1
A

Veterans Home Of California - Barstow

BARSTOW, California

Score: 95.8/1005/5 CMS60 bedsGovernment - State
#2
A

BARTON HOSPITAL D/P SNF

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, California

Score: 95.8/1005/5 CMS48 bedsNon profit - Corporation
#3
A

VI AT LA JOLLA VILLAGE

SAN DIEGO, California

Score: 95.8/1005/5 CMS60 bedsFor profit - Limited Liability company
#4
A

CREEKVIEW SKILLED NURSING

PLEASANTON, California

Score: 95.8/1005/5 CMS73 bedsFor profit - Limited Liability company
#5
A

Mission View Health Center

San Luis Obispo, California

Score: 95.8/1005/5 CMS162 bedsFor profit - Corporation
#6
A

MERCED BEHAVIORAL CENTER

MERCED, California

Score: 95.8/1005/5 CMS96 bedsFor profit - Limited Liability company
#7
A

BRADLEY COURT

EL CAJON, California

Score: 95.8/1005/5 CMS56 bedsFor profit - Limited Liability company
#8
A

EMANATE HEALTH INTER-COMMUNITY HOSPITAL- D/P SNF

COVINA, California

Score: 95.8/1005/5 CMS25 bedsNon profit - Other
#9
A

MORTON BAKAR CENTER

HAYWARD, California

Score: 95.8/1005/5 CMS97 bedsFor profit - Corporation
#10
A

SAN FRANCISCO TOWERS

SAN FRANCISCO, California

Score: 95.8/1005/5 CMS27 bedsNon profit - Corporation
#11
A

ALAMEDA COUNTY MEDICAL CENTER D/P SNF

SAN LEANDRO, California

Score: 95.8/1005/5 CMS109 bedsGovernment - Hospital district
#12
A

Community Memorial Continuing Care Center

Ojai, California

Score: 95.8/1005/5 CMS75 bedsNon profit - Corporation
#13
A

Mary Health of the Sick Convalescent & Nursing Hos

Newbury Park, California

Score: 95.8/1005/5 CMS61 bedsNon profit - Corporation
#14
A

TAHOE FOREST HOSPITAL D/P SNF

TRUCKEE, California

Score: 95.8/1005/5 CMS37 bedsNon profit - Corporation
#15
A

FOLSOM CARE CENTER

FOLSOM, California

Score: 95.8/1005/5 CMS99 bedsFor profit - Corporation
#16
A

PACIFICA NURSING AND REHABILITATION CENTER

PACIFICA, California

Score: 95.8/1005/5 CMS68 bedsFor profit - Limited Liability company
#17
A

San Luis Transitional Care

San Luis Obispo, California

Score: 95.8/1005/5 CMS23 bedsFor profit - Corporation
#18
A

PARKSIDE HEALTH AND WELLNESS CENTER

EL CAJON, California

Score: 95.8/1005/5 CMS52 bedsFor profit - Corporation
#19
A

CRESTWOOD TREATMENT CENTER

FREMONT, California

Score: 95.8/1005/5 CMS88 bedsFor profit - Corporation
#20
A

Glenwood Care Center

Oxnard, California

Score: 95.8/1005/5 CMS99 bedsFor profit - Limited Liability company
#21
A

CALIFORNIA PACIFIC MEDICAL CTR- DAVIES CAMPUS HOSP

SAN FRANCISCO, California

Score: 94.3/1005/5 CMS38 bedsNon profit - Corporation
#22
A

BAYWOOD COURT HEALTH CENTER

CASTRO VALLEY, California

Score: 94.3/1005/5 CMS56 bedsNon profit - Corporation
#23
A

CHILDRENS HC ORG NO CA -PEDIATRIC HOSPITAL D/P SNF

CAMPBELL, California

Score: 94/1005/5 CMS27 bedsFor profit - Limited Liability company
#24
A

THE SEQUOIAS

PORTOLA VALLEY, California

Score: 93.5/1005/5 CMS43 bedsNon profit - Corporation
#25
A

CARLSBAD BY THE SEA

CARLSBAD, California

Score: 93.3/1005/5 CMS33 bedsNon profit - Corporation
View All Nursing Homes in California

About Nursing Homes in California

California has 1,163 Medicare-certified nursing homes. CareGrader grades every facility from A to F using official CMS (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) government data, including surprise health inspections, Payroll-Based Journal staffing audits, quality measures, and enforcement actions.

The average CMS star rating across all nursing homes in California is 3.1 out of 5 stars. There are currently 6 Special Focus Facilities in California — nursing homes flagged by CMS for a persistent history of serious quality issues.

The rankings above show the top 25 nursing homes in California by CareGrader composite score. Scores are recalculated monthly when CMS publishes updated datasets. Read our full methodology to understand how grades are calculated.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best nursing home in California?

Based on CareGrader's analysis of CMS government data, Veterans Home Of California - Barstow in BARSTOW is the highest-rated nursing home in California with a grade of A (score: 95.8/100). Rankings are based on health inspections (35%), staffing (25%), quality measures (25%), and penalty history (15%).

How many nursing homes are in California?

There are 1,163 Medicare-certified nursing homes in California. CareGrader grades each one from A to F based on CMS health inspection, staffing, quality, and penalty data.

How does CareGrader rank nursing homes in California?

CareGrader assigns A-F grades using a composite score (0-100) that combines four dimensions of CMS government data: health inspections (35% weight), staffing levels from Payroll-Based Journal data (25%), quality measures (25%), and penalty history including fines (15%). Grade A = 90-100 (Excellent), B = 80-89 (Good), C = 70-79 (Average), D = 60-69 (Below Average), F = below 60 (Poor). Data is updated monthly.

What is the average nursing home rating in California?

The average CMS star rating for nursing homes in California is 3.1 out of 5 stars. Use CareGrader to find facilities that score above this average.