Newsweek released its list of top nursing homes for 2025 on Wednesday, ranking facilities within each state according to number of beds.
Newsweek recognized 1,050 nursing homes across 25 states with the highest number of facilities, using data published by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) in partnership with the global research firm Statista.
The ranking took into account performance data, recommendations of medical professionals, accreditations and resident satisfaction. Within the ranking, facilities were clustered according to the number of beds. The lists were broken down into three separate categories: for the first time, a category for facilities with 50-99 beds, another for 100-149 beds, and finally one for facilities with more than 150 beds.
Moreover, the lists detail whether a facility has a resident or family council, or both, and if it’s considered a continuing care retirement community (CCRC). Breaking down facility size even more, lists state the number of certified beds.
“A key change in this year’s evaluation is the increased weighting of performance data, emphasizing the importance of medical key performance indicators,” Josh Smith, Newsweek’s director of growth and strategic partnerships, said in a statement. “Additionally, new metrics, such as [CMS] data on staff turnover rates for administrators and total nurse staffing hours on weekends were added, allowing for a more holistic and accurate assessment of nursing home quality.”
Ohio and California had the largest number of nursing homes named to the 50-99 list with 40 and 50 properties, respectively, with all but four California properties offering some sort of family or resident council.
Ohio Health Care Association Executive Director Pete Van Runkle said that while it was good to see state facilities represented in a positive light, Newsweek’s methodology is just another way to quantify something that’s unquantifiable: SNF quality.
“In this way, the Newsweek methodology is similar to 5-Star. In fact, the largest part of its formula comes from 5-Star with some modifications,” Van Runkle told Skilled Nursing News. “It adds opinion data and accreditations to the mix, all of which are debatable for different reasons. The bottom line is ‘quality’ means something different to everyone. There is no consensus.”
In terms of any sort of link between resident and family councils and quality, Van Runkle, said they’re required if residents or families want them; it’s hard to say if this statistic is relevant to Newsweek’s ratings, he said.
Other associations see rankings as a link to how important the sector is to state legislators and communities.
“[California’s rankings] prove how the long-term care sector has a significant role in our state… especially as the demand for these services grow. The inclusion of so many facilities is a testament to the dedication of staff and administrators in maintaining high standards of care, and prioritizing the well-being of residents,” a representative with the California Association of Health Facilities (CAHF) said.
Texas and Florida had the most facilities on the 100-149-bed list at 40 and 35 properties each, with one facility per state not offering a council, among those listed.
New York had a whopping 69 properties on the top nursing homes with 150 or more beds and just two facilities not having any sort of resident or family council, followed by 45 in California and 36 in Pennsylvania.
Facilities that are part of the Speciality Focus Facility (SFF) program were not included in the lists, nor were there any mentions of ownership.
Newsweek and Statista estimated there were 1.2 million nursing home residents across the country in 2023, a statistic expected to increase, the organizations noted.
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