Omid Saatsaz
Founder, Red Hill Home Care
One of the first things families ask is simply: what does this cost where I live? The honest answer is that it depends a lot on which California county you're in — labor costs, cost of living, and local market competition all push rates up or down. Below is a county-by-county estimate for every area we serve, with a link to each county's own page for the exact current number and that county's dedicated phone line.
Estimated Private-Pay Hourly Rates by County
These are planning estimates based on each county's general cost of living, not a quote — call the number on any county's page below for an exact rate. We're private-pay, with no insurance pre-authorization step slowing things down.
- Orange County — ~$56/hr est. →
- Riverside County — ~$42/hr est. →
- San Diego County — ~$52/hr est. →
- Los Angeles County — ~$53/hr est. →
- Ventura County — ~$50/hr est. →
- Santa Barbara County — ~$55/hr est. →
- San Luis Obispo County — ~$47/hr est. →
- Monterey County — ~$52/hr est. →
- Santa Cruz County — ~$49/hr est. →
- Santa Clara County — ~$59/hr est. →
- San Mateo County — ~$60/hr est. →
- Alameda County — ~$54/hr est. →
- Sonoma County — ~$50/hr est. →
- Marin County — ~$60/hr est. →
- Solano County — ~$44/hr est. →
- Contra Costa County — ~$53/hr est. →
- Napa County — ~$55/hr est. →
- Sacramento County — ~$44/hr est. →
- El Dorado County — ~$46/hr est. →
- Placer County — ~$47/hr est. →
Why Rates Vary So Much Across California
Home care pricing largely tracks local cost of living and the local labor market for caregivers. Dense, high-cost-of-living counties (Bay Area counties like San Mateo, Santa Clara, and Marin; Southern California's Orange County) tend to run higher than more affordable inland counties (Sacramento-area counties like El Dorado and Placer, or Solano). None of this means lower-cost counties get lower-quality care — it mostly reflects what caregivers need to be paid to live in that area.
Whatever county you're in, the conversation is the same first step: call the number for your area, and we'll walk through what your specific situation would actually cost — hours needed, level of care, and which payment options apply to you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are these county rates the final price I'll pay?
No — they're planning estimates based on each county's general cost of living, not a quote. Actual pricing depends on hours needed and level of care; call the number on your county's page for an exact rate.
Why is Orange County more expensive than some inland counties?
Home care pricing largely tracks local cost of living and the local caregiver labor market — dense, high-cost-of-living areas like Orange County and the Bay Area tend to run higher than more affordable inland counties, reflecting what caregivers need to be paid to live there.
About Omid Saatsaz
Founder, Red Hill Home Care
Omid founded Red Hill Home Care after watching his grandfather receive home care firsthand, and after a close family friend with disabilities struggled to get the daily support they needed. Before starting Red Hill, he spent several years consulting for home care agencies on operations, marketing, and M&A, and three years at Medtronic in Irvine, CA working on neurovascular stroke-prevention devices (aneurysm treatment and blood clot retrieval). He holds a degree in Industrial Engineering from Cal Poly Pomona (2016).