Nursing Home Ratings in Florida: A Data Analysis of Quality, Safety, and Staffing
Florida's 685 nursing homes serve over 73,000 residents with near-average staffing. But the state has the nation's best weekend consistency — only 11.7% drop-off. Here's the full analysis.
Photo from Pexels
Data updated quarterly
This analysis reflects the most recent CMS data release (Q3 2025). Staffing figures, grades, and benchmarks are refreshed every quarter as new federal data becomes available.
The State Where Weekend Care Sets It Apart
Florida is where millions of Americans retire — and where hundreds of thousands eventually need nursing home care. The state's 685 nursing homes serve approximately 73,730 residents on any given day, making it the third-largest nursing home market in the country.
The headline staffing numbers are unremarkable. Florida's average total nurse HPRD of 3.88 sits just below the national average of 3.90. About 72.9% of facilities meet the CMS staffing benchmark — slightly above the national rate of 65.8%. By the standard metrics, Florida is a middling state.
But the data reveals something that makes Florida stand out in a genuinely positive way: weekend staffing consistency. Florida nursing homes drop staffing by only 11.7% on weekends — the best among large states. In many states, that figure exceeds 18-20%. For residents whose care doesn't take weekends off, this consistency matters more than most families realize.
What Florida does less well is RN coverage. Only 35.9% of facilities meet the registered nurse recommendation. And while 72.9% pass the CMS benchmark, nearly 1 in 10 facilities (77 homes) still earn a D or F grade.
This report analyzes nursing home ratings in Florida using the most recent federal staffing and quality data published by CMS. Explore the full Florida state profile for interactive data.
The Florida Nursing Home Landscape
The Market
Florida's aging population creates enormous demand for nursing home care. With 685 facilities across the state — concentrated in South Florida, the Tampa Bay area, Orlando, and Jacksonville — the market offers significant choice in most metro areas. Every facility reports daily staffing data to CMS.
The Variation
Florida's near-average performance masks meaningful variation. The state has 115 facilities (16.8%) earning an A+ or A grade alongside 77 facilities (11.2%) earning a D or F. In a state where retiree families often need to make nursing home decisions remotely — sometimes from thousands of miles away — understanding this spread is critical.
The state also has unusually low agency staff usage at just 1.2% of hours — the second lowest in the nation. This is genuinely positive, indicating stable permanent workforces. But for the D and F-rated facilities, low agency use combined with low staffing suggests chronic understaffing rather than temporary gaps.
What Families Want to Know
How does Florida's nursing home quality vary across the state, and what advantages and risks should families understand when evaluating care options?
What the Data Reveals
Our analysis breaks down Florida's performance across staffing levels, RN coverage, weekend patterns, and grade distributions to identify what makes the state's best facilities stand out and its weakest ones fall short. See how Florida compares to every other state on the rankings page.
Florida by the Numbers: Key Data Insights
A Balanced Distribution
Unlike states with extreme skews, Florida's grade distribution looks relatively healthy. The biggest bar is at B (251 facilities), and only 4 facilities earn an F. The B-or-better rate of 53.4% is above the national average.
Weekend Staffing: Florida's Best-in-Class Advantage
Florida's most distinctive strength is its weekend staffing consistency. At 11.7% average weekend drop-off, the state leads all large states by a significant margin.
Why this matters: most family visits happen on weekends, giving an impression of staffing levels that may not reflect weekday reality. In states with 20%+ weekend drops, Saturday and Sunday care is substantially different from Tuesday care. Florida's low drop means what you see on a weekend visit is closer to what your loved one actually gets all week.
Staffing Mix: Above-Average RN Coverage
Florida's RN HPRD of 0.75 sits above the national average of 0.68 and exactly at the research-recommended level. About 35.9% of facilities meet the 0.75 recommendation — better than most states. This is a meaningful positive signal.
Florida outperforms nationally on RN and CNA staffing, with only LPN hours slightly below the national average. Learn more about why this staffing mix matters in our guide to HPRD and staffing grades.
Agency Staff: Nearly Zero
At 1.2% contract staff usage, Florida facilities overwhelmingly employ permanent workers. This creates better care continuity — staff who know each resident's preferences, medications, and baseline behaviors are more likely to notice when something changes. Track how agency reliance is changing nationally on the trends page.
Grade Distribution
The near-absence of F-rated facilities (only 4 out of 685) is notable. Florida's regulatory environment and market dynamics appear to prevent the extreme understaffing seen in states like Louisiana and Texas.
Making Sense of Florida's Market
The Challenge for Families
Florida families — many of whom are making decisions remotely for aging parents who retired to the state — often rely on word-of-mouth, hospital recommendations, or basic CMS star ratings. The state's large market creates the paradox of too much choice without enough clarity.
What Transparent Data Makes Possible
With facility-level staffing data, families can identify that Florida's B-or-better facilities represent more than half the market — making it statistically more likely to find adequate care here than in most states. They can also leverage Florida's weekend staffing strength by understanding that their weekend visits are a more accurate preview of daily care than they would be in most other states.
Use the facility comparison tool to evaluate any two Florida nursing homes side by side across every metric.
Our Commitment
Florida's nursing home landscape is more favorable than the national average in most respects. This analysis helps families take advantage of that by identifying the specific facilities that perform best — and the minority that don't meet the standard.
How Nursing Home Ratings Are Calculated
Our Staffing Grades (A+ through F)
Letter grades are based on Hours Per Resident Day (HPRD) — total nursing staff hours divided by daily resident count. The thresholds are anchored to two evidence-based benchmarks: the 3.48 HPRD CMS standard and the 4.10 HPRD research recommendation from the CMS-commissioned STRIVE study.
Learn more in our guide to understanding HPRD and staffing grades.
CMS Five-Star Ratings
CMS assigns separate star ratings for overall quality, staffing, quality measures, and health inspections. These complement our letter grades by covering dimensions beyond staffing alone.
What Goes Into the Data
Every nursing home must submit daily staffing data to CMS. This includes hours worked by every employee, broken down by role and employment type, combined with daily resident census counts.
Key Takeaways for Families in Florida
If you're evaluating nursing homes in Florida, here are the most important things the data tells us.
-
Florida's odds are better than most states. With 53.4% of facilities earning B or better and only 4 F-rated homes, the baseline quality is above average. Browse all facilities on the Florida state page.
-
Weekend consistency is a genuine Florida advantage. The 11.7% drop is best-in-class among large states, meaning care is more consistent seven days a week.
-
Low agency use is a positive signal. The 1.2% contract rate means you're more likely to find permanent staff who know your loved one.
-
Still check RN staffing for each facility. While the state average RN HPRD is at the recommended level, individual facilities vary. Use the RN-specific metric, not just the total.
-
The 73 D-rated facilities deserve scrutiny. While few Florida homes earn an F, 10.7% are in the D range — enough to warrant careful checking.
-
Remote decision-making is common here. If you're evaluating Florida facilities from out of state, use the data to create a shortlist before visiting. The comparison tool helps narrow hundreds of options to a manageable few.
Frequently Asked Questions
How are nursing homes rated in Florida?
Florida nursing homes receive CMS Five-Star ratings and our letter grades (A+ through F) based on staffing hours per resident per day. Florida performs above the national average, with 53.4% of facilities earning a B or better and only 4 out of 685 earning an F. See the full breakdown on the Florida state page.
What is considered a good nursing home rating in Florida?
A B-grade facility (3.48+ HPRD) represents the CMS benchmark standard. Florida has 251 B-rated facilities — the largest single grade category. For the best care, look for A or A+ facilities, which provide 4.1+ HPRD.
How many nursing homes are in Florida?
Florida has 685 Medicare and Medicaid certified nursing homes serving approximately 73,730 residents daily, making it the third-largest market in the US.
What makes Florida nursing homes different from other states?
Florida stands out for its weekend staffing consistency (only 11.7% drop-off, best among large states), its extremely low agency staff usage (1.2%), and its relatively balanced grade distribution with very few F-rated facilities. Check the national trends page to see how Florida compares over time.
How can families compare nursing homes in Florida?
Our comparison tool lets you evaluate any two Florida facilities side by side. We recommend focusing on RN HPRD, weekend consistency, and inspection history when narrowing options. Start with the Florida state page to filter by county or city.