The Minnesota Assisted Living Report Card, explained: what the stars measure and what they miss
The Minnesota Assisted Living Report Card is a free state website that rates every licensed assisted living from one to five stars on five measures: Resident Quality of Life and Family Satisfaction (from surveys, only at facilities licensed for seven or more people) and Resident Health, Safety and Staffing (scored from MDH inspection correction orders). Facilities are compared with peers of similar size and region. "n/a" means no data is available; "X" means the facility was eligible and refused the survey. It does not show prices, Elderly Waiver acceptance or openings.
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What the Report Card is
The Minnesota Assisted Living Report Card (DHS) is a free state website built by the Minnesota Board on Aging and the Department of Human Services, with the Department of Health, MNIT, Vital Research and the University of Minnesota. Its fact sheet says "participation is mandatory for all licensed assisted living communities in Minnesota." Source: Minnesota Assisted Living Report Card — Fact Sheet and FAQs (DHS, updated April 28, 2026).
It rates each assisted living from one star (lowest) to five stars (highest) on five measures. They come from two completely different kinds of evidence, and reading the card well starts with knowing which is which.
| Measure | Where the data comes from | Who is eligible |
|---|---|---|
| Resident Quality of Life | In-person interviews with residents by an independent contractor (Vital Research) | Facilities licensed for 7 or more people (2024–2025 and 2026 surveys) |
| Family Satisfaction | A mailed survey to each resident's primary contact | Facilities licensed for 7 or more people (2024–2025 and 2026 surveys) |
| Resident Health | Scored from MDH licensing-survey correction orders | Every licensed facility, once it has had a licensing survey |
| Safety | Scored from MDH licensing-survey correction orders | Every licensed facility, once it has had a licensing survey |
| Staffing | Scored from MDH licensing-survey correction orders | Every licensed facility, once it has had a licensing survey |
Assisted Living Report Card Ratings Guide and Fact Sheet, DHS, both updated April 28, 2026. For the 2023–2024 survey the eligibility threshold was five or more.
How the stars are assigned
Stars are relative, not absolute. For each measure DHS calculates the average across facilities and assigns stars by standard deviation: five stars for "more than 1½ standard deviations better than the mean OR top 7% of facilities," three stars for "within ½ standard deviation of the mean," one star for "more than 1½ standard deviations worse than the mean." The top-7% rule exists "because most facilities score highly, meaning that without adjustments, few would earn five stars." Source: Minnesota Assisted Living Report Card — Ratings Guide (DHS, updated April 28, 2026).
Facilities are compared with their peers
Stars are "peered" by location — the seven-county Twin Cities area or greater Minnesota — and by size. For the survey measures the size groups are 1–25 beds and 26 or more; for the inspection measures they are 1–5, 6–25 and 26 or more. Peering "does not change the facility's score, but it allows each facility to be compared within a similar group." DHS notes that resident health needs and payer mix "would be helpful" for peering but are not currently available. Source: Minnesota Assisted Living Report Card — Ratings Guide (DHS, updated April 28, 2026).
How the inspection stars work
MDH must survey each assisted living at least once every two years. When it finds a facility not following licensing requirements it issues a correction order with a scope (isolated, pattern or widespread) and a severity. The University of Minnesota scores each correction order that falls into the health, safety or staffing categories; "if a facility has a higher score (which means they have more correction orders), they will receive a lower star rating." Once two rounds exist, the most recent survey counts for two-thirds and the previous one for one-third. Source: Minnesota Assisted Living Report Card — Ratings Guide (DHS, updated April 28, 2026).
An asterisk means the facility has asked for reconsideration of correction orders; the rating based on MDH's initial findings is still shown. Source: Minnesota Assisted Living Report Card — Ratings Guide (DHS, updated April 28, 2026).
"n/a", "X" and other things that look like missing data
| You see | It means |
|---|---|
| n/a | No data to rate: the facility is too small to be surveyed, was not contacted, did not get enough responses, or (for the inspection measures) has not had a licensing survey since data collection began on July 1, 2024. |
| X | The facility was eligible for the resident or family survey, was contacted, and refused. |
| % with no number | Residents or families did not answer enough questions in that domain to calculate a score. |
| * | Correction orders behind the inspection rating are under reconsideration. |
Assisted Living Report Card Ratings Guide, DHS, updated April 28, 2026.
The difference between "n/a" and "X" is the one that matters. "n/a" is usually about size or timing. "X" is a choice the facility made. Survey scores are only published when there are enough responses for "a 6% margin of error and 95% confidence level." Source: Minnesota Assisted Living Report Card — Ratings Guide (DHS, updated April 28, 2026).
Why small homes usually show "n/a"
Most Minnesota assisted living licenses are for six residents or fewer, and the survey measures only cover facilities licensed for seven or more. A five-bed home with no survey stars was never eligible for them. Its inspection-based stars, and the licensing survey reports linked from its page, are what to read. Our small assisted living homes guide has the numbers.
The license type on the card
Each facility page shows a license type in plain words. The ratings guide maps them to MDH's license names. Source: Minnesota Assisted Living Report Card — Ratings Guide (DHS, updated April 28, 2026).
| Report Card says | MDH license | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Approved | Assisted living facility (ALF) | Licensed after passing a state licensing survey |
| Approved for dementia care | Assisted living facility with dementia care (ALFDC) | Passed a licensing survey and meets additional dementia care standards |
| New | Provisional assisted living facility (PALF) | Met preliminary requirements; not yet surveyed |
| New for dementia care | Provisional assisted living facility with dementia care (PALFDC) | Met preliminary requirements including dementia care standards; not yet surveyed |
Assisted Living Report Card Ratings Guide, DHS, updated April 28, 2026.
Two things follow. First, a "New" facility has no inspection stars yet because it has not been inspected — the fact sheet says state inspections take place within one year of a new license. Second, DHS warns that a dementia care licensee "must meet additional standards that may make it more difficult to achieve a higher score on the report card's state inspections measures." Source: Minnesota Assisted Living Report Card — Fact Sheet and FAQs (DHS, updated April 28, 2026). Compare dementia care communities with each other, not with standard licenses. See is memory care a separate license in Minnesota?
What the Report Card cannot tell you
DHS says it plainly: "This report card alone should not be the only information you use when choosing assisted living." Source: Minnesota Assisted Living Report Card — Fact Sheet and FAQs (DHS, updated April 28, 2026). Here is what you will have to find elsewhere.
- Price. The fact sheet says cost for a specific community "can be requested from the community directly." Ask for the UDALSA and the full fee schedule.
- Whether it accepts the Elderly Waiver, or caps waiver residents.
- Whether there is an opening — today.
- How fresh the stars are. Quality of life and family scores update roughly once a year; inspection scores once every two years. Each facility page shows the "Report Date" and "Most recent timeframe."
- Amenities and services. The fact sheet points to Minnesota Aging and Disability Resources for community profiles.
- Fit for one particular person. No rating answers whether this building can manage this person's needs.
Sources: Minnesota Assisted Living Report Card — Fact Sheet and FAQs (DHS, updated April 28, 2026); Minnesota Aging and Disability Resources. For waiver acceptance read which facilities accept the Elderly Waiver; for openings see current confirmed openings.
How to use it, step by step
Reading a facility's Report Card page
- Search by location and pick your three most important measures — the site weights your first choice most and ranks facilities in your chosen area.
- Check the license label first: Approved, Approved for dementia care, New, or New for dementia care.
- Separate the survey stars (residents and families) from the inspection stars (health, safety, staffing).
- Read "n/a" as missing data and "X" as a refusal — they are not the same.
- Open the linked licensing surveys and any substantiated maltreatment findings from the past 12 months.
- Check the Report Date, so you know how old each rating is.
- Take the questions the stars raise on your tour.
Search instructions are on the Report Card's Minnesota Assisted Living Report Card — Get Help page. To report an error in a rating, the fact sheet gives dhs.aasd.hcbs@state.mn.us. To raise a concern about care, call the Minnesota Adult Abuse Reporting Center at 1-844-880-1574, or the Ombudsman for Long-Term Care for advocacy. Sources: Minnesota Assisted Living Report Card — Fact Sheet and FAQs (DHS, updated April 28, 2026); Minnesota Adult Abuse Reporting Center (MAARC), 1-844-880-1574 — MN Attorney General; MN Office of Ombudsman for Long-Term Care.
Then take it to the visit with our tour question checklist, and confirm the license itself with the license-check guide.
Questions people ask
What is the Minnesota Assisted Living Report Card?
A free state website from the Minnesota Board on Aging and DHS, with MDH and the University of Minnesota, that rates every licensed assisted living from one to five stars on Resident Quality of Life, Family Satisfaction, Resident Health, Safety and Staffing. Participation is mandatory for licensed assisted living communities.
Source: Minnesota Assisted Living Report Card — Fact Sheet and FAQs (DHS, updated April 28, 2026)
How are Minnesota assisted living star ratings calculated?
For each measure DHS calculates the average across facilities and assigns stars by standard deviation, with five stars going to facilities more than 1½ standard deviations better than the mean or in the top 7%. Facilities are compared with peers by region (Twin Cities or greater Minnesota) and size.
Source: Minnesota Assisted Living Report Card — Ratings Guide (DHS, updated April 28, 2026)
What does "n/a" mean on the Minnesota Assisted Living Report Card?
No data is available to rate that measure — usually because the facility is too small to be surveyed, was not contacted, did not get enough responses, or has not yet had a licensing survey. "X" is different: it means the facility was eligible for the survey, was contacted, and refused.
Source: Minnesota Assisted Living Report Card — Ratings Guide (DHS, updated April 28, 2026)
Why does a small assisted living have no quality of life rating?
The Resident Quality of Life and Family Satisfaction surveys only include facilities licensed for seven or more people (2024–2025 and 2026 surveys). Homes licensed for fewer show "n/a" for those two measures; their inspection-based ratings still apply.
Source: Minnesota Assisted Living Report Card — Ratings Guide (DHS, updated April 28, 2026)
What does "Approved for dementia care" mean on the report card?
It means the facility holds MDH's assisted living facility with dementia care license: it passed a state licensing survey and meets additional dementia care standards. "New for dementia care" means the provisional version, not yet surveyed.
Source: Minnesota Assisted Living Report Card — Ratings Guide (DHS, updated April 28, 2026)
How often is the Minnesota Assisted Living Report Card updated?
DHS says each community receives new Resident Quality of Life and Family Satisfaction scores approximately once a year and new Resident Health, Safety and Staffing scores once every two years. Each facility page shows the Report Date and the timeframe the data covers.
Source: Minnesota Assisted Living Report Card — Fact Sheet and FAQs (DHS, updated April 28, 2026)
Does the Minnesota Assisted Living Report Card show prices?
No. DHS says cost information about a specific assisted living community can be requested from the community directly. Ask for the UDALSA disclosure and the full fee schedule.
Source: Minnesota Assisted Living Report Card — Fact Sheet and FAQs (DHS, updated April 28, 2026)
Sources
- Minnesota Assisted Living Report Card (DHS)
- Minnesota Assisted Living Report Card — Ratings Guide (DHS, updated April 28, 2026)
- Minnesota Assisted Living Report Card — Fact Sheet and FAQs (DHS, updated April 28, 2026)
- Minnesota Assisted Living Report Card — Get Help
- Minnesota Aging and Disability Resources
- Minnesota Adult Abuse Reporting Center (MAARC), 1-844-880-1574 — MN Attorney General
- MN Office of Ombudsman for Long-Term Care
This guide was last checked against these sources on October 6, 2026. RightCare MN is a Minnesota care directory, not a clinical, legal, or financial adviser — this is general information, not advice about your situation. Programs, rates, and rules change; confirm anything you are relying on with the agency directly before you act on it.