It's Good To Be Cared For. It's Great To Be Cared About!
It's Good To Be Cared For. It's Great To Be Cared About!
Helpful content to guide you on your journey to becoming a home care franchise owner.
If you’re researching the best states to start a home care business, Florida, Texas, Arizona, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee are among the markets worth serious consideration. However, choosing the right location involves much more than finding the state with the largest senior population. Some of the best home care business opportunities can be found in individual cities, suburbs and territories where an aging population, caregiver availability, healthcare infrastructure, household economics and manageable competition come together.
For a prospective home care franchise owner, that distinction matters. You are not really investing in an entire state—you are building a business within a defined local market. A well-positioned territory in Pennsylvania, Ohio or Michigan could offer a better opportunity than an oversaturated area in a state more commonly associated with retirees.
So, instead of simply ranking states by the percentage of residents over age 65, this guide looks at what actually makes a market attractive for a home care business and highlights several states prospective Briggs Home Care franchise owners may want to explore.
There is no single best state for every home care business owner. States including Florida, Texas, Arizona, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Alabama and Colorado offer different combinations of aging populations, population growth, metropolitan and suburban markets, healthcare infrastructure and potential franchise territories.
Here is a quick comparison:
| State | Why It May Be Worth Evaluating |
| Florida | Large senior population, retirement migration and extensive senior-care infrastructure |
| Texas | Large and growing population with multiple major metropolitan markets |
| Arizona | Strong retirement migration and concentrated senior communities |
| Georgia | Growing population and expanding Atlanta-area suburban markets |
| North Carolina | Population growth, retirement migration and major healthcare systems |
| South Carolina | Fast-growing communities and significant retiree migration |
| Tennessee | Growing metros combined with an increasing need for senior services |
| Pennsylvania | Large established senior population and dense suburban communities |
| Ohio | Numerous established metropolitan and suburban markets with aging populations |
| Michigan | Large existing communities of older homeowners and potential underserved markets |
| Alabama | Aging population and comparatively affordable operating environments in many areas |
| Colorado | Growing metropolitan and suburban populations with attractive household demographics |
This list should be used as a starting point rather than a final ranking. The strength of a home care opportunity ultimately depends on the characteristics of the specific territory.
It is tempting to look at a list of states with the oldest populations and assume those are automatically the best places to open a home care agency. In practice, that approach leaves out several factors that can have just as much impact on the business.
Home care is unusual because a market needs to support two sides of the operation at the same time. There must be enough older adults and families who need care, but there must also be enough qualified caregivers available to provide that care. Add local competition, referral relationships, household economics and state regulations, and the picture becomes much more nuanced.
When Briggs Home Care franchise candidates evaluate potential markets, these are some of the factors worth considering.
The number of adults age 65 and older is an obvious place to start. A larger senior population generally creates a larger potential audience for services that help people remain safely and comfortably at home.
However, the direction of the population can be just as important as its current size. Communities attracting retirees or experiencing substantial growth among residents approaching retirement age may see increasing demand for home care over the next decade.
This is one reason states such as Florida and Arizona attract so much attention, but it also explains the potential of fast-growing Southeastern markets in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Tennessee.
One of the biggest mistakes prospective owners can make when researching where to start a home care business is evaluating potential clients without evaluating potential employees.
A home care agency cannot grow beyond its ability to recruit, train and retain caregivers. Markets with rapidly increasing senior populations can experience intense competition for the same caregiver workforce, especially when hospitals, assisted living communities, nursing facilities and competing home care agencies are hiring from the same labor pool.
Before choosing a territory, prospective owners should therefore look at local workforce availability, prevailing wages, employment competition and commuting patterns in addition to senior demographics.
A market with several home care providers is not necessarily a bad market. Established competitors may actually demonstrate that families in the area understand and purchase home care services.
The more important questions are how saturated the market is and whether existing providers are meeting local needs. Look at the number of agencies serving the territory, their online reviews, services, geographic coverage, reputation and visibility. A growing market with several established competitors may still have more opportunity than a smaller market with very little competition but limited demand.
Home care is a relationship-driven business. Hospitals, rehabilitation facilities, senior living communities, skilled nursing facilities, physicians, elder-law attorneys, senior organizations and other professionals serving older adults can become important sources of referrals and community connections.
Markets with strong healthcare infrastructure can therefore offer advantages beyond population size alone. A suburban territory near multiple hospitals, rehabilitation centers and senior communities may provide an attractive referral ecosystem even if the state itself does not appear at the top of a national senior-population ranking.
The number of seniors living in an area tells only part of the story. Depending on the services provided and payer mix, household income, retirement resources, housing wealth and local cost of living can influence demand for private-pay home care.
This is especially important when comparing territories within the same state. Two counties with similar senior populations can have very different household economics and competitive environments.
Home care happens in clients’ homes, which makes geography unusually important. A territory that looks large on a population spreadsheet may be difficult to operate if caregivers spend significant time driving between clients.
Dense suburban areas can sometimes provide operational advantages because clients, caregivers, healthcare facilities and referral partners are located closer together. In more rural markets, owners need to consider whether the population is concentrated enough to build efficient caregiver schedules.
Home care licensing and operating requirements vary by state and by the type of services an agency provides. Prospective owners should understand applicable licensing, registration, staffing and compliance requirements before entering a market.
Regulation should not necessarily be viewed as a reason to avoid a state, but it should be part of the market evaluation process.
Florida remains one of the most compelling states to investigate when considering a home care business. Its large population of older adults, continued retirement migration and extensive network of healthcare providers and senior communities create substantial demand for services that allow people to remain at home.
The opportunity is not uniform across the state, however. South Florida, Tampa Bay, Orlando, Jacksonville and Florida’s many retirement-oriented communities have very different demographics and competitive environments. Because Florida’s senior-care opportunity is well known, some markets also have significant competition among home care agencies.
For prospective owners, the better question is not simply whether Florida is a good state for home care—it is whether an available Florida territory has the right combination of senior demand, caregiver supply, referral opportunities and competitive positioning.
Texas offers a different type of opportunity. Its strength comes from its enormous population, continued population growth and multiple large metropolitan areas rather than from being primarily known as a retirement destination.
Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio and Austin each contain numerous suburban communities that can function as distinct home care markets. Texas also has smaller cities and growing communities that may warrant consideration depending on territory availability.
For franchise owners, the scale of Texas is important. You do not need to capture demand across an entire metro area to build a local home care business; you need a well-designed territory with enough clients, caregivers and referral partners to support sustainable growth.
Arizona has long attracted retirees, making it a logical market for senior home care services. Phoenix and its surrounding communities contain significant concentrations of older residents, while other parts of the state have developed around retirement and active-adult populations.
That concentration can be valuable because it brings potential clients, healthcare providers and senior-focused organizations into relatively defined geographic areas. At the same time, attractive demographics naturally attract competitors, so individual territories need to be evaluated carefully.
Georgia may be one of the more interesting states for prospective home care owners because its opportunity is tied to broader population growth as well as an aging population.
Metro Atlanta is particularly notable because it is not one home care market. It is a collection of cities and suburbs with different household demographics, healthcare systems and senior populations. Communities outside Atlanta and in other parts of Georgia can also present opportunities as the state’s population continues to grow.
For someone researching a home care franchise in Georgia, suburban growth, caregiver availability and access to referral partners should all factor into territory selection.
North Carolina combines several characteristics that make it worth evaluating: population growth, retirement migration, established healthcare systems and expanding metropolitan and suburban communities.
Charlotte, Raleigh-Durham, Greensboro, Winston-Salem and other areas each offer different market dynamics. Some communities attract retirees from outside the state, while others have established populations aging in homes they have owned for decades.
That mix can create demand from seniors themselves as well as adult children searching for care for parents.
South Carolina has experienced substantial population growth and continues to attract retirees and relocating households. Charleston, Greenville, Columbia, Myrtle Beach and surrounding communities each represent different potential markets.
The state’s appeal to retirees makes it particularly relevant to home care, but demographic growth should still be evaluated alongside caregiver availability. Rapidly growing senior populations can create greater demand for caregivers at the same time they create greater demand for care.
Tennessee deserves consideration because of the growth occurring around Nashville, Knoxville, Chattanooga and other communities. Population growth combined with an aging resident base can create favorable conditions for senior services.
Prospective owners should pay close attention to caregiver recruitment when analyzing Tennessee territories. A market can have excellent client demographics but still be difficult to scale if multiple healthcare and senior-care employers are competing for a limited workforce.
Pennsylvania illustrates why the best home care opportunities are not limited to Sun Belt retirement states.
The state has a large established population of older adults, and many have spent decades living in the same communities. Philadelphia’s suburban counties, Pittsburgh and numerous smaller cities and towns contain homeowners who may increasingly need help remaining independent at home.
For home care businesses, an established aging population can be just as valuable as retirement migration. Dense suburban areas may also offer access to extensive healthcare systems and relatively concentrated service territories.
Ohio offers several major and mid-sized metropolitan areas, including Columbus, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Dayton and their surrounding suburbs. Many communities have substantial populations of residents aging in place rather than relocating after retirement.
That creates a different opportunity than markets built around retiree migration. Families may already have longstanding relationships with local healthcare providers, community organizations and neighborhoods, making local reputation and referral development especially important.
Michigan has numerous established communities where older adults want to remain in their homes as they age. Detroit’s suburban markets, Grand Rapids and other population centers can offer different combinations of senior density, household economics and healthcare infrastructure.
As with Pennsylvania and Ohio, Michigan reinforces an important point: population growth is not the only indicator of home care demand. Existing populations aging in place can create significant long-term need.
Alabama has an aging population and several metropolitan markets worth evaluating, including Birmingham, Huntsville, Montgomery and Mobile. Operating costs in some areas may also differ considerably from larger coastal markets.
Rather than viewing Alabama as one statewide opportunity, prospective owners should compare individual territories based on senior density, healthcare access, caregiver supply and local economics.
Colorado may not immediately come to mind when people think about the best states for a home care business, but its growing metropolitan and suburban communities make it worth consideration.
Denver-area suburbs and other growing communities may offer attractive household demographics and expanding populations. As always, individual territory characteristics should determine whether a market makes sense.
One factor that deserves more attention when choosing a home care market is who actually searches for and selects the provider.
The client receiving care may be an 82-year-old parent, but the person searching Google for “home care near my mom,” calling agencies and comparing options may be a 52-year-old daughter who lives 20 minutes away—or three states away.
This creates an important dynamic for franchise owners. Attractive home care territories do not simply contain seniors; they contain families navigating decisions about aging parents. Communities with established homeowners, strong household economics and large populations of adults in their 40s, 50s and 60s may therefore be particularly valuable.
It also means a home care business’s reputation matters enormously. Reviews, responsiveness, community relationships and the ability to build trust can influence families who are making an emotional and often time-sensitive decision.
If you are deciding between two potential territories, avoid relying on one statistic. Create a market scorecard that considers several factors together.
| Market Factor | What to Evaluate |
| Senior demand | Number and concentration of adults 65+ |
| Future demand | Growth of the 65+ and 75+ populations |
| Caregiver supply | Local labor pool, wages and competing employers |
| Competition | Number, strength and reputation of existing agencies |
| Referral network | Hospitals, rehab facilities, senior communities and physicians |
| Household economics | Income, homeownership and ability to purchase care |
| Geography | Density, drive times and ease of scheduling caregivers |
| Growth | Population and household growth within the territory |
| Regulation | State licensing and compliance requirements |
| Territory availability | Whether an attractive franchise territory is currently available |
This type of analysis provides a much more realistic picture than simply searching for the state with the highest percentage of senior citizens.
For example, imagine one territory where 22% of residents are seniors but the market already contains a large number of established agencies and caregivers are extremely difficult to recruit. A second territory might have 17% seniors but a rapidly growing older population, strong household demographics, multiple healthcare referral sources and fewer established competitors.
The second territory could potentially be the more attractive business opportunity.
Not necessarily either. In many cases, suburban home care territories can offer an attractive balance of senior density, household economics, healthcare access and manageable travel distances.
Large cities provide substantial populations but may also bring higher costs, heavier competition and operational complexity. Rural territories can have significant unmet need but may require caregivers to travel farther between clients.
The strongest market may be somewhere in between: a populated suburban territory with a growing or established senior population, strong healthcare infrastructure and enough density to create efficient caregiver schedules.
This is why prospective franchise owners should evaluate territories rather than simply targeting the largest city in a state.
Once you identify an attractive market, the next question is how you want to enter it.
Starting an independent home care agency gives an entrepreneur control over the business, but it also requires building virtually everything from the ground up. Branding, technology, operating procedures, caregiver recruiting systems, marketing, training and business development all need to be created or sourced independently.
A home care franchise provides an established business framework. Franchise owners can enter the market with systems, training, operational processes and ongoing support already developed.
For entrepreneurs attracted to the long-term demand for senior care but who do not want to invent an operating model themselves, that structure can be an important part of the value of franchising.
Healthcare experience can be helpful, but it is not necessarily the defining qualification for home care franchise ownership.
An owner needs to build and lead a local organization. That means recruiting and retaining caregivers, developing referral relationships, managing employees, marketing the business, overseeing operations and creating an experience that earns the trust of clients and their families.
Depending on the business model and applicable regulations, clinical responsibilities may be handled by appropriately qualified professionals. Prospective owners should review the requirements for their specific state and franchise opportunity.
If there is one takeaway from this guide, it should be this: don’t choose where to open a home care business based on a national ranking alone.
Florida may have extraordinary senior demographics, but that does not mean every Florida territory is better than every territory in Pennsylvania. Texas may be growing quickly, but some individual Texas markets will be more attractive than others. The same is true in Arizona, Georgia, North Carolina and every other state on this list.
The best home care franchise opportunities tend to exist where several favorable conditions overlap: a substantial or growing senior population, enough qualified caregivers, a healthy referral ecosystem, reasonable competition, attractive household demographics and a territory that can be operated efficiently.
That is the level at which prospective owners should make the decision.
Florida, Texas, Arizona, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee are among the states worth evaluating because of senior population trends, population growth and demand for services that help older adults remain at home. Established states such as Pennsylvania, Ohio and Michigan may also offer attractive opportunities. The quality of the specific local territory is ultimately more important than a state’s overall ranking.
States with large populations of older adults tend to generate substantial demand for senior care, with Florida being one of the most prominent examples. However, demand should be evaluated at the county, city and territory level because senior density and competition vary considerably within states.
There is no universal best state for a non-medical home care business. Florida, Texas, Arizona and several Southeastern states have attractive demographic trends, while established Midwest and Northeast markets can have substantial aging populations. State licensing requirements, caregiver availability, competition and local household economics should all factor into the decision.
The best cities are generally those with substantial senior populations, sufficient caregiver workforces, strong healthcare networks, attractive household demographics and manageable competition. Suburbs surrounding major metropolitan areas can sometimes be particularly attractive because they combine population density with shorter travel distances and strong healthcare infrastructure.
Florida can be an attractive home care market because it has a large senior population, continued retirement migration and an extensive senior-care ecosystem. Those same characteristics can create significant competition, making individual territory analysis especially important.
Texas can offer attractive home care opportunities because of its population size, continued growth and numerous metropolitan and suburban markets. Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio and Austin contain many distinct communities that should be evaluated individually rather than treating Texas as a single market.
Demand for home-based care is supported by the aging U.S. population and the desire of many older adults to remain in their homes. Employment projections for home health and personal care aides also point to continued need for workers providing services in home and community settings.
Start by examining the local senior population, growth among older age groups, number of existing agencies, online reviews, caregiver workforce, healthcare facilities, senior communities and household demographics. A professional territory analysis can provide a more complete picture of whether sufficient demand exists.
It depends on the market. Cities provide population density but may have higher costs and competition. Suburbs can combine substantial senior populations, favorable household demographics and more manageable travel patterns. Rural communities may have less competition but can create staffing and transportation challenges.
Licensing and registration requirements vary by state and depend on the services the business provides. Anyone considering a home care agency should review current state and local requirements before opening.
Depending on the franchise model and applicable state regulations, home care franchise ownership does not necessarily require the owner to be a nurse. Owners typically focus on leadership, operations, recruiting, marketing and business development while qualified professionals handle roles that require specific credentials.
Evaluate the franchisor’s training, operational systems, caregiver recruiting resources, marketing support, technology, territory structure and ongoing franchisee support. You should also review the current Franchise Disclosure Document and speak with existing franchise owners as part of your due diligence.
Finding the best state to start a home care business is only the first step. The more important decision is finding a local territory where demand, demographics, caregiver availability and market conditions create the foundation for a sustainable business.
Briggs Home Care offers franchise opportunities in select markets across the United States. Prospective owners can work with the Briggs franchise development team to learn more about available territories, the franchise model and what to consider when evaluating a local home care market.
If you’re considering entering the growing senior-care industry, explore available Briggs Home Care franchise territories and take the next step toward determining whether home care franchise ownership is right for you.
