By Pittsburgh Senior Advisor Care Team · October 28, 2026
As of October 28, 2026, 43 licensed personal care homes in the seven Pittsburgh-area counties have 20 or fewer beds, many of them licensed for exactly 8. They tend to offer a household feel and fewer staff changes, but none hold a secured dementia unit, and families should check inspection reports and staffing just as carefully.
How many small personal care homes are there?
Of the 231 personal care homes and assisted living residences on the DHS roster in our seven counties, 43 are licensed for 20 or fewer residents, and 15 are licensed for exactly 8. Small homes make up a larger share of the market in rural counties.
| County | Homes with 20 or fewer beds | All licensed homes |
|---|---|---|
| Allegheny | 17 | 108 |
| Westmoreland | 9 | 40 |
| Butler | 1 | 24 |
| Washington | 2 | 16 |
| Beaver | 2 | 12 |
| Fayette | 7 | 18 |
| Armstrong | 5 | 13 |
What do small homes offer?
A small personal care home often feels like a household: one dining table, a handful of staff who know every resident, and fewer changes in routine. For someone who is overwhelmed by a large building or who does best with the same few caregivers, that can matter more than amenities.
Whether a home accepts residents on SSI and the Pennsylvania personal care home supplement is each home's own decision, regardless of size, so ask every home directly.
What are the limits?
None of the 43 small homes holds a secured dementia unit, so a resident whose dementia leads to exit-seeking may need to move. Small homes also have fewer staff on each shift, which makes coverage at night and during call-offs the key question, and they rarely offer the activity programs or on-site services of larger communities.
Pennsylvania's staffing rule applies to every size of home: at least 1 hour of personal care per day for each mobile resident and 2 hours for each resident with mobility needs, and a direct care worker aged 21 or older present whenever residents are home.
How do you check a small home?
The same public records apply: license type (full or provisional), capacity and inspection reports on the DHS directory. 3 of the region's provisional licenses are held by homes with 20 or fewer beds, so check the license type before visiting.
As of October 28, 2026, 14 homes in the seven counties held a provisional license; our provisional license page lists them.
How do small homes handle a resident who needs more care?
When a resident's needs grow beyond what a small home can safely provide, such as needing two staff for every transfer or overnight help that the single night worker cannot give, the home must help arrange a move. Ask at the start what kinds of needs the home can meet and what it has done when a resident's needs changed.
Small homes often have close relationships with a few nearby nursing homes or larger personal care homes, which can make a move smoother.
Where are the small homes concentrated?
Small homes are spread across the region, but they make up a larger share of the market in Fayette, Armstrong and parts of Westmoreland County, where the median licensed home is much smaller than in Allegheny County. In Fayette County the median licensed home has 28.5 beds and in Armstrong 28, against 68.5 in Allegheny.
Our directory can be sorted by beds or filtered by a minimum bed count to find them.
Do small homes get inspected as often as large ones?
Yes. DHS inspects every licensed personal care home at least annually regardless of size, and also inspects after complaints and reportable incidents. Small homes' reports are posted on the DHS directory the same way as large homes', so families can read them before visiting. Because a small home has fewer staff, a single staffing or training citation can matter more there than in a large building.
Our directory shows each home's latest inspection date and the number of reports posted since 2023.
What should you ask on a visit?
Ask who is in the home overnight and whether that person is awake, who covers when a caregiver calls off, how medications are given and recorded, what happens in a fire drill with residents who use walkers or wheelchairs, and how the home handles a resident whose needs grow.
Visit at a mealtime. In a small home, a meal tells you most of what you need to know.
A small personal care home: what it is and is not
| It is | It is not | |
|---|---|---|
| License | the same Chapter 2600 license as large homes | a different license class |
| Feel | household-sized, few staff | a campus with amenities |
| Dementia unit | none in our region | secured memory care |
| Price | set by the home | published by size anywhere |
Frequently asked questions
How many small personal care homes are near Pittsburgh?
43 licensed homes in the seven counties have 20 or fewer beds, per DHS data retrieved October 28, 2026.
Do small personal care homes have memory care?
None of the small homes in our region holds a DHS-approved secured dementia unit.
Are small homes licensed differently?
No. They are licensed personal care homes under the same 55 Pa. Code Chapter 2600 rules as larger homes.
Are small homes cheaper?
Not necessarily; rates are set by each home. No primary source publishes prices by home size.
