33 of the 1,165 Medicare-certified nursing homes in California (3%) are government-run, and all are listed below. 17 of the 32 graded homes earn an A and 1 earn a D or F. They average 6.12 nursing hours per resident per day, 1.6 hours above the 4.52 for every home in California. Veterans Home Of California - Fresno in Fresno grades highest at A (99 out of 100).
How government-run homes in California compare
This group set against every nursing home in California, from the current CMS release.
Jerold Phelps Community Hospital's skilled nursing unit in Garberville is a 17-bed hospital-district operation, which explains the unusually high nurse staffing: 7.74 hours per resident day, roughly double the national average of 3.86. Even with weekends running about 6% lighter than weekdays, that's a lot of hands on deck. The trouble sits elsewhere. Twenty-eight deficiencies on the current record include three tied to abuse, none flagged at harm or jeopardy level, and the last inspection came in September 2025, recent enough that the findings still describe how this home operates today. A quality measure rating of 2 out of 5 suggests the everyday care results don't match the staffing investment, and for a small rural unit, that gap is worth asking about directly.
Eastern Plumas Hospital's skilled nursing unit in Portola runs on unusually deep staffing for a small rural hospital district, 4.70 nurse hours per resident day, roughly a fifth more than the national average, with weekend coverage dipping only modestly below weekdays. Turnover sits at 33%, well under the national rate, which matters for consistency of care. The trouble is elsewhere: 21 deficiencies on the current record, four serious enough to put residents in harm's way, three tied to abuse, and $69,450 in fines. Its quality measure score is poor. Staffing is the strength here; the inspection history and clinical outcomes are what a family should press the administrator on.
Kern Valley Healthcare District Dp Snf runs 74 beds in Lake Isabella, and it's a hospital-district operation, so it's government-owned rather than part of a chain. Nurse staffing sits at 3.38 hours per resident day, about 12% under the national average, and weekends drop roughly 8% below what the home staffs on weekdays. Turnover is 32.6%, which is actually well below the 45.8% national figure, a genuine bright spot. The harder numbers are the 32 deficiencies on record, two of them at harm or jeopardy level and two abuse-related, plus $31,581 in fines across two penalties. Its last inspection was April 2026. Quality measures score well; staffing and inspections are where the concerns stack up.
Southern Inyo Hospital's skilled nursing unit in Lone Pine runs 33 certified beds under hospital district ownership, and its inspection record is the strongest part of the picture, 14 deficiencies on file with none reaching harm or jeopardy level. That said, one is abuse-related, and the staffing numbers are where this home struggles: its CMS staffing rating sits at the lowest mark, meaning nurse hours per resident fall well below what most California homes report. Quality measures land at 2 out of 5. The practical takeaway: ask specifically how many certified nursing assistants are on the floor during evening and overnight shifts, and who covers when someone calls out.
The staffing numbers at Bear Valley are genuinely unusual, 6.62 nurse hours per resident per day is roughly 71% above what the typical American nursing home provides, and that shows up in the four-out-of-five staffing rating. But weekends drop about 18% below the home's own weekday coverage, so the care your family member gets on a Saturday won't match a Tuesday.
There's a real tension in the rest of the record. The inspection rating is strong and the most recent visit was in May 2025, yet 29 deficiencies sit on the current record, one of them serious enough to involve harm or jeopardy. Staff turnover is 63%, well above the national 45.8%, with only 21 beds under hospital district ownership, that churn is worth asking about directly.
San Mateo Medical Center's skilled nursing unit runs on county money and county rules, and the staffing numbers show it: 3.94 nurse hours per resident day, a hair above the national average, with a 4-out-of-5 staffing rating from CMS. Weekend coverage drops about 8% from weekday levels, so families should ask who's actually on the floor on Saturdays and Sundays. The trouble sits elsewhere. Fifty-six deficiencies on the current record, ten of them serious enough to cite harm or jeopardy, ten tied to abuse, against a 1-out-of-5 inspection rating, two fines totaling $104,000, and a survey completed in July 2025. Good staffing can't offset that inspection history.
Mayers Memorial Hospital sits in Fall River Mills and runs 99 certified beds as a hospital-district operation. Nurse staffing averages 4.97 hours per resident day, roughly 29% above the national figure of 3.86, but weekend coverage drops about 15% below its own weekday level, and annual turnover hits 64.2% against a national 45.8%, that much churn undercuts the staffing advantage over time. The inspection record is where the real weight sits: 36 deficiencies on file, including one at the harm level and 10 tied to abuse, plus a $62,258 fine. The most recent inspection was August 2025.
Pioneers Memorial runs on a government hospital district budget, and the staffing shows it: 4.32 nurse hours per resident day, roughly 12% above the national average, with turnover at 39%, better than the 45.8% typical elsewhere. Weekends thin out about 10% from weekday coverage, which is worth asking about if your family visits then. The problem sits on the inspection side. Sixty-seven deficiencies on the current record, four serious enough to involve harm or jeopardy, and a $52,435 fine. A January 2025 inspection is recent, so this reflects present conditions rather than old history. Good staffing can't fully offset that many citations.
Edgemoor Hospital is county-run, and the staffing shows it: 6.43 nurse hours per resident day, roughly two-thirds more than the national average of 3.86, with turnover at 21% against a national 45.8%. Weekends run about 10% thinner than weekdays, but that's a mild dip for a nursing home. The caution is inspections. The current record holds 25 deficiencies, including five tied to abuse and one at the harm level, with a $41,895 fine, and the most recent inspection dates to December 2025. Strong care measures and staffing don't erase a citation record like that. Ask about those abuse deficiencies directly.
Seneca District Hospital's skilled nursing unit is small, 16 beds, and it's run by the hospital district, not a chain. The staffing numbers genuinely stand out: 6.07 nurse hours per resident day, well above the national average, and weekends only dip about 14% from weekday levels, which is better than many homes manage. Turnover, though, sits at 48.1%, slightly worse than average. And the inspection record is the real concern: 14 deficiencies on file, including 2 at the harm level and 3 tied to abuse, with one $11,408 fine. The last inspection was in December 2025. Strong daily coverage, but a recent survey history that warrants questions before you decide.
Alameda Hospital D/P SNF runs 5.11 nursing hours per resident day, roughly a third more than the national average, and its quality measure score sits at the top of CMS's scale. That part of the picture looks strong. What pulls it back is stability: annual staff turnover of 86.5% is nearly double the national rate, weekend coverage dips about 9% below weekdays, and the inspection history shows 17 deficiencies, including two tied to abuse, with a 2-out-of-5 inspection rating. County ownership means public accountability, but it doesn't fix a workforce that keeps cycling through. If you're considering this one, ask how they hold staffing steady on weekends and what's changed since September 2024.
The Metropolitan State Hospital SNF in Norwalk runs on unusually heavy nurse staffing, 9.80 hours per resident day, roughly two and a half times the national average, and its 22.6% turnover is about half the national rate. Those numbers are real, and they matter. But look at the record: 55 deficiencies, five of them at harm or jeopardy level, ten tied to abuse, and $83,093 in fines. It sits in CMS's Special Focus Facility program, a designation reserved for homes with a persistent pattern of serious problems, and its last inspection was December 2025. Weekend coverage drops about 8% below weekdays. Strong staffing alone hasn't translated into safe care here.
Plumas District Hospital's skilled nursing unit is small, 36 certified beds, and it's run by the hospital district rather than a for-profit chain, which shapes how it operates. The current record shows four deficiencies, none of them at the harm or jeopardy level, though one is abuse-related, so it's worth asking staff directly what happened and what changed afterward. The most recent inspection came in February 2026, so the picture here is fairly current rather than stale. With a unit this size, staffing often tracks closely to hospital coverage, which can mean steadier nurse presence than a standalone nursing home of similar bed count.
One thing to note: ElderGrade doesn't have a computed grade for this home yet, so there's no score to lean on. That means the federal inspection and staffing data are what you have to work with, ask about the abuse-related finding, and ask how many residents are typically on the unit at once.
Frequently asked questions
How many government-run nursing homes are there in California?
There are 33 government-run Medicare-certified nursing homes in California, 3% of the 1,165 nursing homes there.
Are government-run nursing homes better staffed?
In California they average 6.12 total nursing hours per resident per day, against 4.52 for all nursing homes in California, a difference of +1.6 hours. Staff turnover averages 33.7% against 36.7%.
Which government-run nursing home grades best in California?