19 of the 667 Medicare-certified nursing homes in Illinois (3%) are government-run, and all are listed below. 3 of the 19 graded homes earn an A and 0 earn a D or F. They average 3.92 nursing hours per resident per day, 0.47 hours above the 3.45 for every home in Illinois. Dupage Care Center in Wheaton grades highest at A (92 out of 100).
How government-run homes in Illinois compare
This group set against every nursing home in Illinois, from the current CMS release.
Nursing hours per resident per day
3.92
All homes in Illinois: 3.45
Better than the local average
Nurse staff turnover
44.1%
All homes in Illinois: 44.5%
Better than the local average
Average ElderGrade score
71.8/100
All homes in Illinois: 64.8/100
Better than the local average
Grade spread
A
B
C
3 grade A, 7 grade B, 9 grade C,
The best-graded government-run home in Illinois is
Dupage Care Center
in Wheaton, IL, grade A, 92/100.
Dupage Care Center runs 366 beds in Wheaton under county ownership, and its staffing holds up well against national norms, 4.11 nurse hours per resident day versus 3.86 nationally, with turnover at 16.9% compared to the 45.8% average, meaning the people caring for residents tend to stay. Inspections in September 2025 turned up 24 deficiencies, including one at the harm level and one abuse-related, so the record is not spotless. Weekend staffing sits about 14% below weekday levels, which is worth asking about directly.
Dekalb County Rehab & Nursing runs on county government ownership, and the staffing numbers show it: 4.77 nurse hours per resident day, roughly a quarter above the national average, with a five-star staffing rating to match. Turnover sits at 38.6%, better than the 45.8% national figure, though weekend coverage drops about 12% below the home's own weekday level. The current inspection record carries 22 deficiencies, three of them serious enough to involve harm or jeopardy, along with two fines totaling $140,423. That's the tension here, strong day-to-day staffing paired with a citation record that keeps the health inspection rating at three stars. The most recent survey was April 3, 2025.
The county-run home in Macomb runs on 4.74 nurse hours per resident day, roughly a quarter more than the national average, and its 28.4% turnover sits well under the 45.8% typical elsewhere, signs of a stable, well-staffed floor. State inspectors visited in March 2025 and rated the home 5 out of 5, though the record carries 14 deficiencies, one serious enough to involve harm. Quality measures are the soft spot at 2 out of 5, and weekend coverage dips about 12% below weekday levels, so ask how that plays out on Saturdays. No abuse citations appear on the current record.
Valley Hi is county-run, and the staffing shows it: 4.71 nurse hours per resident day, roughly 22% above the national average, earning a top staffing rating. Weekend coverage dips about 11% below its own weekday level, though, and turnover sits at 33.9%, better than the 45.8% national figure but still a third of the workforce leaving each year. The inspection record is where it gets heavier: 30 deficiencies, including two at the harm level and three tied to abuse, plus three fines totaling $155,366. A recent March 2026 inspection means the picture is current. Strong hands on deck, but a documented history that needs watching.
Knox County Nursing Home runs a tight ship on inspections, a five-star health inspection rating and seven total deficiencies on the current record, none of them causing harm or involving abuse. That's a clean record for a 169-bed county-owned home, and its last full inspection was recent, in August 2024. Staffing sits at 3.73 hours per resident day, roughly 3% under the national average, with weekends about 4% leaner than weekdays, worth asking about if your family member needs more help on Saturdays and Sundays. The number that stands out is turnover: 34% against a national average near 46%, meaning aides and nurses here tend to stay longer than they do at most homes.
Sunny Hill is county-owned, and the numbers show a place that's well staffed but not perfect on care quality. At 4.71 nurse hours per resident day, it runs about 22% above the national average, with turnover at 35.7%, noticeably lower than the 45.8% norm, which matters for consistency. Weekends dip roughly 9% below weekday coverage, though.
The tradeoff shows up elsewhere: 24 deficiencies on record, including one at the harm level, and a 2/5 on quality measures despite a 5/5 staffing rating. The most recent inspection was January 2025, so the record is current. If you're weighing this one, ask specifically about that harm-level deficiency and how weekend coverage holds up.
La Salle County Nursing Home runs on a county government budget in Ottawa, and its record is mixed in ways worth knowing. The clinical quality measures look strong, but nurse staffing sits at 3.54 hours per resident day, about 8% under the national average, and weekends dip roughly 14% below the home's own weekday levels, so coverage thins out exactly when families tend to visit. Staff turnover at 35.4% is better than the 45.8% national figure, which matters for consistency of care. The current inspection record carries 25 deficiencies, three of them at the harm or jeopardy level, with two fines totaling $146,063 and a last inspection in August 2024.
Hillcrest Home is owned by the city or county, which usually means steadier oversight and no corporate parent pushing for cuts. The tradeoff shows up in the numbers: nurses give 3.27 hours per resident per day, about 15% under the national average, and weekends run roughly 15% lighter than weekdays. Staff turnover sits at 60.9% against a national 45.8%, so familiar faces are hard to count on. Inspections are the strong point, a 4/5 health inspection rating with a recent May 2025 visit, but the record still carries 17 deficiencies, one at harm level and two abuse-related, which is worth asking about directly.
Clayberg in Cuba is county-owned, and the numbers show a place that's survived its inspections well, a perfect health inspection rating and a recent visit in April 2025. The catch is quality measures, which sit at two stars. Staffing is four stars and technically edges the national average at 3.87 hours per resident day, but that margin is basically zero, and weekends run about 18% thinner than weekdays. Turnover hits 50%, above the 45.8% national figure. Twelve deficiencies on record, one serious enough to involve harm. Nothing here is alarming, but the thin staffing cushion and weekend dip are worth asking about directly.
River Bluff runs a 304-bed for-profit operation in Rockford, and the staffing numbers are the strongest thing it has going: 4.19 nurse hours per resident day, roughly 8% above the national average, with weekend coverage dipping about 8% below its own weekday levels. Turnover sits at 44.4%, essentially in line with the national figure. The concerns show up elsewhere. Thirty-six deficiencies are on the current record, five of them at harm or jeopardy level and three abuse-related, and the quality measure rating lands at 2 out of 5. A single fine of $10,199 and an inspection from April 2025 round out the picture.
Accolade Healthcare Of Waterloo is county-owned, which usually signals steadier funding than a for-profit chain, and its health inspection record is genuinely solid, four stars, last surveyed in July 2025. The staffing side is where it frays. At 3.77 nurse hours per resident day it sits just under the national average, but that gap widens on weekends, when coverage drops roughly 11% below its own weekday level. Annual turnover of 81.2% is nearly double the national figure, meaning the aides and nurses your family member sees most may not be there next year. Eight deficiencies are on record, two involving harm or jeopardy and two tied to abuse.
Stephenson Nursing Center is county-run, which often means a public meeting before anything changes, slower fixes, but also a paper trail. The numbers here show a building running lean: 3.06 nursing hours per resident per day against a national average of 3.86, with weekends about 10% thinner than weekdays. State inspectors have logged 37 deficiencies, four serious enough to put a resident in harm's way and nine tied to abuse. One fine of $18,450 is on record, and the last inspection was in February 2025. Ask the administrator how they cover weekend call-offs and what changed after those abuse findings.
Hammond-Henry runs a tight ship on staffing, 3.76 nurse hours per resident day, close to the national mark, and turnover at 40% actually beats the typical 45.8%. The catch is weekends, when coverage drops about 11% below weekday levels, and a health inspection record that's harder to defend: eight deficiencies, including two at harm or jeopardy level and two tied to abuse, plus a $75,020 fine. That September 2024 inspection is recent enough to still carry weight. The quality and staffing scores look strong on paper, but the survey history is where the real risk sits. For a 38-bed home, that's a lot of regulatory attention. Ask about weekend coverage and what changed since last fall.
Mclean County Nursing Home is county-owned, which usually means slower decision-making but also no private-equity pressure to cut corners. The staffing numbers back that up: 4.07 nurse hours per resident day, about 5% above the national average, though weekends drop roughly 19% below weekday coverage. Turnover sits at 41.1%, a bit better than the 45.8% national figure. What pulls the record down is the inspection side, 31 deficiencies on file, five of them abuse-related, and a 2/5 health inspection rating, even with no harm-level citations. The last full inspection was in August 2025, so the record is current. Good daily staffing, thinner weekends, and a paper trail that needs watching.
Scott County Nursing Center runs on county money, and its staffing numbers are its strongest card: 3.76 nurse hours per resident day, just under the national average of 3.86, with a 5-star CMS staffing rating. Turnover sits at 40%, better than the 45.8% national figure. But the care record tells a harder story. Nine deficiencies are on file, four at harm or jeopardy level and four tied to abuse, plus a $29,295 fine. The most recent inspection was April 2026, so the findings are current, not stale. Weekend staffing drops about 12% below weekday levels. Adequate hands, but serious quality and safety problems documented recently.
Hallmark Hc Of Carlinville is city-owned, which is unusual, most homes are run by chains or private operators, and it holds 49 beds, so it's small. Where it struggles is staffing: 3.10 nurse hours per resident day sits about 20% under the national average, and weekends drop roughly 12% below what the home itself staffs on weekdays. Turnover lands at 45%, basically level with the national figure, so that's not the problem here. What stands out is the inspection record: 24 deficiencies, three of them serious enough to put residents at risk of harm, plus one fine totaling $25,493. The most recent state visit was February 2025, so the picture is current.
Goldwater Care Marseilles is run by a hospital district, and its record shows real strain. Nurse staffing sits at 3.37 hours per resident day, roughly 13 percent under the national average, and weekends drop about 17 percent below its own weekday levels, so coverage thins out exactly when families tend to visit. Staff turnover is 52.3 percent, well above the 45.8 percent national figure.
The inspection history is the bigger concern: 59 deficiencies on record, including 8 at the harm or jeopardy level and 5 tied to abuse. Three fines total $227,365, and the most recent inspection was June 14, 2024. Resident outcome measures look better than the staffing picture, but that gap rarely holds up without enough consistent hands on site.
Piatt County Nursing Home is county-owned, and its 4.15 nurse hours per resident day sit about 7% above the national average, but that average hides a weekend drop of roughly 17%, so the coverage your family sees on a Tuesday isn't what shows up on a Sunday. Turnover runs 56.1% against a national 45.8%, and the record carries 32 deficiencies, six of them at harm or jeopardy level and four tied to abuse, plus three fines totaling $182,948. The last inspection was June 2025. Staffing and quality measures both score low, and the inspection history is where the real weight sits.
Randolph County Care Center runs on thin margins where it counts. Nurse staffing sits just under the national average, and weekends drop roughly 9% below what the home staffs on weekdays, so the coverage your family sees Monday may not be there Saturday. Turnover tells a bigger story: 60% of staff leave each year, well above the 45.8% national figure, which means unfamiliar faces at the bedside. On inspections, the record shows 21 deficiencies, four serious enough to involve harm or jeopardy and five tied to abuse, with two fines totaling $172,932. The last full inspection was April 2024. County-run and 100 beds, but the numbers carry real weight.
Frequently asked questions
How many government-run nursing homes are there in Illinois?
There are 19 government-run Medicare-certified nursing homes in Illinois, 3% of the 667 nursing homes there.
Are government-run nursing homes better staffed?
In Illinois they average 3.92 total nursing hours per resident per day, against 3.45 for all nursing homes in Illinois, a difference of +0.47 hours. Staff turnover averages 44.1% against 44.5%.
Which government-run nursing home grades best in Illinois?