40 of the 323 Medicare-certified nursing homes in Wisconsin (12%) are government-run, and all are listed below. 24 of the 40 graded homes earn an A and 1 earn a D or F. Nurse staff turnover runs 37.4%, 9.5 points lower than the 46.9% across all homes there. Wi Veterans Hm Ainsworth Hall in King grades highest at A (99 out of 100).
How government-run homes in Wisconsin compare
This group set against every nursing home in Wisconsin, from the current CMS release.
Lakeview Health Center in West Salem is county-owned, and the staffing numbers show it: 6.06 nurse hours per resident per day, about 57% above the national average of 3.86. Weekend coverage slips only 3% below its own weekday level, so care doesn't thin out much on Saturdays and Sundays. Turnover sits at 39.2%, below the national 45.8%.
The tradeoffs are elsewhere. Seven deficiencies on the current record, two of them abuse-related, with no harm-level findings. The quality measure rating is 2 out of 5, which is where the weaker numbers live. Its last inspection was July 16, 2025. For a family weighing direct care hours against regulatory history, the staffing is the strongest case here.
The county runs this 45-bed home in Menomonie, and the numbers show a place that is well staffed but not without some quality concerns. Nurse staffing sits at 4.30 hours per resident day, roughly 11% above the national average, with a 5/5 staffing rating and annual turnover of 29.7%, noticeably lower than the 45.8% national figure. Weekend coverage dips about 10% below weekday levels, which is common but worth asking about. The health inspection rating is 3/5, with six deficiencies on record, none at the harm level and none abuse-related. Its quality measure score of 2/5 pulls the overall picture down, meaning clinical outcomes don't match the strong staffing.
Norseland runs on a city government budget, and the numbers show a home that's basically holding steady. Nurse staffing sits at 3.85 hours per resident day, which is right on the national average of 3.86, but weekends drop about 12% below its own weekday coverage, worth asking about if your family visits or calls on Saturdays and Sundays. Staff turnover is 34%, which is meaningfully lower than the national 45.8%, so the people caring for residents tend to stick around. The current record carries 18 deficiencies, one of them serious enough to involve harm or jeopardy, though none are abuse-related. The last inspection was in June 2025, so the picture is fairly current. Nothing here is alarming, but that one harm-level finding and the weekend staffing dip are the two things I'd ask about directly.
Brown Cty Comm Treatment Ctr-Bayshore Village is county-owned, which matters less than what the numbers show. Nurses give 4.69 hours of care per resident per day, about 21% more than the national average, and staff turnover sits at 24.3% against a national 45.8%, that kind of retention usually means people stay because the place works. Weekend coverage drops roughly 17% below weekdays, so ask how that plays out on a Saturday. Thirteen deficiencies on record, none at the harm level, one abuse-related; the last full inspection was December 2024. The quality measure score is the weak spot here, and it's worth asking what specifically drives it.
Rocky Knoll Health Care is county-owned, and that shows in the staffing numbers, 4.99 nurse hours per resident day, roughly 29% above the national average, which is the kind of margin that matters on a Tuesday afternoon when someone needs help. The tradeoffs are real, though. Turnover sits at 58.6%, well above the national rate, and 27 deficiencies appear on the current record, three tied to abuse, though none reached the level of actual harm or jeopardy. Inspections were recent, March 2025, and the health inspection side scored low relative to quality measures and staffing. If you're weighing this one, ask how they hold staffing on weekends, which run about 6% lighter than weekdays.
Clearview is county-owned, and its staffing is the strongest part of the picture: 5.06 nurse hours per resident day, roughly 31% above the national average, with a 5-star staffing rating to match. Turnover sits at 35.2%, well below the national 45.8%. Weekends run about 9% leaner than weekdays, so ask how that gap gets covered. The record isn't spotless, 9 deficiencies, two serious enough to involve harm or jeopardy, and one fine of $9,110, though nothing abuse-related. A 4-star inspection and a fresh August 2025 survey help. The 3-star quality measures are the soft spot worth asking about.
Golden Age Manor runs on county money, and its staffing numbers are right at the national line, 3.82 nurse hours per resident day against a 3.86 average. That's basically a wash on paper, but weekends drop about 13% below the home's own weekday level, which is where thin coverage tends to show up. The bigger issue is the inspection record: 28 deficiencies, one of them serious enough to cause harm, though nothing abuse-related. State inspectors were last in on April 10, 2025, and gave the health inspection side 2 out of 5 stars. Quality measures land at 3, staffing at 4. A county home with a clean abuse record and a recent visit, but 28 findings is a lot to carry.
Pigeon Falls Hcc runs on one of the steadiest crews you'll find in Wisconsin, 13.9% annual turnover against a national average near 46% means aides and nurses here tend to stay, which matters more than almost anything for residents who need consistent hands. Nurse staffing sits at 3.65 hours per resident day, about 5% under the national average, and weekends dip roughly 7% below the home's own weekday level, so coverage thins a bit when families visit. The county-owned, 37-bed home was inspected in July 2025 and carries seven deficiencies, none at the harm level, though one is abuse-related, worth asking about directly. Recent inspections look strong; the quality measure scores are the weaker signal.
Rolling Hills Rehab Center is county-owned, which usually means steady funding rather than a corporate owner squeezing margins, and the staffing numbers back that up: 4.36 nurse hours per resident day, roughly 13% above the national average, with weekend coverage dipping only about 4% below weekdays. Turnover sits at 35.9%, well under the national 45.8%. The catch is quality and oversight. Two stars on health inspections and two on quality measures, plus 27 deficiencies on the current record, seven tied to abuse, though none reached harm or jeopardy level. The last inspection was February 2025, so the record is recent. Strong hands on deck, uneven results on the floor.
Brookside Care Center runs on 4.89 nurse hours per resident day, roughly a quarter more than the national average, which is where its staffing rating comes from. Weekend coverage drops about 10% from weekday levels, so the cushion thins out on Saturdays and Sundays. Turnover sits at 41.4%, a bit better than the 45.8% national figure, and the health inspection rating is solid at 4 out of 5. The record isn't clean, though: nine deficiencies, two of them at the harm or jeopardy level and two tied to abuse. Two fines total $44,970, with the last inspection in November 2024.
The county runs this 46-bed home in Menomonie, and the inspection record is genuinely strong, five stars, with the most recent survey done in March 2026. Staffing is where it separates itself too: 4.20 nurse hours per resident day, roughly 9% above the national average, with weekends dipping only about 7% below weekdays.
The caveats are real, though. Thirteen deficiencies sit on the current record, including one at the harm or jeopardy level and four tied to abuse. Quality measures score just 2 out of 5, and turnover runs 47.5% against a national 45.8%, slightly worse than average, meaning the good staffing numbers take constant work to sustain.
So: well-inspected, well-staffed on paper, with a small cluster of serious findings and clinical quality scores that don't match the rest of the picture.
Pine Valley Community Village runs a for-profit corporation home with 80 certified beds in Richland Center, and its staffing numbers look strong on paper: 4.60 nurse hours per resident day, roughly 19% above the national average, with a 5/5 staffing star and turnover at 45%, basically in line with the national 45.8%. That's the good news. The inspection record is where it falls apart, a 1/5 health inspection rating, 21 deficiencies on the current record, including three at the harm or jeopardy level and three tied to abuse, plus two fines totaling $97,311. Weekend staffing also dips about 14% below its own weekday level. The last inspection was May 22, 2025, so this is a current picture, not an old one.
Lafayette Manor is county-owned, and its staffing is the strongest part of the picture: 4.21 nurse hours per resident day, about 9% above the national average, with weekend coverage dipping only slightly below weekdays and turnover at 45.1%, essentially in line with the national rate. The trouble sits in inspections. A two-out-of-five inspection rating comes with 53 deficiencies on the current record, six of them serious enough to put residents in harm's way and 14 tied to abuse. Two fines total $159,661. The most recent inspection, in March 2026, is recent enough that this is a current picture, not an old one.
North Central Health Care is county-run, and the staffing numbers are its strongest card: 4.29 nurse hours per resident day, about 11% above the national average, with turnover at 36.5% against a national 45.8%. Weekends run roughly 11% thinner than weekdays, so coverage isn't perfectly even. The inspection record is where the trouble sits, 20 deficiencies, two at harm or jeopardy level and one tied to abuse, plus two fines totaling $56,244 and a 2-out-of-5 inspection rating from CMS. That last inspection was August 2025, so the record is current rather than stale. Quality measures score well; the enforcement history is what weighs against it.
Clark County Rehabilitation & Living Center runs on county tax dollars, and the staffing numbers show it: 4.73 nurse hours per resident day, about 22% above the national average, with weekend coverage dipping roughly 12% below its own weekday levels. That staffing strength sits next to weaker marks elsewhere. The home carries 34 deficiencies on its current record, including one at the harm or jeopardy level and 11 tied to abuse. Staff turnover runs 53.2% a year, against a national average of 45.8%. Its last inspection was December 18, 2025. Plenty of hands on duty, but a record that still needs watching.
Spring Valley Health and Rehab Center is city/county-owned and small, just 40 beds, with nurse staffing at 3.99 hours per resident day, a bit above the national average of 3.86. That's the good news. The trouble shows up in consistency and oversight: weekend staffing drops about 12% below weekday levels, and annual turnover sits at 64.4% against a national average of 45.8%, meaning the people caring for residents are constantly changing. The inspection record backs that up, 38 deficiencies, including 2 at the harm or jeopardy level and 6 tied to abuse, plus $27,690 in fines. The last inspection was December 2025, so the record is current, and what's on it isn't reassuring.
Lakeland Health Care Center is county-owned, and its staffing is the strongest part of the picture: 3.96 nurse hours per resident day, slightly above the national average, with a 5/5 staffing star. Turnover sits at 31.1%, well below the 45.8% national figure, which suggests a more stable workforce than most. But the inspection record is where the trouble is, 21 deficiencies, four at harm or jeopardy level, seven abuse-related, and an $84,168 fine. Weekend staffing drops about 22% below weekday levels, meaning the coverage families see on a Tuesday isn't what shows up on a Sunday. The most recent inspection was January 2026.
Sauk County runs this 82-bed home in Reedsburg, and the staffing numbers are genuinely good on paper: 5.40 nurse hours per resident day, about 40% above the national average, with weekend coverage dipping roughly 11% below its own weekday level. What undercuts that is everything else. Staff turnover sits at 68.1% against a national average of 45.8%, so the people delivering those hours keep leaving. Inspectors cited 16 deficiencies on the current record, five at harm or jeopardy level and five abuse-related, with three fines totaling $160,977 and a survey as recent as April 2025. County ownership and strong staffing hours haven't translated into safe care here.
Pleasant View in Monroe is county-run, and its staffing looks solid on paper: 4.51 nurse hours per resident day, well above the national average. In practice, weekend coverage drops about 7% below weekdays, and turnover sits at 55.5%, roughly ten points above the national rate, so the people providing that care keep changing.
The inspection record is harder to explain away. Forty-two deficiencies, including five at the harm level and eight tied to abuse, and a one-star health inspection rating. The last inspection was in September 2025, so this is current, not stale. One fine totaling $41,980 is on record. High staffing hours can't offset that pattern.
The numbers here split in two directions. Nurse staffing runs 6.03 hours per resident day against a national average of 3.86, which is real coverage, though weekends slip about 8% below the weekday pace and annual turnover sits at 51.4%, higher than the 45.8% national figure, so the people providing that care keep changing. What outweighs the staffing is the record: 46 deficiencies as of the January 2025 inspection, 9 of them at harm or jeopardy level and 14 tied to abuse. Six fines totaling $386,235 sit on file. The state runs this 158-bed home, and the inspection and quality ratings both came back at the bottom of the scale.
Frequently asked questions
How many government-run nursing homes are there in Wisconsin?
There are 40 government-run Medicare-certified nursing homes in Wisconsin, 12% of the 323 nursing homes there.
Are government-run nursing homes better staffed?
In Wisconsin they average 4.92 total nursing hours per resident per day, against 4.21 for all nursing homes in Wisconsin, a difference of +0.71 hours. Staff turnover averages 37.4% against 46.9%.
Which government-run nursing home grades best in Wisconsin?