4,354 DSHS-licensed providers across King, Snohomish & Pierce counties — assisted living, memory care and adult family homes.
Last verified: October 2026.
Washington DSHS lists 4,354 licensed residential care providers in King, Snohomish and Pierce counties: 259 assisted living facilities (156 offering memory care) and 4,095 adult family homes. Every one is in this directory.
| County | Assisted living | Memory care | Adult family homes |
|---|---|---|---|
| King County | 153 | 88 | 1,825 |
| Snohomish County | 48 | 31 | 1,186 |
| Pierce County | 58 | 37 | 1,084 |
Straight from the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services provider lookup (ALTSA Residential Care Services), pulled in full on October 24, 2026. We list operating facilities only and link each license number to the state's own record.
No — memory care is assisted living with a DSHS memory care certification or a Specialized Dementia Care contract. Here is what each is, and isn't.
| Assisted living (DSHS license BH) | Memory care in Washington | |
|---|---|---|
| Is | A licensed residence (RCW 18.20, WAC 388-78A) with meals, 24-hour staff, and help with bathing, dressing and medications | Assisted living that is Memory Care Certified by DSHS, or holds a Specialized Dementia Care contract, for residents living with dementia |
| Isn't | A nursing home — it does not provide 24-hour licensed nursing (nursing homes are licensed under RCW 18.51) | A separate license type — it is an assisted living license plus a state certification or contract |
| Who it fits | Someone who needs daily help but is safe without a secured unit | Someone whose dementia brings wandering, exit-seeking or a need for dementia-trained staff around the clock |
| Medicaid | Only facilities with a DSHS contract (ARC, EARC or the Assisted Living SOW) can accept Apple Health | Medicaid-funded dementia care in assisted living runs through the Specialized Dementia Care contract |
| Where to verify | The facility's DSHS record and reports at fortress.wa.gov/dshs/adsaapps/lookup | |
Start with care needs and budget. Daily help without dementia safety concerns points to assisted living or an adult family home; wandering or exit-seeking points to memory care; a need for 24-hour nursing points to a nursing home. Then check each finalist's DSHS record and visit twice.
Tell us what is going on and a local advisor will shortlist two or three licensed options at no cost.Every listing comes from the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS), Aging and Long-Term Support Administration, Residential Care Services — the public assisted living facility (BH) and adult family home (AF) provider lookup at fortress.wa.gov/dshs/adsaapps/lookup, pulled as a full King, Snohomish and Pierce County export on October 24, 2026. Only providers in operating ("OP") status are shown. We refresh the registry quarterly; bed counts, contracts and certifications can change between pulls, so confirm the live record before you sign anything. Last verified: October 2026.
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