This Washington metro area has some of the ‘best’ nursing homes in US. Which one?
Choosing a nursing home is an important decision — whether it’s a place for you to heal or spend your golden years, or a facility you’re entrusting with a loved one.
New ratings from U.S. News & World Report aim to help.
The media company evaluated more than 14,700 nursing homes — or skilled nursing facilities offering round-the-clock care — nationwide in short-term rehabilitation, long-term care or both. Fewer than 19% of those are considered “best” in one or both categories, according to the ratings released Nov. 13.
So, how did nursing homes in Washington state fare?
Dozens of facilities across the Evergreen State were rated as high-performing, or “best,” in one or both categories, according to U.S. News & World Report. And one metro area in Washington had a particularly high concentration of nursing homes that rated well.
Here’s more on that metro area, how to search for highly-rated nursing homes near you, and how U.S. News & World Report came up with its nursing home ratings:
Which part of Washington has the most ‘Best Nursing Homes’?
If you live in the Seattle-Bellevue-Tacoma metro area, you’re in luck when it comes to nursing homes. That area is one of 20 across the country with the most nursing homes rated as “best” for 2026 by U.S. News & World Report.
Others range from Portland, Oregon, to Miami-Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
The Seattle-Tacoma metro area has a total of 86 nursing homes, with 80 rated by U.S. News & World Report, according to data provided by the media company.
Of those, 21 were rated best in short stay, 14 in long stay and 11 in both.
Here are the 11 rated best in both categories, per U.S. News & World Report:
- Caroline Kline Galland Home in Seattle
- Columbia Lutheran Home in Seattle
- Covenant Shores Health Center in Mercer Island
- Heron’s Key in Gig Harbor
- Lynnwood Post-Acute Rehabilitation Center in Lynnwood
- Rainier Rehabilitation in Puyallup
- Redmond Care and Rehabilitation Center in Redmond
- Shoreline Health and Rehabilitation in Seattle
- The Oaks at Lakewood in Tacoma
- The Terraces at Skyline in Seattle
- Timber Ridge at Talus in Issaquah
How do I find the best-rated nursing homes near me in Washington?
Washington has 194 nursing homes total, and U.S. News rated 183 of them.
Of those, 48 were rated best in short stay, 31 in long stay and 23 in both, per the media company.
The 23 rated as best in both categories are spread across the state and include facilities in Bellingham, Lynden, Olympia, Lacey and Walla Walla, along with those in the Seattle-Tacoma area and other parts of Washington.
You can check out the rating of a particular nursing home by entering its name, or you can search by city, state or zip code to take a look at facilities near you.
How did U.S. News come up with its ratings?
U.S. News & World Report said it analyzed data related to staffing, health outcomes and more in determining its 2026 ratings.
The data came from public sources such as the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and Long Term Care Community Coalition.
Only Medicare- and Medicaid-certified nursing homes were evaluated. To be rated, a facility had to have received payment for care from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services in July and have enough available data for evaluation.
Senior living communities aren’t included in the nursing home ratings from U.S. News.
This story was originally published November 17, 2025 at 5:00 AM with the headline "This Washington metro area has some of the ‘best’ nursing homes in US. Which one?."
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