Pasco County, FL
Get paid to care for your family member in Pasco County, Florida
About 143,400 people in Pasco County are 65 or older — 22% of everyone who lives here. That tracks with Florida as a whole. Roughly 16,400 are 85 or older, the age when daily help usually starts. Pasco County is one of the state's biggest population centers, and home-care agencies do work here — but staffing is thin, schedules change, and a stranger in the house is not what every family wants.
Who needs care in Pasco
- People 65 and older
- 143,400
- People 85 and older
- 16,400
- Median age
- 43.1
- Rank in Florida
- 13th
22% of Pasco residents
the age daily help usually starts
older than the country as a whole
of 67 counties, by residents 65+
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Population Estimates (Vintage 2024). Pasco County is a large metro county (USDA Rural-Urban Continuum Code 1). Florida as a whole is 22% aged 65 or older.
What Florida pays family caregivers
$15–$25/hr
Your exact pay is set by the program and your care plan. We'll tell you your real number before you enroll.
Source: Florida Medicaid program data · Updated September 2026
Florida's programs at a glance
- SMMC-LTC Participant Directed Option
- CDC+
- Family Home Health Aide (children)
- Spouse paid?
- Sometimes
- Parent paid for a child?
- Yes
- Waitlist
- Waitlists can be long — apply early.
These rules are set by the state, so they are the same in every county. Read the full Florida guide →
Towns and cities in Pasco County
Florida sets eligibility, not your town — so a family in Zephyrhills and a family at the far edge of the county apply the same way. The largest communities in Pasco County:
- Zephyrhills22,304
- New Port Richey18,130
- Dade City9,662
- Port Richey3,637
- St. Leo2,472
- San Antonio1,577
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Subcounty Population Estimates.
How families in Pasco apply
You do not need a county office to start. Families in Pasco County start with Florida's program:
Call the local Aging & Disability Resource Center (Elder Helpline 1-800-963-5337) for the phone screening that sets the priority score; CARES assessment + Medicaid application follow when a slot opens. For children/FHHA contact a participating home health agency; for CDC+ go through APD.
Or skip the phone tag — our free 2-minute check tells you which Florida program fits your family, then we help with the forms.
See if you qualify →Pasco questions, answered honestly
Can I get paid to care for a family member in Pasco County?
Yes. Florida runs real Medicaid programs — like SMMC-LTC Participant Directed Option — that pay family caregivers, and they cover families in Pasco County. We help you enroll, and applying costs you nothing.
How much do family caregivers earn in Pasco County?
Reported figures in Florida are around $15–$25/hr, but rates vary — the program sets your exact pay. We'll tell you your real number before you enroll.
Where do families in Pasco County apply?
Families in Pasco County start with the state, not the county. Call the local Aging & Disability Resource Center (Elder Helpline 1-800-963-5337) for the phone screening that sets the priority score; CARES assessment + Medicaid application follow when a slot opens. For children/FHHA contact a participating home health agency; for CDC+ go through APD.
Can I get paid to care for my spouse in Pasco County?
Sometimes — it depends on the program. The fine print for Florida: limited — yes under SMMC-LTC PDO (must be 'extraordinary care' beyond normal spousal duties, background screening required); no under CDC+
How many people in Pasco County might need this?
143,400 residents of Pasco County are 65 or older and about 16,400 are 85 or older, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2024 population estimates. Most of them are cared for at home by a relative rather than in a facility. Florida's programs exist to pay for exactly that care.
Which towns in Pasco do you cover?
All of Pasco County — including Zephyrhills, New Port Richey, Dade City, Port Richey and St. Leo. Eligibility is set by Florida, not by your town, so where you live inside the county does not change whether you qualify.
Program facts come from Florida's published Medicaid program rules · Population figures from the U.S. Census Bureau · Updated September 2026. Rules change — always confirm with the program.
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