Bristol County, MA
Get paid to care for your family member in Bristol County, Massachusetts
About 109,500 people in Bristol County are 65 or older — 19% of everyone who lives here. That tracks with Massachusetts as a whole. Roughly 11,400 are 85 or older, the age when daily help usually starts. Bristol 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 Bristol
- People 65 and older
- 109,500
- People 85 and older
- 11,400
- Median age
- 41.1
- Rank in Massachusetts
- 7th
19% of Bristol residents
the age daily help usually starts
close to the national average
of 14 counties, by residents 65+
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Population Estimates (Vintage 2024). Bristol County is a large metro county (USDA Rural-Urban Continuum Code 1). Massachusetts as a whole is 19% aged 65 or older.
What Massachusetts pays family caregivers
$19.50–$23.25/hr
Source: Massachusetts Medicaid program data · Updated September 2026
Massachusetts's programs at a glance
- PCA Program
- Adult Foster Care (AFC)
- Frail Elder Waiver
- Spouse paid?
- Not right now
- Parent paid for a child?
- Not right now
- Waitlist
- No waitlist.
These rules are set by the state, so they are the same in every county. Read the full Massachusetts guide →
Towns and cities in Bristol County
Massachusetts sets eligibility, not your town — so a family in New Bedford and a family at the far edge of the county apply the same way. The largest communities in Bristol County:
- New Bedford101,318
- Fall River94,689
- Taunton61,936
- Attleboro47,085
- Dartmouth34,139
- North Attleborough Town31,210
- Easton25,568
- Mansfield24,077
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Subcounty Population Estimates.
How families in Bristol apply
You do not need a county office to start. Families in Bristol County start with Massachusetts's program:
Apply for MassHealth via the Application for Health Coverage for Seniors/Long-Term Care to a MassHealth Enrollment Center, then get a PCA evaluation through a Personal Care Management agency (or contact an AFC provider agency for AFC).
Or skip the phone tag — our free 2-minute check tells you which Massachusetts program fits your family, then we help with the forms.
See if you qualify →Bristol questions, answered honestly
Can I get paid to care for a family member in Bristol County?
Yes. Massachusetts runs real Medicaid programs — like PCA Program — that pay family caregivers, and they cover families in Bristol County. We help you enroll, and applying costs you nothing.
How much do family caregivers earn in Bristol County?
Family caregivers in Massachusetts typically earn $19.50–$23.25/hr. The rate is the same across the state, including Bristol County.
Where do families in Bristol County apply?
Families in Bristol County start with the state, not the county. Apply for MassHealth via the Application for Health Coverage for Seniors/Long-Term Care to a MassHealth Enrollment Center, then get a PCA evaluation through a Personal Care Management agency (or contact an AFC provider agency for AFC).
Can I get paid to care for my spouse in Bristol County?
Not right now — but other family members often can be. The fine print for Massachusetts: no — spouse barred as legally responsible relative in both PCA and AFC
How many people in Bristol County might need this?
109,500 residents of Bristol County are 65 or older and about 11,400 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. Massachusetts's programs exist to pay for exactly that care.
Which towns in Bristol do you cover?
All of Bristol County — including New Bedford, Fall River, Taunton, Attleboro and Dartmouth. Eligibility is set by Massachusetts, not by your town, so where you live inside the county does not change whether you qualify.
Program facts come from Massachusetts'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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