Get paid to care for family in Cook County
Most of the 1,820 people in Cook County who are 65 or older are cared for at home, by a relative. Minnesota Medicaid can pay you for that work.
Cook County at a glance
- Aged 65+
- 1,820
- Aged 85+
- 139
- Rank in MN
- 76th
- Median age
- 53.3
33% of residents
when daily help usually starts
of 87 counties, by residents 65+
older than the country
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Population Estimates (Vintage 2024). Cook County is one of the most rural counties in the country (Rural-Urban Continuum Code 9).
- 50 + DC
- states covered
- 3,144
- counties with local data
- $0
- it is always free to apply
- 2 min
- to see if you qualify
Population figures from the U.S. Census Bureau · Rules from each state's published Medicaid program
Care in Cook
What being a paid caregiver looks like here
About 1,820 people in Cook County are 65 or older — 33% of everyone who lives here. That is an older county than Minnesota overall, so more families here are already doing this work. Roughly 139 are 85 or older, the age when daily help usually starts. Out here, hiring an outside agency often is not realistic at all. Being paid to do the care yourself is not a workaround — it is how these programs were designed to work.
Statewide, 1.1 million people in Minnesota are 65 or older — 18% of the state, across 87 counties.
What Minnesota pays family caregivers
$22.74/hr
Your exact pay is set by the program and your care plan. We'll tell you your real number before you enroll.
Source: Minnesota Medicaid program data · Updated September 2026
Minnesota's programs at a glance
- CFSS
- CDCS
- Elderly Waiver
- Spouse paid?
- Yes
- Parent paid for a child?
- Yes
- Waitlist
- Some programs have no waitlist.
These rules are set by the state, so they are the same in every county. Read the full Minnesota guide →
Towns and cities in Cook County
Minnesota sets eligibility, not your town — so a family in West Cook UT and a family at the far edge of the county apply the same way. The largest communities in Cook County:
- West Cook UT1,750
- Grand Marais1,306
- East Cook UT906
- Grand Portage UT620
- Lutsen541
- Tofte270
- Schroeder178
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Subcounty Population Estimates.
How families in Cook apply
You do not need a county office to start. Families in Cook County start with Minnesota's program:
Start with a MnCHOICES/long-term care consultation assessment through your county (or call the Senior LinkAge Line); also apply for Medical Assistance (MA-LTC application).
Or skip the phone tag — our free 2-minute check tells you which Minnesota program fits your family, then we help with the forms.
See if you qualify →Cook questions, answered honestly
Can I get paid to care for a family member in Cook County?
Yes. Minnesota runs real Medicaid programs — like CFSS — that pay family caregivers, and they cover families in Cook County. We help you enroll, and applying costs you nothing.
How much do family caregivers earn in Cook County?
Reported figures in Minnesota are around $22.74/hr, but rates vary — the program sets your exact pay. We'll tell you your real number before you enroll.
Where do families in Cook County apply?
Families in Cook County start with the state, not the county. Start with a MnCHOICES/long-term care consultation assessment through your county (or call the Senior LinkAge Line); also apply for Medical Assistance (MA-LTC application).
Can I get paid to care for my spouse in Cook County?
Yes — a spouse can be paid here. The fine print for Minnesota: yes — since 10/1/2024 spouses can be paid CFSS/PCA workers (per MN DHS bulletin); spouses also hirable under CDCS
How many people in Cook County might need this?
1,820 residents of Cook County are 65 or older and about 139 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. Minnesota's programs exist to pay for exactly that care.
Which towns in Cook do you cover?
All of Cook County — including West Cook UT, Grand Marais, East Cook UT, Grand Portage UT and Lutsen. Eligibility is set by Minnesota, not by your town, so where you live inside the county does not change whether you qualify.
Program facts come from Minnesota's published Medicaid program rules · Population figures from the U.S. Census Bureau · Updated September 2026. Rules change — always confirm with the program.
Guides
For families in Cook County
Start with the Minnesota caregiver program, then read how the pieces fit together.
Nearby
Counties next to Cook
The counties Cook touches, by Census boundaries — a few of those borders run across water. Ones marked with a state abbreviation are across the line, and their rules are their state's, not this one's.
Find out in 2 minutes
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