Get paid to care for family in Chemung County
Most of the 17,300 people in Chemung County who are 65 or older are cared for at home, by a relative. New York Medicaid can pay you for that work.
Chemung County at a glance
- Aged 65+
- 17,300
- Aged 85+
- 1,830
- Rank in NY
- 32nd
- Median age
- 42.1
21% of residents
when daily help usually starts
of 62 counties, by residents 65+
older than the country
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Population Estimates (Vintage 2024). Chemung County is a smaller-city county (Rural-Urban Continuum Code 3).
- 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 Chemung
What being a paid caregiver looks like here
About 17,300 people in Chemung County are 65 or older — 21% of everyone who lives here. That is an older county than New York overall, so more families here are already doing this work. Roughly 1,830 are 85 or older, the age when daily help usually starts. There are only so many home-care agencies in a county this size, and the ones that are here do not always cover evenings, weekends, or the far end of the county.
Statewide, 3.8 million people in New York are 65 or older — 19% of the state, across 62 counties.
What New York pays family caregivers
$18.65–$20.65/hr
Source: New York Medicaid program data · Updated September 2026
New York's programs at a glance
- CDPAP
- 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 New York guide →
Towns and cities in Chemung County
New York sets eligibility, not your town — so a family in Elmira and a family at the far edge of the county apply the same way. The largest communities in Chemung County:
- Elmira26,255
- Horseheads18,556
- Southport8,841
- Big Flats7,474
- Elmira6,549
- Veteran3,225
- Catlin2,463
- Chemung2,285
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Subcounty Population Estimates.
How families in Chemung apply
You do not need a county office to start. Families in Chemung County start with New York's program:
Apply through the county Department of Social Services (or Medicaid Helpline); enrolled members go through their care manager/MLTC plan, then consumer and caregiver register with PPL.
Or skip the phone tag — our free 2-minute check tells you which New York program fits your family, then we help with the forms.
See if you qualify →Chemung questions, answered honestly
Can I get paid to care for a family member in Chemung County?
Yes. New York runs real Medicaid programs — like CDPAP — that pay family caregivers, and they cover families in Chemung County. We help you enroll, and applying costs you nothing.
How much do family caregivers earn in Chemung County?
Family caregivers in New York typically earn $18.65–$20.65/hr. The rate is the same across the state, including Chemung County.
Where do families in Chemung County apply?
Families in Chemung County start with the state, not the county. Apply through the county Department of Social Services (or Medicaid Helpline); enrolled members go through their care manager/MLTC plan, then consumer and caregiver register with PPL.
Can I get paid to care for my spouse in Chemung County?
Not right now — but other family members often can be. The fine print for New York: no — spouses cannot be hired as CDPAP personal assistants
How many people in Chemung County might need this?
17,300 residents of Chemung County are 65 or older and about 1,830 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. New York's programs exist to pay for exactly that care.
Which towns in Chemung do you cover?
All of Chemung County — including Elmira, Horseheads, Southport, Big Flats and Elmira. Eligibility is set by New York, not by your town, so where you live inside the county does not change whether you qualify.
Program facts come from New York'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 Chemung County
Start with the New York caregiver program, then read how the pieces fit together.
Nearby
Counties next to Chemung
The counties Chemung 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.
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