Get paid to care for family in Carbon County
Most of the 15,500 people in Carbon County who are 65 or older are cared for at home, by a relative. Pennsylvania Medicaid can pay you for that work.
Carbon County at a glance
- Aged 65+
- 15,500
- Aged 85+
- 1,520
- Rank in PA
- 40th
- Median age
- 46.0
24% of residents
when daily help usually starts
of 67 counties, by residents 65+
older than the country
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Population Estimates (Vintage 2024). Carbon County is a smaller-city county (Rural-Urban Continuum Code 2).
- 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 Carbon
What being a paid caregiver looks like here
About 15,500 people in Carbon County are 65 or older — 24% of everyone who lives here. That is an older county than Pennsylvania overall, so more families here are already doing this work. Roughly 1,520 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, 2.7 million people in Pennsylvania are 65 or older — 20% of the state, across 67 counties.
What Pennsylvania pays family caregivers
$13–$19/hr
Your exact pay is set by the program and your care plan. We'll tell you your real number before you enroll.
Source: Pennsylvania Medicaid program data · Updated September 2026
Pennsylvania's programs at a glance
- Community HealthChoices (CHC)
- Services My Way
- OBRA Waiver
- Spouse paid?
- Not right now
- Parent paid for a child?
- Not right now
- Waitlist
- There may be a waitlist — apply early.
These rules are set by the state, so they are the same in every county. Read the full Pennsylvania guide →
Towns and cities in Carbon County
Pennsylvania sets eligibility, not your town — so a family in Penn Forest and a family at the far edge of the county apply the same way. The largest communities in Carbon County:
- Penn Forest10,344
- Palmerton5,634
- Lehighton5,262
- Towamensing4,579
- Jim Thorpe4,543
- Franklin4,423
- Mahoning4,331
- Lansford4,143
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Subcounty Population Estimates.
How families in Carbon apply
You do not need a county office to start. Families in Carbon County start with Pennsylvania's program:
Call the PA Independent Enrollment Broker at 1-877-550-4227 (or its online Community Referral Form) to start CHC eligibility; then choose participant-direction/Services My Way with your MCO service coordinator.
Or skip the phone tag — our free 2-minute check tells you which Pennsylvania program fits your family, then we help with the forms.
See if you qualify →Carbon questions, answered honestly
Can I get paid to care for a family member in Carbon County?
Yes. Pennsylvania runs real Medicaid programs — like Community HealthChoices (CHC) — that pay family caregivers, and they cover families in Carbon County. We help you enroll, and applying costs you nothing.
How much do family caregivers earn in Carbon County?
Reported figures in Pennsylvania are around $13–$19/hr, but rates vary — the program sets your exact pay. We'll tell you your real number before you enroll.
Where do families in Carbon County apply?
Families in Carbon County start with the state, not the county. Call the PA Independent Enrollment Broker at 1-877-550-4227 (or its online Community Referral Form) to start CHC eligibility; then choose participant-direction/Services My Way with your MCO service coordinator.
Can I get paid to care for my spouse in Carbon County?
Not right now — but other family members often can be. The fine print for Pennsylvania: no — spouses and legal guardians cannot be paid; other relatives incl. adult children and parents of adult (21+) disabled children can
How many people in Carbon County might need this?
15,500 residents of Carbon County are 65 or older and about 1,520 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. Pennsylvania's programs exist to pay for exactly that care.
Which towns in Carbon do you cover?
All of Carbon County — including Penn Forest, Palmerton, Lehighton, Towamensing and Jim Thorpe. Eligibility is set by Pennsylvania, not by your town, so where you live inside the county does not change whether you qualify.
Program facts come from Pennsylvania'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 Carbon County
Start with the Pennsylvania caregiver program, then read how the pieces fit together.
Nearby
Counties next to Carbon
The counties Carbon touches, by Census boundaries — a few of those borders run across water.
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