List of Publicly Traded Senior Living Companies
Comprehensive directory and market analysis of the List of Publicly Traded Senior Living Companies, including senior housing REITs and specialized care operators.
Navigating the List of Publicly Traded Senior Living Companies requires a clear understanding of the difference between property-owning Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) and the companies that manage daily care operations. As of 2026, the sector is driven by long-term demographic tailwinds, though investors must balance this with rising labor costs and interest rate sensitivity. To assist in your research, you can utilize the Senior Housing and Assisted Living Industry Comparison Widget to benchmark key financial ratios. This directory tracks the primary innovators and market leaders across the List of Healthcare Companies providing independent living, assisted living, and memory care services. Analyzing the following data will help identify which firms are best positioned to capitalize on the aging "silver tsunami" while maintaining sustainable margins.
Key Takeaways
Investors must distinguish between REITs that own the real estate and operators who manage the staff and care, as they carry different risk-reward profiles.
Recovery in portfolio-wide occupancy rates is the primary driver for margin expansion and revenue growth for senior housing stocks in 2026.
The sector is a major source of dividends, but sustainability depends on funds from operations (FFO) and debt maturity schedules in a high-rate environment.
Aging global demographics provide a structural "floor" for demand, though individual stock performance relies heavily on regional asset quality and geographic mix.
Top List of Publicly Traded Senior Living Companies by Market Cap (2026)
The following table represents the largest senior housing REITs and operators by market capitalization as of early 2026.
| Rank | Ticker | Company | Type | Market Cap | YTD % | Price/FFO | Div Yield |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | WELL | Welltower Inc. | Senior Housing REIT | $65.4B | +4.2% | 22.5x | 3.1% |
| 2 | VTR | Ventas, Inc. | Healthcare REIT | $22.8B | +2.1% | 18.4x | 3.8% |
| 3 | ENSG | The Ensign Group | Operator | $7.1B | +8.5% | 14.2x | 0.2% |
| 4 | NHI | Nat'l Health Investors | Senior Housing REIT | $3.2B | -1.5% | 15.8x | 5.4% |
| 5 | SBRA | Sabra Healthcare REIT | Healthcare REIT | $2.8B | +0.9% | 11.2x | 7.2% |
| 6 | LTC | LTC Properties, Inc. | Senior Housing REIT | $1.4B | +1.1% | 13.5x | 6.1% |
| 7 | CTRE | CareTrust REIT | Healthcare REIT | $2.5B | +3.4% | 14.8x | 4.9% |
| 8 | FVE | Five Star Senior Living | Operator | $125M | -5.2% | N/A | 0.0% |
List of Publicly Traded Senior Living Companies — Complete Company List
List of Publicly Traded Senior Living Companies Listed on Major U.S. Exchanges
- List of Publicly Traded Healthcare Facilities
- Senior Housing and Assisted Living Industry Comparison Widget
Senior Housing and Assisted Living: Large-Cap Stocks
- HCP, Inc. (HCP) (REIT: Hospitals, life science, medical office, post-acute/skilled nursing and senior housing)
- Ventas, Inc. (VTR) (REIT: Seniors housing, skilled nursing facilities, medical office buildings and other healthcare properties)
- Welltower Inc. (WELL) (REIT: Senior housing and healthcare properties)
Senior Housing and Assisted Living: Mid-Cap Stocks
- Brookdale Senior Living Inc. (BKD) (Operates assisted living, dementia-care communities, independent living communities and continuing care retirement centers)
- LifePoint Hospitals, Inc. (LPNT) (Ambulatory surgery centers, assisted living facilities, community hospitals, home health and hospice services, long-term care service, nursing homes, physician practices, urgent care centers)
- National Health Investors, Inc. (NHI) (REIT: Assisted and memory care communities, medical office buildings, specialty hospitals and skilled nursing facilities)
- Senior Housing Properties Trust (SNH) (REIT: Continuing care retirement communities, independent living and assisted living communities, medical offices, nursing homes)
Senior Housing and Assisted Living: Small-Cap Stocks
- Capital Senior Living Corporation (CSU) (Integrated assisted living and independent living communities; home care services)
- CareTrust REIT, Inc. (CTRE) (REIT: Assisted living, independent living, memory care, skilled nursing)
- Genesis Healthcare, Inc. (GEN) (Nursing centers and senior living communities)
- LTC Properties, Inc. (LTC) (REIT: Seniors housing, assisted living, memory care and skilled nursing properties)
- National HealthCare Corporation (NHC) (Homecare programs, assisted living communities, independent living centers)
- New Senior Investment Group Inc. (SNR) (REIT: Independent living properties and assisted living/memory care properties)
- Sabra Healthcare REIT, Inc. (SBRA) (REIT: Assisted living, independent living, memory care and skilled nursing and transitional care facilities)
- The Ensign Group, Inc. (ENSG) (Assisted Living, senior living, urgent care clinics, home health services)
Senior Housing and Assisted Living: Micro-Cap Stocks
- Five Star Quality Care, Inc. (FVE) (Alzheimer’s/memory care, assisted living, independent living and nursing & rehabilitation facilities)
- Regional Health Properties, Inc. (RHE) (Real estate investment company that invests in assisted living facilities)
Risks & Considerations
Interest Rate Sensitivity
Most senior living companies are REITs, which often trade inversely with interest rates. Rising rates increase interest expenses on debt and make high-yield stocks less attractive relative to bonds.
Labor and Wage Inflation
Operators are highly dependent on clinical and service staff. Persistent wage inflation or labor shortages can significantly compress margins even if occupancy remains high.
Reimbursement and Policy Risk
Companies with exposure to skilled nursing or Medicaid/Medicare are susceptible to changes in federal and state reimbursement rates, which can impact cash flow predictability.
Operating Leverage Risk
Senior housing involves high fixed costs. A slight dip in occupancy can lead to a disproportionately large drop in net operating income (NOI) due to the sector's high operating leverage.