CallataGuidesBusiness phone system for assisted living facilities for the elderly in Durham, NC
Assisted living facilities for the elderly in the Durham-Chapel Hill, NC metro area: 32 establishments in 2023, the local area codes, and what phone service costs a 26-person team.
- Establishments
- 32CBP 2023
- Employees
- 844mid-March 2023
- Per 100k residents
- 5.2U.S. 6.1
- Rank
- 101st of 614areas by count
The assisted living community market in Durham, NC
The Census Bureau's 2023 County Business Patterns lists 32 establishments classified as Assisted Living Facilities for the Elderly (NAICS 623312) in the Durham-Chapel Hill, NC metro area. Together they reported 844 mid-March employees and $27.2 million of payroll for the year. That ranks 101st of the 614 metro and micropolitan areas where Census published a count for this industry.
With 621,000 residents in the Census 2024 estimate, that is 5.2 assisted living facilities for the elderly per 100,000 people, 16.0% below the national rate of 6.1. Establishments average 26.4 employees, 8.4% above the U.S. average of 24.3. Payroll per employee comes to $32,206, 7.6% below the national $34,874.
| Measure | Durham, NC | North Carolina | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Establishments | 32 | 552 | 20,884 |
| Mid-March employees | 844 | 18,520 | 508,230 |
| Annual payroll | $27,182,000 | $572,121,000 | $17,723,940,000 |
| Employees per establishment | 26.4 | 33.6 | 24.3 |
| Payroll per employee | $32,206 | $30,892 | $34,874 |
| Establishments per 100,000 residents | 5.2 | 5.0 | 6.1 |
Census County Business Patterns 2023 (mid-March employment; annual payroll). Employees and payroll flagged high-noise are shown but not used in the text. Residents: Census Vintage 2024 estimates.
How big assisted living facilities for the elderly in Durham, NC are
Of the assisted living facilities for the elderly in Durham, NC that had employees in March 2023, 9.4% had fewer than five (the U.S. share is 33.3%). 21.9% had fewer than ten. When a business has only a few people, whoever is free answers the phone, and calls that arrive while everyone is busy go to voicemail unless they are routed somewhere else.
| Employment size | Establishments | Share | U.S. share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1–4 employees | 3 | 9.4% | 33.3% |
| 5–9 employees | 4 | 12.5% | 14.8% |
| 10–19 employees | 5 | 15.6% | 14.0% |
| 20–49 employees | 16 | 50.0% | 22.4% |
| 50 or more employees | 4 | 12.5% | 15.5% |
Employment-size classes count establishments by mid-March 2023 employment. Establishments with no March employees are excluded from the size classes, so shares are of establishments with employees. Source: Census County Business Patterns 2023.
Why the phone matters for assisted living facilities for the elderly in Durham, NC
Families researching assisted living usually start with a phone call, and those calls come at all hours from adult children juggling work. Existing residents' families also call regularly for updates.
A few of the calls that come in to assisted living facilities for the elderly in Durham, NC:
- A family member calls to schedule a tour.
- A vendor calls to confirm a delivery.
- A resident's family calls to check on a care update.
When nobody can pick up
Evening inquiry calls from families are common, so capturing them and calling back promptly matters.
Business-hours routing in Callata sends calls to voicemail, a teammate's cell or an AI agent once the day ends, and voicemails arrive transcribed with an urgency flag.
What a phone system costs an assisted living community in Durham, NC
The average assisted living community in Durham, NC has 26.4 employees, so a 26-person team is a reasonable benchmark. Priced per seat, 26 users would run $780.00 a month on RingCentral RingEX Core and $648.70 on Ooma Office Pro (month-to-month list prices, checked September 28, 2026). On Callata the same 26 people cost $519.00 a month, less than either per-seat plan.
The annual difference against RingCentral's monthly list price comes to $3,132. Some vendors discount annual contracts; the table shows month-to-month prices.
| Provider (plan) | Pricing basis | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Callata (Callata Office) | $99 incl. 5 users, $20 per extra user | $519.00 | $6,228.00 |
| Quo (Starter) | $19.00 per user | $494.00 | $5,928.00 |
| Nextiva (Core) | $23.00 per user | $598.00 | $7,176.00 |
| Ooma (Office Pro) | $24.95 per user | $648.70 | $7,784.40 |
| Dialpad (Standard) | $27.00 per user | $702.00 | $8,424.00 |
| RingCentral (RingEX Core) | $30.00 per user | $780.00 | $9,360.00 |
Competitor prices are each vendor's published month-to-month list price per user for its lowest plan that includes business calling and texting, checked September 28, 2026: Quo Starter $19, Nextiva Core $23, Ooma Office Pro $24.95 (Essentials excludes texting; one-time $29.95 activation not included), Dialpad Standard $27, RingCentral RingEX Core $30 ($20 billed annually). Prices exclude taxes and fees and may change; annual contracts lower some competitors' prices.
Local area codes for assisted living facilities for the elderly in Durham, NC
NANPA records place the exchanges of the area's named cities and towns in 4 area codes. 919 has the most, with 226 of 313 exchanges (72%). Callata's plan includes up to 3 local numbers; you can pick them in the area codes your residents and families recognize, subject to carrier inventory, or port the number you already have for free.
| Area code | Exchanges | Time zone | In service since | Overlay with |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 919 | 226 | Eastern | 1954 | 984 |
| 984 | 73 | Eastern | 2012 | 919 |
| 336 | 13 | Eastern | 1997 | 743 |
| 743 | 1 | Eastern | 2016 | 336 |
Exchanges are NANPA-assigned central office codes (NPA-NXX) in the rate centers matched to the area's named places. Source: NANPA utilized code and NPA reports.
How Callata works for assisted living facilities for the elderly
Callata is a business phone system priced at $99 a month with 5 users included, then $20 per additional user. Callata Office includes up to 3 local business numbers, unlimited inbound calling, 1,500 pooled outbound US and Canada minutes per user each month, a browser softphone that can also ring your cell, voicemail with transcription, call recording with AI summaries, business-hours routing and E911 on every number.
If you already have a number in Durham, NC, porting it to Callata is free. Texting from a local number requires a one-time carrier registration (10DLC, $49), and the numbers available in any area code depend on carrier inventory when you choose them.
Optional AI agents (receptionist, sales, support or scheduler) can answer calls after hours or when nobody picks up, take messages, text, email and transfer to your team. They are billed from prepaid AI minutes at $0.25 per minute, identify themselves as AI, and may only place outbound calls to people who consented, between 8am and 9pm.
Practices that handle protected health information should review their own privacy obligations before recording calls, enabling AI summaries or texting appointment details, and keep clinical conversations out of text messages unless their policies allow it.
Frequently asked questions
How many assisted living facilities for the elderly are there in Durham, NC?
Census County Business Patterns counted 32 assisted living facilities for the elderly in the Durham-Chapel Hill, NC metro area in 2023. They employed 844 people in mid-March.
What does a business phone system cost for a 26-person assisted living community?
At month-to-month list prices checked September 28, 2026, 26 users cost $780.00 a month on RingCentral RingEX Core and $648.70 on Ooma Office Pro. On Callata, $99 a month with 5 users included, then $20 per additional user, the same team pays $519.00.
What area code should an assisted living community in Durham, NC use?
Area code 919 has the most assigned exchanges among the area's named places, followed by 984 and 336. If you already have a local number, you can port it to Callata for free.
Can an AI receptionist answer calls for an assisted living community?
Yes. Callata's optional AI agents can answer when the team is busy or closed, take a message, text, email or transfer the call. They disclose that they are AI and are billed from prepaid AI minutes at $0.25 per minute. Practices that handle protected health information should review their own privacy obligations before recording calls, enabling AI summaries or texting appointment details, and keep clinical conversations out of text messages unless their policies allow it.