The short answer: Seminole County has 51 licensed assisted living facilities with 3,017 beds in our directory, spread across Sanford, Altamonte Springs, Oviedo, Winter Springs, Longwood, Casselberry and Lake Mary. More than half are larger communities with 50 beds or more, which makes Seminole a good fit for families who want a full-service community within reach of Orlando. The county is inland, so flooding near the lakes and the St. Johns River matters more than storm surge. Two things changed recently: the hospital map, and how you get there by train.
How many assisted living facilities are in Seminole County?
| City | Facilities | Licensed beds | 6 beds or fewer | 50 beds or more |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sanford | 10 | 623 | 1 | 5 |
| Altamonte Springs | 8 | 502 | 4 | 3 |
| Oviedo | 7 | 364 | 1 | 3 |
| Winter Springs | 7 | 295 | 3 | 3 |
| Longwood | 5 | 286 | 1 | 4 |
| Casselberry | 5 | 155 | 3 | 2 |
| Lake Mary | 4 | 457 | 0 | 4 |
| Seminole County | 51 | 3,017 | 15 | 27 |
The median Seminole facility has 57 beds, compared with 8 statewide. That's because most of the county's assisted living is in larger communities, not six-bed homes. Lake Mary's four communities average more than 100 beds each. If your parent would do better in a small, homelike setting, Altamonte Springs, Winter Springs and Casselberry have most of the county's small homes. Our comparison of large and small facilities covers the trade-offs.
Browse listings by city: Sanford, Lake Mary, Longwood, Altamonte Springs, Oviedo, Winter Springs and Casselberry, or the whole of Seminole County.
Who lives in Seminole County?
Seminole had 491,884 residents in July 2025, and 18.3% were 65 or older (Census Bureau county estimates). That's younger than much of Florida. The older neighborhoods are in Longwood (19.9% aged 65+), Lake Mary (19.6%) and Winter Springs (19.5%). Sanford, at 13.3%, and Oviedo, at 11.1%, skew younger (Census 2020–2024 survey data; QuickFacts, Longwood). For families, this often means an adult child living in Seminole and looking for a parent nearby, rather than a parent who already lives here.
Which hospitals serve Seminole County?
The hospital map has changed, so check which one a facility's residents would actually go to:
- HCA Florida Lake Monroe Hospital, Sanford: "an accredited 221-bed acute care hospital" and a Level II trauma center (HCA Florida).
- Orlando Health Lake Mary Hospital, 380 Rinehart Road, Lake Mary, with a full-service emergency department (Orlando Health).
- AdventHealth Altamonte Springs, part of AdventHealth Orlando and open around the clock (AdventHealth).
- HCA Florida Oviedo Medical Center, "a 96-bed acute care hospital" (HCA Florida).
The old South Seminole Hospital site in Longwood is now Orlando Health Emergency Room - Longwood, open 24 hours (Orlando Health). There are also freestanding ERs in Lake Mary, Oviedo, Sanford and Casselberry. They handle emergencies, but a resident who needs to be admitted will be transferred to a hospital. Ask each facility which hospital its residents usually go to.
What about hurricanes and flooding?
Seminole is inland, so the main storm risk is flooding rather than surge. The county asks people to be ready to evacuate "if you live in a flood zone, a mobile/manufactured home, or a low-lying area" (Seminole County Emergency Management). Flood-prone areas "include the St. Johns River, Lake Harney, Lake Jesup, Lake Monroe, and the Little Wekiva River" (Seminole County). You can check any address on FEMA's flood maps. During disasters, the county's information line, 407-665-0000, runs around the clock.
Assisted living facilities run their own evacuations, so ask each one where residents go and how. Every facility must keep temperatures "at or below 81 degrees Fahrenheit for a minimum of ninety-six (96) hours" during a power cut. Facilities with 16 beds or fewer must store 48 hours of fuel on site, and larger ones 72 hours (rule 59A-36.025). Our hurricane questions guide has the full checklist.
Who can help locally?
- Senior Resource Alliance: the Area Agency on Aging and Aging and Disability Resource Center for Brevard, Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties. Reach it through the Elder Helpline at 1-800-963-5337, weekdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Senior Resource Alliance). It screens for Florida Medicaid's long-term care program. Seminole is in Medicaid Region E (s. 409.966), so ask whether a facility works with a Region E plan if your parent may need Medicaid. Our Medicaid guide explains the program.
- Senior centers in Altamonte Springs, Casselberry, Lake Mary and Sanford (Seminole County). The Sanford Senior Center at 401 E. Seminole Boulevard is open weekdays (City of Sanford).
Getting around and visiting
Seminole is one of the easier places in Florida to visit without a car:
- SunRail stops in Sanford, Lake Mary, Longwood and Altamonte Springs. Trains run Monday to Friday only, and riders 65 and older pay half fare (SunRail).
- LYNX buses serve the county. ACCESS LYNX offers door-to-door rides for people whose disability prevents them from using the bus, at $4 one way within three-quarters of a mile of a bus route (LYNX).
- Orlando Sanford International Airport is a 10-minute drive from historic downtown Sanford, which helps relatives flying in on Allegiant and other carriers (SFB).
For an outing, Sanford's RiverWalk runs "nearly five miles" along Lake Monroe, and the city's free trolley runs weekday afternoons (City of Sanford).
How do we shortlist?
- Pick a size and a town. Larger communities cluster in Lake Mary, Longwood and Sanford; small homes in Altamonte Springs, Winter Springs and Casselberry.
- Check the license and inspections. Florida publishes each facility's violations from "the previous 60 months" (s. 429.55). Our license check guide shows how to read them, and our license types guide explains ECC and LNS.
- Ask about the nearest full hospital, not just the nearest ER.
- Tour at mealtime with our tour checklist.
Comparing nearby areas? See our guides to Orlando next door and Melbourne and Viera on the coast.
