Whispering Oaks ranks No. 2 in Hillsborough County nursing home size for Q1 2026

Whispering Oaks was the second largest nursing home in Hillsborough County during the first quarter of 2026, data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) shows.

The facility offered 236 beds—105 more than the county’s average—and cared for an average of 228.1 residents in the same period.

The CMS awarded Whispering Oaks an overall rating of 4 out of 5, which surpassed the Florida state nursing home average of 3.3.

The largest facility in Hillsborough County for the quarter was The Bristol Care Center, which had 266 available beds, followed by Solaris Healthcare Plant City, coming in third with 180 beds.

CMS reported that Whispering Oaks avoided any fines or penalties in the first quarter of 2026.

There were 7 non-profit nursing home facilities operating in Hillsborough County, Florida, during this period.

U.S. Census Bureau estimates indicate the older adult population nationwide continues to expand, while the number of children is decreasing. From 2020 to 2024, people age 65 and older grew by 13%, and those younger than 18 declined by 1.7%. Over the past 100 years, the older age population in the U.S. has risen dramatically, from 4.9 million in 1920 to more than 61 million in 2024.

According to a study published in 2021, about half of Americans in this age category—approximately 28 million—are likely to require assistance and long-term services, with more than one-third anticipated to need care in a nursing home.

“Living a long life is something that many of us want and could get,” said Jesse Slome, executive director of the American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance. “But when we live a long life, the chances of us needing long-term care increase exponentially. But when you need that type of care, there are limited options.”

Details for this article come from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Source data is available here.