Heron's Key
Heron's Key is a nonprofit Type A Life Plan Community in Gig Harbor, Washington, serving 300+ seniors across independent living, assisted living, memory care, and skilled nursing on a single 18-acre campus under a Type A Life Care contract.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersGig Harbor, United States
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Heron's Key does
Heron's Key is a nonprofit Type A Life Plan Community (Continuing Care Retirement Community) operating on an 18-acre campus at 4340 Borgen Blvd in Gig Harbor, Washington, and is one of only four Type A Life Care communities in Western Washington. Founded in 2017 under parent nonprofit Emerald Communities (Redmond, WA), the community serves 300+ residents across a full continuum of care delivered on a single campus: Independent Living (729–1,800 sq ft apartments and cottages), Assisted Living (36 one-bedroom apartments), Memory Care branded as The Lighthouse (13 private suites), and Skilled Nursing at Penrose Harbor (30 private suites).
The defining product is the Type A Life Care contract, which charges residents an upfront entrance fee ranging from $230,800 for a one-bedroom apartment to $371,200 for a two-bedroom, plus recurring monthly service fees starting at $4,345 (one-bedroom) to $6,236 (two-bedroom). Entrance fee refund options include Traditional amortized within five years, 50%, 75%, or 90% refundable to the estate. Critically, monthly fees remain stable as residents transition to higher care levels, eliminating the financial shock of escalating costs that drives churn in standard senior living. An à la carte dining program priced $4–$15 per entrée operates alongside community amenities including 300+ monthly activities and 40+ resident-led committees.
Distribution is a sales-led direct-to-consumer motion targeting seniors 65+ and their families through campus tours, the monthly "ABCs of Senior Living" educational events, a MoneyGauge-powered financial calculator, blog content on Life Plan Community economics, and active social channels. Go-to-market requires a 10% deposit to reserve a home following a MoneyGauge assessment and actuarial-based financial review. The community currently sits at over 90% occupancy and is mid-execution on a $107,165,000 Phase II expansion (Series 2026AB Bonds, A- by Fitch, closed June 2026 through Ziegler and the Washington State Housing Finance Commission) that will add 54 residential units, a swimming pool, expanded dining, and reconfigured care space opening in 2028. Clinical quality is supported by a Medicare 5-Star Staffing Rating, citation-free regulatory surveys, and U.S. News Best Nursing Home designations for both Short-Term Rehabilitation and Long-Term Care in 2026.
Heron's Key firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Heron's Key
- Legal name
- Heron's Key
- Website
- https://heronskey.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- Heron's Key is a nonprofit Type A Life Plan Community in Gig Harbor, Washington, serving 300+ seniors across independent living, assisted living, memory care, and skilled nursing on a single 18-acre campus under a Type A Life Care contract.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Heron's Key industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Continuing Care Retirement Community (Life Plan Community)
- NAICS
- Continuing Care Retirement Communities (623311), Continuing Care Retirement Communities and Assisted Living Facilities for the Elderly (6233), Assisted Living Facilities for the Elderly (623312)
- SIC
- Services-Nursing & Personal Care Facilities (8050)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Life Plan / Entrance-Fee CCRCs (HLADAEAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Luxury/Resort-Style Independent Living Communities (HLADAAAC)
Keywords
Where Heron's Key is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Gig Harbor
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Heron's Key business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Entrance Fees: One-time upfront entrance fees ranging from $230,800 for one-bedroom apartments to $371,200 for two-bedroom apartments, with second occupant fees starting at $37,500. Multiple contract types available including Traditional (amortized refund within 5 years), 50%, 75%, or 90% refundable options.
- Monthly Service Fees: Recurring monthly fees starting at $4,345 for one-bedroom units and $6,236 for two-bedroom units, with second person fees of $1,766. These fees provide access to community amenities, maintenance services, and Lifetime access to care levels at consistent rates.
- À La Carte Dining: Pay-as-you-go dining program where meals are priced individually from $4 to $15 per entrée. Residents are not locked into set meal plans and can choose when and how they dine.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Annual | One-bedroom apartment homes |
| One time/ perpetual license | Annual | Two-bedroom apartment homes |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Entrance Fee Contract Options |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | À La Carte Dining |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels8 records
Heron's Key product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Heron's Key is a Type A Life Plan Community that sells residential senior living contracts combining housing with a guaranteed lifetime continuum of care. Residents pay a one-time entrance fee plus a recurring monthly service fee in exchange for an independent living apartment or cottage and unlimited access to assisted living, memory care, and skilled nursing on the same campus. Care services, dining, activities, transportation, and maintenance are bundled into the monthly fee with meals available on an à la carte basis.
Product overview
Heron's Key is a Type A Life Plan Community (Continuing Care Retirement Community) in Gig Harbor, Washington, offering a full continuum of care on one campus. The portfolio consists of Independent Living (maintenance-free apartments and cottages ranging from 729 to 1,800 sq ft), Assisted Living (36 one-bedroom apartments), Memory Care branded as The Lighthouse (13 private suites), and Skilled Nursing at Penrose Harbor (30 private suites with short and long term rehab). The defining product is the Type A Life Care contract, which provides unlimited lifetime access to all care levels at predictable costs. A major Phase II expansion is planned for 2028, adding new residences, dining venues, and amenities including a swimming pool.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- The Lighthouse: Memory Care unit at Heron's Key providing specialized, person-centered memory care for residents with Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia, with 13 private suites in a recently renovated space.
Products and services
- Independent Living Maintenance-free senior living apartments and cottages featuring full kitchens, private balconies, and washer/dryer, with resort-style amenities, dining, fitness, and social activities for active older adults.
- Assisted Living
Quantifiable outcome
- Medicare 5-star staffing rating achieved
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Heron's Key
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Heron's Key technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
Heron's Key partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Emerald CommunitiescoreParent nonprofit organization (Redmond, WA) that operates Heron's Key. Emerald Communities also operates sister community Emerald Heights. Heron's Key is a founding member of the Emerald Communities family of Life Plan Communities.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Heron's Key competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Heron's Key social profiles
Digital presenceHeron's Key compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance7 records
Heron's Key financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Heron's Key leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
Heron's Key subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
Heron's Key funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Heron's Key M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Heron's Key
What does Heron's Key do?
Heron's Key is a Type A Life Plan Community that sells residential senior living contracts combining housing with a guaranteed lifetime continuum of care. Residents pay a one-time entrance fee plus a recurring monthly service fee in exchange for an independent living apartment or cottage and unlimited access to assisted living, memory care, and skilled nursing on the same campus. Care services, dining, activities, transportation, and maintenance are bundled into the monthly fee with meals available on an à la carte basis.
Is Heron's Key a public or private company?
Heron's Key is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Heron's Key founded?
Heron's Key was founded in 2017. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is Heron's Key based?
Heron's Key is headquartered in Gig Harbor, United States, in the North America region.
How does Heron's Key make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Entrance Fees are the primary driver. The others are monthly Service Fees and À La Carte Dining.
Does Heron's Key have an API?
No public API is recorded for Heron's Key.
What industry is Heron's Key in?
Heron's Key's product category is Continuing Care Retirement Community (Life Plan Community). Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLADAEAA, Life Plan / Entrance-Fee CCRCs, with a secondary code of HLADAAAC, Luxury/Resort-Style Independent Living Communities. Its NAICS code is 623311 and its SIC code is 8050.