The Wisconsin Association of Sober Homes (WASH), in partnership with Sobriety Hub Software, has released a powerful new data report analyzing outcomes for 413 residents across five certified sober living providers. Covering over a year of data (April 2024 – May 2025), the findings offer a rare look into what actually works in sober living.
72% of residents were marked “sober” at discharge
The average stay across all residents was 151 days
Employment significantly increased both length of stay and discharge success
Longer stays were strongly associated with better outcomes
Residents who stayed longer were far more likely to be discharged with staff recommendation—a key sign of program success.
Average stay for “With Advice” discharges: 179 days
Average stay for “Against Advice” discharges: 54 days
Takeaway: Focus on supporting residents through their first 30–60 days, where early dropout risk is highest.
Residents with jobs—especially full-time—stayed longer and had better outcomes.
Average stay (full-time): 175 days
Average stay (unemployed): 71 days
Successful discharge (full-time): Highest among all groups
Unsuccessful discharge (unemployed): 71% left “Against Advice”
Takeaway: Job readiness and employment support may play a critical role in recovery success.
Different substances correlate with different outcomes. Opiate users had the lowest program completion and sobriety rates.
Completion Rate (Opiates): 23%
Sober at Discharge (Opiates): 73%
Completion Rate (Marijuana): 29% (highest)
Sober at Discharge (Marijuana): 85% (highest)
Takeaway: Targeted programming for opiate users may be needed to improve outcomes.
Among residents who reported their sex:
Average stay (females): 169 days
Average stay (males): 151 days
Takeaway: Female residents tended to stay longer—an area that may warrant deeper exploration.
Here’s a snapshot of the WASH resident population:
413 total residents
290 discharged
124 current
Average length of stay: 151 days
72% sober at discharge
Only 25% completed the full program
Most residents were unemployed (77%)
Top drugs of choice:
Stimulants (37%)
Alcohol (28%)
Opiates (17%)
This data underscores what sober living homes have long observed anecdotally: recovery takes time, structure, and support. The WASH report not only validates these truths with real numbers, but also spotlights where programs can focus their efforts—like employment support and early engagement—to improve outcomes.
By making de-identified, real-world data accessible, WASH and Sobriety Hub are pushing the field of recovery housing toward greater transparency, accountability, and effectiveness.