How much do care homes cost?
The figures below come from fees that care homes publish on their own websites or have reported to us. They are updated as we collect more, and every home page shows where its figure came from.
Typical weekly fees by region
| Region | Residential | Nursing | Care homes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Care homes in East Midlands | £1,250 | £1,413 | 1,449 |
| Care homes in East of England | £1,329 | £1,552 | 1,636 |
| Care homes in London | £1,488 | £1,945 | 1,270 |
| Care homes in North East | £1,157 | £1,414 | 733 |
| Care homes in North West | £1,100 | £1,550 | 1,867 |
| Care homes in South East | £1,500 | £1,750 | 2,826 |
| Care homes in South West | £1,350 | £1,593 | 1,859 |
| Care homes in West Midlands | £1,198 | £1,538 | 1,676 |
| Care homes in Yorkshire and The Humber | £1,106 | £1,380 | 1,472 |
| England | £1,300 | £1,592 | 14,789 |
Median weekly fee of the homes with a figure on record. Where we do not yet have enough fees for a region we say “collecting”.
Most expensive council areas for residential care
| Council area | Region | Residential | Nursing | Homes with fees |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bromley | London | £1,932 | £2,300 | 5 of 53 |
| Kingston upon Thames | London | £1,850 | £2,600 | 3 of 43 |
| Harrow | London | £1,830 | £1,860 | 3 of 52 |
| Surrey | South East | £1,653 | £1,875 | 18 of 390 |
| Portsmouth | South East | £1,650 | £1,577 | 3 of 30 |
| Central Bedfordshire | East of England | £1,625 | collecting | 3 of 65 |
| Hertfordshire | East of England | £1,600 | £1,590 | 13 of 255 |
| Milton Keynes | South East | £1,597 | £1,882 | 7 of 47 |
| Oxfordshire | South East | £1,590 | £2,030 | 16 of 147 |
| Windsor and Maidenhead | South East | £1,550 | £1,850 | 3 of 41 |
Least expensive council areas for residential care
| Council area | Region | Residential | Nursing | Homes with fees |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shropshire | West Midlands | £750 | £1,500 | 3 of 117 |
| North East Lincolnshire | Yorkshire and The Humber | £850 | collecting | 5 of 55 |
| Wirral | North West | £890 | £1,525 | 5 of 111 |
| Sheffield | Yorkshire and The Humber | £953 | £1,050 | 11 of 114 |
| Rochdale | North West | £1,000 | collecting | 3 of 61 |
| North Lincolnshire | Yorkshire and The Humber | £1,017 | collecting | 4 of 59 |
| Southampton | South East | £1,020 | £1,600 | 3 of 52 |
| Knowsley | North West | £1,037 | collecting | 3 of 27 |
| Salford | North West | £1,056 | £1,048 | 6 of 44 |
| Dudley | West Midlands | £1,083 | collecting | 4 of 92 |
Council areas appear once at least three homes there have a fee on record. 86 of 153 areas qualify so far.
What is included in the fee
A care home fee normally covers the room, meals, laundry, heating, and personal care from the staff. Nursing homes add care from registered nurses. Extras such as hairdressing, chiropody, trips out, newspapers and some toiletries are usually charged on top.
Many homes charge more for a larger room, an en suite, or a room with a garden view. Homes also review fees every year, usually in April, so ask what the increase was last year.
Full guide: what a care home fee includes, and what costs extra.
Who pays
In England, if you have more than £23,250 in savings and assets you will normally pay the full fee yourself. Below that, the council assesses what you can contribute. The value of your home is counted unless a partner or certain relatives still live there.
If you need nursing care, the NHS pays a weekly contribution direct to the home. A small number of people with very high health needs qualify for NHS Continuing Healthcare, which covers the whole fee.
Read the full guides: who pays, and when the council helps, NHS funded nursing care and NHS Continuing Healthcare.
Care home or live-in care?
Live-in care means a carer lives with you and you keep your home, your routine and your things. For couples it is normally far cheaper than two care home places. Complex live-in care, for higher needs, is typically about £1,344 a week.
Care home costs by council area
Every council area in England has its own page: the typical weekly fee, the cheapest and most expensive homes with a published price, nearby areas and what the council pays.
London
- Barking and Dagenham
- Barnet
- Bexley
- Brent
- Bromley
- Camden
- Croydon
- Ealing
- Enfield
- Greenwich
- Hackney
- Hammersmith and Fulham
- Haringey
- Harrow
- Havering
- Hillingdon
- Hounslow
- Islington
- Kensington and Chelsea
- Kingston upon Thames
- Lambeth
- Lewisham
- Merton
- Newham
- Redbridge
- Richmond upon Thames
- Southwark
- Sutton
- Tower Hamlets
- Waltham Forest
- Wandsworth
- Westminster
Common questions
Short answers here; the guides go into each one properly.
How much does a care home cost a week?
Across England the middle residential fee we have on record is £1,300 a week, and nursing care £1,592. Fees are higher in London and the South East and lower in the North.
How much does a care home cost a year?
At the typical residential fee of £1,300 a week, a year in a care home costs about £67,600. Nursing care at £1,592 a week comes to about £82,758 a year.
Why do fees vary so much?
Staff costs, the building, the level of care and whether nursing is included all change the fee. Two homes in the same street can be several hundred pounds a week apart, so it pays to compare.
Will the council pay?
If your savings and assets are below £23,250 in England the council will assess what you can afford and may pay part or all of the fee. If a home charges more than the council rate, a relative may need to pay a top-up.
What is NHS funded nursing care?
If you live in a nursing home and need care from a registered nurse, the NHS pays a flat weekly contribution towards the nursing part of the fee, paid straight to the home.
Is live-in care cheaper than a care home?
Standard live-in care typically costs about £1,120 a week and complex care typically about £1,344. For one person it is usually similar to a good residential home and less than nursing care. For a couple it is usually much cheaper, because one carer looks after both of you at home.