Care Home Costs by Area UK 2026 — Lower-cost to Most Expensive Councils

Care home costs in England vary from under £700 per week to over £1,400 per week depending on your council area. That means a three-year stay could cost anywhere from £109,000 to £218,000 — a difference of more than £100,000 determined largely by geography. TreatCompare tracks residential and nursing care costs across 93 local authorities using NHS England data.

Why do care costs vary so much?

Four factors drive the gap between the lower-cost and most expensive council areas:

• Labour costs — care workers in London and the South East earn significantly more than in northern regions. Staff costs make up 60-70% of a care home's operating budget, so wage differences feed directly into fees.
• Property prices — the cost of land and buildings varies enormously. A purpose-built care home in Surrey costs far more to construct and maintain than one in County Durham.
• Local authority procurement — councils negotiate different rates with providers. Some have long-standing block contracts that keep prices down; others rely on spot purchasing at higher rates.
• CQC quality mix — areas with a higher proportion of "Outstanding" and "Good" rated homes tend to have higher average fees, partly because quality costs money and partly because providers in affluent areas attract wealthier self-funders.

Lower-cost councils for residential care

The following council areas consistently report the lowest residential care fees in England:

These figures are indicative ranges based on TreatCompare's data analysis. For exact, up-to-date council-level figures, see the care costs hub.

Most expensive councils for residential care

At the other end of the scale, these council areas report the highest residential care fees:

The pattern is clear: London boroughs and affluent South East councils dominate the top of the table, driven by the property and wage costs described above.

Regional breakdown

These ranges cover the middle 80% of council areas in each region. Individual councils may fall above or below these bands.

The self-funder premium varies by area too

The gap between what councils pay for a placement and what self-funders pay is not constant across the country. In some areas, the self-funder premium is 15-20%. In others, it exceeds 40%.

This happens because:

• Councils with higher negotiating power (larger contracts, more residents) get deeper discounts — widening the gap for self-funders
• Areas with more self-funders (typically the South East) see providers compete for that market, which can moderate the premium
• Areas with provider shortages see higher prices for everyone, narrowing the percentage gap even as absolute costs rise

The self-funding guide explains how self-funder pricing works and what you can do about it.

Care deserts: where there aren't enough beds

Cost is only part of the picture. In some council areas, there simply are not enough care home beds to meet local demand. These "care deserts" mean:

• Longer waiting lists for placements
• Less choice of provider
• Higher fees due to lack of competition
• Families having to look outside their local area

Care deserts are not confined to rural areas. Some urban councils with high land values have seen homes close and not be replaced because the economics of building new care capacity do not work at council-funded rates.

For data on care home availability by area, see care deserts.

Cross-border options

Because care home costs are tied to location rather than your home council, some families look at homes in neighbouring — and lower-cost — council areas. There is nothing preventing this. You can choose a care home in any area, regardless of where you live.

If your council is funding the placement, they must still pay for a home in another area (though they may have a preferred provider list). Self-funders can choose any registered home in the country.

A home 20 minutes away in a neighbouring council could save £200-300 per week — that is £10,000-15,000 per year.

How to use this data

1. Start with your council — look up your specific area on the care costs hub to see local median fees
2. Check neighbouring councils — compare costs in adjacent areas that might be more affordable
3. Factor in the self-funder premium — if you are paying privately, the council median may not reflect what you will actually pay
4. Consider quality alongside cost — a lower-cost area with worse CQC ratings may not represent good value
5. Look at availability — the lower-cost area is no use if there are no available beds