Care Home Costs by Region UK 2026
Residential care home costs vary significantly across England’s 9 regions. This page compares average weekly and annual costs from NHS England ASC-FR data, covering 152 local authorities.
Regional comparison — residential care
| Region | Avg weekly cost | Avg annual cost | Self-funder est. /year | LAs in dataset |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| East of England | £1,557 | £80,978 | £105,272 | 11 |
| South West | £1,534 | £79,749 | £103,674 | 14 |
| South East | £1,436 | £74,658 | £97,056 | 19 |
| Yorkshire & The Humber | £1,407 | £73,185 | £95,140 | 15 |
| London | £1,400 | £72,781 | £94,615 | 33 |
| West Midlands | £1,382 | £71,842 | £93,394 | 14 |
| East Midlands | £1,375 | £71,479 | £92,923 | 10 |
| North West | £1,332 | £69,284 | £90,069 | 24 |
| North East | £1,301 | £67,665 | £87,965 | 12 |
Council rates from NHS England ASC-FR data for residential care. Self-funder estimate = council average x 1.30. Sorted by cost, most expensive first.
East of England
Average residential care cost: £1,557/week (£80,978/year). Lower-cost: Thurrock (£1,091/week). Most expensive: Bedford (£3,501/week).
South West
Average residential care cost: £1,534/week (£79,749/year). Lower-cost: Plymouth (£1,213/week). Most expensive: Devon (£2,211/week).
South East
Average residential care cost: £1,436/week (£74,658/year). Lower-cost: Portsmouth (£1,067/week). Most expensive: Buckinghamshire (£1,804/week).
Yorkshire & The Humber
Average residential care cost: £1,407/week (£73,185/year). Lower-cost: North Lincolnshire (£885/week). Most expensive: North Yorkshire (£2,419/week).
London
Average residential care cost: £1,400/week (£72,781/year). Lower-cost: Bromley (£1,129/week). Most expensive: Wandsworth (£1,918/week).
West Midlands
Average residential care cost: £1,382/week (£71,842/year). Lower-cost: Walsall (£1,087/week). Most expensive: Solihull (£1,837/week).
East Midlands
Average residential care cost: £1,375/week (£71,479/year). Lower-cost: Lincolnshire (£1,075/week). Most expensive: Nottinghamshire (£1,682/week).
North West
Average residential care cost: £1,332/week (£69,284/year). Lower-cost: Halton (£874/week). Most expensive: Westmorland and Furness (£2,722/week).
North East
Average residential care cost: £1,301/week (£67,665/year). Lower-cost: Darlington (£1,000/week). Most expensive: Gateshead (£1,951/week).
Related pages
Sources & further reading
- NHS England - Adult Social Care Activity and Finance Report (ASC-FR) — Per-local-authority adult social care unit costs
- DHSC - Adult social care — National policy on adult social care funding
Data source: NHS England Adult Social Care Activity and Finance Report (ASC-FR). Regional averages computed from per-local-authority residential care unit costs. Self-funder estimates use a 30% premium over council rates. Published under the Open Government Licence v3.0.