Care Home Cost vs Supply UK 2026 — Do Fewer Beds Mean Higher Prices?
Age-adjusted analysis of the relationship between care-home bed capacity (per 100 residents aged 75+) and residential weekly cost across English local authorities.
Cost by bed-supply quartile
LAs are ranked by active registered care-home beds per 100 residents aged 75+ and split into four equal groups. For each quartile we show the average weekly residential council rate.
| Quartile | Beds /100 age 75+ range | Avg weekly cost | Avg annual cost | LAs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bottom quartile (lowest beds per 75+ resident) | 3.0 – 7.5 | £1,418 | £73,736 | 38 |
| Second quartile | 7.5 – 8.9 | £1,442 | £74,984 | 38 |
| Third quartile | 9.0 – 10.3 | £1,321 | £68,692 | 38 |
| Top quartile (highest beds per 75+ resident) | 10.3 – 14.0 | £1,445 | £75,140 | 37 |
Primary supply metric: active registered care-home beds per 100 residents aged 75+. Council rates from NHS England ASC-FR for residential care. Annual = weekly x 52.
Correlation
Pearson r = 0.008 between beds per 100 aged 75+ and weekly residential cost, across 151 LAs with both published. Cost is confounded by London and South East staffing and land costs — treat the relationship as descriptive, not causal.
40 local authorities with the lowest bed supply (with cost)
Sorted ascending by primary supply metric. Only LAs with both adequate bed coverage and published cost data.
| Local authority | Beds /100 age 75+ | /10k total (legacy) | Weekly cost | Annual self-funder est. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hackney | 3.0 | 0.5 | £1,246 | £84,240 |
| Haringey | 3.1 | 0.9 | £1,202 | £81,276 |
| Southwark | 3.9 | 0.5 | £1,190 | £80,444 |
| Kensington and Chelsea | 4.3 | 0.8 | £1,422 | £96,148 |
| Westminster | 4.3 | 0.4 | £1,591 | £107,536 |
| Camden | 4.5 | 0.6 | £1,392 | £94,120 |
| Tower Hamlets | 4.8 | 0.3 | £1,415 | £95,680 |
| Newham | 5.1 | 0.7 | £1,249 | £84,448 |
| Brent | 5.2 | 1.4 | £1,174 | £79,352 |
| Hounslow | 5.7 | 1.1 | £1,633 | £110,396 |
| Lewisham | 6.2 | 1.6 | £1,213 | £82,004 |
| Thurrock | 6.2 | 1.4 | £1,091 | £73,736 |
| Westmorland and Furness | 6.2 | 2.6 | £2,722 | £184,028 |
| Barking and Dagenham | 6.3 | 1.1 | £1,347 | £91,052 |
| Bromley | 6.3 | 1.5 | £1,129 | £76,336 |
| Cornwall | 6.3 | 3.5 | £1,643 | £111,072 |
| Swindon | 6.4 | 1.9 | £1,396 | £94,380 |
| Dorset | 6.6 | 2.9 | £1,770 | £119,652 |
| Halton | 6.7 | 1.9 | £874 | £59,072 |
| Ealing | 6.8 | 1.0 | £1,413 | £95,524 |
| Lambeth | 6.8 | 1.0 | £1,420 | £95,992 |
| Hammersmith and Fulham | 6.9 | 0.6 | £1,284 | £86,788 |
| Calderdale | 6.9 | 2.2 | £1,204 | £81,380 |
| Portsmouth | 7.0 | 1.5 | £1,067 | £72,124 |
| Tameside | 7.1 | 1.5 | £1,392 | £94,120 |
| West Berkshire | 7.1 | 2.8 | £1,686 | £113,984 |
| Harrow | 7.2 | 2.0 | £1,263 | £85,384 |
| Cumberland | 7.2 | 2.8 | £1,583 | £107,016 |
| Havering | 7.3 | 2.1 | £1,447 | £97,812 |
| Redbridge | 7.3 | 2.4 | £1,290 | £87,204 |
| St Helens | 7.3 | 2.2 | £1,275 | £86,216 |
| Bracknell Forest | 7.3 | 1.3 | £1,511 | £102,128 |
| Greenwich | 7.4 | 1.5 | £1,867 | £126,204 |
| Wigan | 7.4 | 1.7 | £1,348 | £91,104 |
| Central Bedfordshire | 7.4 | 2.1 | £1,489 | £100,672 |
| Bexley | 7.5 | 1.3 | £1,502 | £101,556 |
| Merton | 7.5 | 1.7 | £1,602 | £108,316 |
| Telford and Wrekin | 7.5 | 1.9 | £1,542 | £104,260 |
| Leicestershire | 7.5 | 2.2 | £1,318 | £89,076 |
| Waltham Forest | 7.6 | 1.7 | £1,287 | £86,996 |
Self-funder estimate = council rate x 1.30 x 52 weeks.
Frequently asked questions
Do areas with fewer care-home beds charge more?
Why not use homes per capita?
How can I find the lower-cost care?
Data sources: CQC Care Directory (OGL v3.0) for active locations and bed counts; ONS 2022 mid-year estimates for 75+ denominators; NHS England ASC-FR for weekly unit costs. See the full methodology.