How much does residential care home cost in the UK?

The national median residential care home cost in England is £1,196 per week, ranging from £14 to £13,314 depending on local authority. Costs vary by region — London and the South East are typically 10-15% above the national median, while the North East and Yorkshire are 10-15% below. See the full local authority breakdown below.

What's included in the residential care home cost?

Long-term residential care without nursing — accommodation, meals, personal care and supervision for older adults who can no longer live independently. The cost typically includes basic accommodation/care, but may exclude additional services like physiotherapy, hairdressing, chiropody, or specialist diet supplements. Always ask the provider for an itemised quote and check what's covered before signing a contract.

Will my local council pay for residential care home?

Whether the council pays depends on a means-tested financial assessment. In England, if you have capital above £23,250 (savings + home value if going into residential care) you must pay the full cost yourself. Below this threshold, the council contributes on a sliding scale until you reach £14,250 in capital, when they pay the full assessed cost.

Where is residential care home cheapest in the UK?

Based on the latest NHS England ASC-FR data, the cheapest English local authorities for residential care home include Wirral (£886/week), Blackpool (£967/week), Darlington (£1,000/week), Sefton (£1,039/week), Portsmouth (£1,067/week). See the full ranking below.

How accurate is this data?

This data is sourced from NHS England's Adult Social Care Activity and Finance Report (ASC-FR), the official annual government statistical publication on adult social care unit costs. We refresh the data automatically each year when the new release drops. Per-local-authority figures are real observations, not estimates.

Residential care home Costs UK 2026

Long-term residential care without nursing — accommodation, meals, personal care and supervision for older adults who can no longer live independently. The national median is £1,196 per week, ranging from £14 to £13,314 across English local authorities.

National median

£1,196

per week

Cheapest LA

£886

Wirral

Most expensive LA

£2,211

Devon

Cheapest local authorities

Local Authority	Unit cost	Compare locally
Wirral	£886 per week	See Wirral →
Blackpool	£967 per week	See Blackpool →
Darlington	£1,000 per week	See Darlington →
Sefton	£1,039 per week	See Sefton →
Portsmouth	£1,067 per week	See Portsmouth →
Lincolnshire	£1,075 per week	See Lincolnshire →
Manchester	£1,078 per week	See Manchester →
Walsall	£1,087 per week	See Walsall →
Nottingham	£1,111 per week	See Nottingham →
Bromley	£1,129 per week	See Bromley →
Derby	£1,133 per week	See Derby →
Redcar and Cleveland	£1,134 per week	See Redcar and Cleveland →
Doncaster	£1,146 per week	See Doncaster →
Rotherham	£1,157 per week	See Rotherham →
Warwickshire	£1,165 per week	See Warwickshire →

All local authorities

Other care services

Nursing care home Residential and nursing care Short-term care