How much does residential and nursing care cost in the UK?

The national median residential and nursing care cost in England is £1,229 per week, ranging from £7 to £5,167 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 and nursing care cost?

Combined residential and nursing care category from NHS England ASC-FR — covers care home placements where the local authority records the cost as a combined rate rather than splitting residential vs nursing. 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 and nursing care?

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 and nursing care cheapest in the UK?

Based on the latest NHS England ASC-FR data, the cheapest English local authorities for residential and nursing care include Wirral (£900/week), Darlington (£912/week), Redcar and Cleveland (£946/week), Blackpool (£1,033/week), Wolverhampton (£1,036/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 and nursing care Costs UK 2026

Combined residential and nursing care category from NHS England ASC-FR — covers care home placements where the local authority records the cost as a combined rate rather than splitting residential vs nursing. The national median is £1,229 per week, ranging from £7 to £5,167 across English local authorities.

National median

£1,229

per week

Cheapest LA

£900

Wirral

Most expensive LA

£1,907

Wandsworth

Cheapest local authorities

Local Authority	Unit cost	Compare locally
Wirral	£900 per week	See Wirral →
Darlington	£912 per week	See Darlington →
Redcar and Cleveland	£946 per week	See Redcar and Cleveland →
Blackpool	£1,033 per week	See Blackpool →
Wolverhampton	£1,036 per week	See Wolverhampton →
Nottingham	£1,058 per week	See Nottingham →
Lincolnshire	£1,075 per week	See Lincolnshire →
Durham	£1,089 per week	See Durham →
Doncaster	£1,092 per week	See Doncaster →
Sefton	£1,106 per week	See Sefton →
Portsmouth	£1,109 per week	See Portsmouth →
Isle of Wight	£1,109 per week	See Isle of Wight →
Manchester	£1,115 per week	See Manchester →
Rotherham	£1,122 per week	See Rotherham →
Sheffield	£1,124 per week	See Sheffield →

All local authorities

Other care services

Residential care home Nursing care home Short-term care