What Care Homes Cost in England: Weekly Council Rates for 2025 to 2026
Councils in England paid an average of £1,045 a week for residential care and £1,159 for nursing care for people aged 65 and over in 2025 to 2026. Pick your council to see its rate, how it compares, the self-funder figure for your region and a quote checker. Official figures, checked 12 November 2026.
Updated
In 2025 to 2026 English councils paid an average of £1,045 a week for an older person's place in a residential home and £1,159 a week for a place in a nursing home. Choose your council below to see what it paid, how that compares with the rest of the country, and what people who fund their own care were charged in your region.
Find your council's weekly rate
Each figure is the average a council paid per person per week in 2025 to 2026, worked out from the return it sent to the Department of Health and Social Care.
- £1,045
- Residential home, aged 65 and over: the average council rate in England, up 6.4% on 2024 to 2025.
- £1,159
- Nursing home, aged 65 and over: the average council rate, up 5.2% on 2024 to 2025.
- £1,300 and £1,519
- What self-funders in England paid on average for residential and nursing places in January 2026, per Lottie.
- £267.68
- The weekly NHS payment towards nursing care from 1 April 2026, which councils leave out of their nursing rate.
What the council figures cover, and what they leave out
An average, not a price list
A council rate is what the council spent on a kind of placement divided by the weeks of care it bought, so it averages every person it funds in that group. It tells you where a quote sits. It does not tell you what one home will charge.
The report separates people aged 65 and over from adults aged 18 to 64. The younger group costs more in every setting, and the dearest support reason of all is learning disability.
Nursing rates without the NHS payment
Councils are asked to report nursing costs without the NHS-funded nursing care payment, which the NHS pays straight to the home. For a council-funded older person in England that payment is £267.68 a week, so £1,159 plus £267.68 comes to about £1,427. The addition is our arithmetic, not a published figure.
Self-funders pay from another source
The self-funder figures come from Lottie, a private care home marketplace, as published by Which? in January 2026. They are fees collected by one company, not official statistics. Which? says self-funders typically pay more than councils do.
A few figures sit far from the rest
Where a council's rate is more than double or less than half the England average for that group, the tool marks it as unusual and the lists below leave it out. In the table Lambeth's rate for over-65s is £5,915 for residential care and £14,073 for nursing care, both as returned. An average built on few placements can swing widely, and the department says it flags outliers but publishes the figures as returned.
England and its nine regions side by side
Weekly cost in pounds for people aged 65 and over. Council rates are for 2025 to 2026. Self-funder rates are Lottie's averages for January 2026.
| Where | Council, residential | Council, nursing | Self-funder, residential | Self-funder, nursing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| England | £1,045 | £1,159 | £1,300 | £1,519 |
| London | £1,189 | £1,281 | £1,456 | £1,680 |
| South West | £1,177 | £1,229 | £1,349 | £1,546 |
| South East | £1,164 | £1,262 | £1,450 | £1,695 |
| East of England | £1,059 | £1,129 | £1,250 | £1,530 |
| North East | £1,008 | £987 | £1,095 | £1,160 |
| West Midlands | £1,008 | £1,152 | £1,206 | £1,400 |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | £974 | £1,152 | £1,115 | £1,400 |
| North West | £937 | £1,059 | £1,100 | £1,400 |
| East Midlands | £930 | £898 | £1,125 | £1,370 |
Lottie also reports dementia places in England at £1,365 a week for residential and £1,599 for nursing, against £1,300 and £1,519 without dementia care.
Where a week costs most and least
Councils with a usual figure only, for people aged 65 and over. The unusual ones are listed under the full table.
Dearest for residential care
- Rutland£2,006
- Kensington and Chelsea£1,582
- Hounslow£1,573
- Westmorland and Furness£1,559
- Westminster£1,547
Cheapest for residential care
- Nottinghamshire£567
- Blackburn with Darwen£688
- Brent£739
- Leeds£739
- St. Helens£747
Dearest for nursing care
- East Riding of Yorkshire£1,778
- Portsmouth£1,633
- Greenwich£1,631
- Hounslow£1,599
- City of London£1,562
Cheapest for nursing care
- Brent£630
- Redcar and Cleveland£652
- St. Helens£690
- Sutton£720
- North East Lincolnshire£727
Questions to settle before you accept a fee
- What does the weekly fee cover?Ask for the list in writing, and for the extras charged on top, such as outings, a hairdresser or a chiropodist.
- Is the NHS nursing payment on the invoice?In a nursing home the NHS pays a flat rate straight to the home for eligible residents. Ask to see it shown, so you know what you are being charged for the rest.
- When can the fee go up, and with what notice?Ask how a rise is decided and whether the contract names a month.
- What happens if your savings run down?Ask whether the home would keep the same room at the rate your council pays, or whether a relative would be asked to top up the difference.
- Who signs the agreement?If someone else will pay a top-up, they need to be clear about what they are committing to for the whole stay.
After the fee: who pays and who inspects
Who pays for the place
Savings limits, the council's financial assessment, NHS funding and what happens to a house are set out in our guide to paying for a care home.
Whether the home is any good
The regulator rates every home in England. Our guide to CQC ratings explains the four ratings and how to read a report.
Every council, region by region
Average weekly cost, 2025 to 2026, in pounds. A dash means the council reported no figure for that group. Council names link to the care homes we list there.
North East 12 councils
| Council | Residential, 65 and over | Nursing, 65 and over | Residential, 18 to 64 | Nursing, 18 to 64 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| County Durham | £1,193 | £924 | £1,543 | £1,295 |
| Darlington | £835 | £779 | £1,440 | £867 |
| Gateshead | £1,067 | £1,104 | £2,140 | £1,331 |
| Hartlepool | £965 | £1,032 | £1,417 | £1,196 |
| Middlesbrough | £896 | £1,153 | £2,021 | £1,727 |
| Newcastle upon Tyne | £1,033 | £1,016 | £2,170 | £1,116 |
| North Tyneside | £943 | £1,008 | £2,152 | £1,434 |
| Northumberland | £995 | £1,029 | £2,165 | £1,703 |
| Redcar and Cleveland | £865 | £652 | £1,210 | £668 (unusual) |
| South Tyneside | £855 | £754 | £1,641 | £1,105 |
| Stockton-on-Tees | £962 | £1,122 | £1,986 | £1,395 |
| Sunderland | £1,001 | £1,130 | £1,983 | £2,188 |
North West 24 councils
| Council | Residential, 65 and over | Nursing, 65 and over | Residential, 18 to 64 | Nursing, 18 to 64 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blackburn with Darwen | £688 | £873 | £2,144 | £2,244 |
| Blackpool | £752 | £922 | £1,113 | £1,803 |
| Bolton | £956 | £936 | £2,026 | £2,206 |
| Bury | £867 | £1,059 | £1,825 | £1,614 |
| Cheshire East | £918 | £1,136 | £2,492 | £1,601 |
| Cheshire West and Chester | £997 | £1,076 | £2,735 | £1,098 |
| Cumberland | £1,273 | £1,078 | £2,045 | £1,054 |
| Halton | £805 | £789 | £1,488 | £1,106 |
| Knowsley | £815 | £946 | £2,322 | £1,767 |
| Lancashire | £968 | £1,140 | £1,994 | £1,750 |
| Liverpool | £871 | £1,004 | £2,206 | £2,070 |
| Manchester | £851 | £1,168 | £1,723 | £1,354 |
| Oldham | £792 | £1,183 | £1,796 | £1,579 |
| Rochdale | £809 | £1,178 | £2,308 | £1,712 |
| Salford | £870 | £1,163 | £2,216 | £1,995 |
| Sefton | £911 | £1,065 | £1,548 | £1,655 |
| St. Helens | £747 | £690 | £2,582 | £960 |
| Stockport | £1,118 | £1,290 | £2,013 | £1,800 |
| Tameside | £856 | £1,239 | £2,593 | £1,844 |
| Trafford | £1,040 | £1,352 | £2,941 | £2,213 |
| Warrington | £909 | £1,134 | £2,960 | £2,259 |
| Westmorland and Furness | £1,559 | £1,102 | £2,790 | £1,444 |
| Wigan | £843 | £1,064 | £1,766 | £2,081 |
| Wirral | £800 | £867 | £1,467 | £984 |
Yorkshire and the Humber 15 councils
| Council | Residential, 65 and over | Nursing, 65 and over | Residential, 18 to 64 | Nursing, 18 to 64 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barnsley | £877 | £953 | £1,942 | £1,895 |
| Bradford | £913 | £1,039 | £1,489 | £1,323 |
| Calderdale | £969 | £1,267 | £1,803 | £1,525 |
| Doncaster | £911 | £1,002 | £1,529 | £1,180 |
| East Riding of Yorkshire | £1,135 | £1,778 | £2,197 | £3,524 (unusual) |
| Kingston upon Hull, City of | £908 | £985 | £1,871 | £2,142 |
| Kirklees | £1,030 | £1,516 | £2,729 | £2,938 |
| Leeds | £739 | £985 | £1,635 | £1,229 |
| North East Lincolnshire | £765 | £727 | £1,820 | £1,169 |
| North Lincolnshire | £763 | £785 | £1,331 | £916 |
| North Yorkshire | £1,271 | £1,377 | £2,241 | £1,909 |
| Rotherham | £855 | £1,103 | £1,748 | £2,040 |
| Sheffield | £883 | £997 | £1,317 | £1,350 |
| Wakefield | £969 | £1,119 | £1,437 | £1,430 |
| York | £1,167 | £1,342 | £2,261 | £1,913 |
East Midlands 10 councils
| Council | Residential, 65 and over | Nursing, 65 and over | Residential, 18 to 64 | Nursing, 18 to 64 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Derby | £1,079 | £750 | £1,803 | £1,143 |
| Derbyshire | £1,151 | £1,186 | £2,468 | £1,750 |
| Leicester | £1,022 | £1,420 | £1,884 | £1,350 |
| Leicestershire | £939 | £754 | £2,036 | £904 |
| Lincolnshire | £809 | £799 | £1,701 | £1,299 |
| North Northamptonshire | £1,183 | £734 | £1,956 | £1,751 |
| Nottingham | £926 | £803 | £1,035 | £2,859 |
| Nottinghamshire | £567 | £739 | £1,498 | £2,272 |
| Rutland | £2,006 | £422 (unusual) | £1,390 | £503 (unusual) |
| West Northamptonshire | £1,043 | £1,092 | £1,626 | £1,301 |
West Midlands 14 councils
| Council | Residential, 65 and over | Nursing, 65 and over | Residential, 18 to 64 | Nursing, 18 to 64 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birmingham | £1,077 | £1,069 | £1,944 | £1,646 |
| Coventry | £908 | £946 | £1,638 | £1,313 |
| Dudley | £811 | £1,146 | £1,958 | £1,886 |
| Herefordshire, County of | £1,337 | £1,266 | £2,081 | £1,375 |
| Sandwell | £900 | £985 | £1,519 | £1,207 |
| Shropshire | £982 | £1,288 | £2,679 | £2,032 |
| Solihull | £1,256 | £1,205 | £2,740 | £2,139 |
| Staffordshire | £1,118 | £1,428 | £2,885 | £1,960 |
| Stoke-on-Trent | £841 | £1,049 | £1,873 | £1,561 |
| Telford and Wrekin | £1,000 | £1,254 | £2,292 | £1,754 |
| Walsall | £847 | £978 | £1,913 | £1,187 |
| Warwickshire | £1,109 | £1,173 | £1,667 | £1,291 |
| Wolverhampton | £822 | £985 | £1,569 | £1,118 |
| Worcestershire | £934 | £1,044 | £2,145 | £1,556 |
East of England 11 councils
| Council | Residential, 65 and over | Nursing, 65 and over | Residential, 18 to 64 | Nursing, 18 to 64 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bedford | £1,110 | £1,098 | £1,837 | £1,671 |
| Cambridgeshire | £957 | £1,099 | £2,388 | £1,669 |
| Central Bedfordshire | £1,224 | £1,073 | £2,133 | £1,830 |
| Essex | £910 | £1,070 | £2,665 | £1,748 |
| Hertfordshire | £997 | £1,169 | £2,654 | £1,971 |
| Luton | £947 | £973 | £1,754 | £1,290 |
| Norfolk | £1,313 | £1,314 | £2,033 | £1,424 |
| Peterborough | £904 | £1,050 | £1,436 | £1,452 |
| Southend-on-Sea | £885 | £1,013 | £1,883 | £1,189 |
| Suffolk | £1,165 | £1,143 | £1,837 | £1,497 |
| Thurrock | £811 | £979 | £1,839 | £1,159 |
London 33 councils
| Council | Residential, 65 and over | Nursing, 65 and over | Residential, 18 to 64 | Nursing, 18 to 64 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barking and Dagenham | £1,137 | £1,247 | £2,068 | £1,268 |
| Barnet | £1,044 | £1,139 | £1,778 | £1,557 |
| Bexley | £1,137 | £1,267 | £2,205 | £1,708 |
| Brent | £739 | £630 | £1,154 | £775 (unusual) |
| Bromley | £1,136 | £1,369 | £2,494 | £2,284 |
| Camden | £1,214 | £1,348 | £1,562 | £1,660 |
| City of London | £1,343 | £1,562 | £1,155 | £2,644 |
| Croydon | £1,064 | £1,269 | £2,024 | £1,900 |
| Ealing | £1,466 | £1,201 | £2,256 | £1,776 |
| Enfield | £971 | £1,193 | £1,690 | £1,470 |
| Greenwich | £1,014 | £1,631 | £2,775 | £1,492 |
| Hackney | £1,188 | £1,341 | £1,740 | £1,610 |
| Hammersmith and Fulham | £1,175 | £1,144 | £1,401 | £1,372 |
| Haringey | £1,027 | £1,206 | £1,974 | £1,675 |
| Harrow | £1,166 | £1,292 | £1,833 | £1,363 |
| Havering | £1,200 | £1,214 | £2,151 | £1,872 |
| Hillingdon | £1,133 | £1,185 | £2,026 | £1,645 |
| Hounslow | £1,573 | £1,599 | £2,242 | £1,700 |
| Islington | £1,153 | £1,386 | £1,971 | £1,654 |
| Kensington and Chelsea | £1,582 | £1,256 | £1,918 | £1,092 |
| Kingston upon Thames | £1,279 | £1,091 | £1,618 | £1,402 |
| Lambeth | £5,915 (unusual) | £14,073 (unusual) | £1,627 | £5,672 (unusual) |
| Lewisham | £959 | £1,483 | £1,621 | £1,127 |
| Merton | £1,230 | £1,171 | £2,243 | £1,211 |
| Newham | £1,214 | £1,196 | £1,977 | £1,722 |
| Redbridge | £1,035 | £1,162 | £2,005 | £1,305 |
| Richmond upon Thames | £1,427 | £1,406 | £2,003 | £1,441 |
| Southwark | £1,010 | £1,060 | £1,478 | £1,462 |
| Sutton | £1,318 | £720 | £1,697 | £980 |
| Tower Hamlets | £1,270 | £1,429 | £1,769 | £1,601 |
| Waltham Forest | £1,483 | £1,398 | £1,830 | £1,519 |
| Wandsworth | £1,326 | £1,394 | £2,089 | £1,638 |
| Westminster | £1,547 | £1,405 | £917 (unusual) | £1,742 |
South East 19 councils
| Council | Residential, 65 and over | Nursing, 65 and over | Residential, 18 to 64 | Nursing, 18 to 64 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bracknell Forest | £1,238 | £1,233 | £2,219 | £1,623 |
| Brighton and Hove | £1,239 | £1,269 | £1,859 | £1,440 |
| Buckinghamshire | £1,300 | £1,280 | £2,356 | £1,812 |
| East Sussex | £961 | £1,069 | £2,042 | £1,698 |
| Hampshire | £1,252 | £1,464 | £2,096 | £1,604 |
| Isle of Wight | £1,007 | £1,070 | £1,702 | £1,390 |
| Kent | £1,233 | £1,417 | £1,977 | £1,723 |
| Medway | £1,188 | £1,073 | £2,504 | £1,411 |
| Milton Keynes | £1,127 | £1,160 | £2,171 | £1,334 |
| Oxfordshire | £1,082 | £1,192 | £2,156 | £1,355 |
| Portsmouth | £1,169 | £1,633 | £836 (unusual) | £1,879 |
| Reading | £1,074 | £1,185 | £1,741 | £1,399 |
| Slough | £1,435 | £1,287 | £2,323 | £1,490 |
| Southampton | £1,007 | £1,352 | £1,711 | £1,637 |
| Surrey | £1,066 | £1,030 | £2,307 | £1,558 |
| West Berkshire | £1,511 | £1,473 | £2,224 | £1,282 |
| West Sussex | £1,130 | £1,207 | £2,252 | £1,857 |
| Windsor and Maidenhead | £1,283 | £1,555 | £2,540 | £1,777 |
| Wokingham | £1,246 | £1,399 | £1,899 | £1,231 |
South West 15 councils
| Council | Residential, 65 and over | Nursing, 65 and over | Residential, 18 to 64 | Nursing, 18 to 64 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bath and North East Somerset | £1,408 | £1,106 | £1,822 | £1,023 |
| Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole | £1,388 | £1,407 | £2,238 | £1,819 |
| Bristol, City of | £1,219 | £1,161 | £2,401 | £1,710 |
| Cornwall | £1,132 | £1,116 | £2,376 | £2,084 |
| Devon | £1,146 | £1,410 | £2,028 | £1,712 |
| Dorset | £1,413 | £1,318 | £2,871 | £1,672 |
| Gloucestershire | £1,075 | £1,501 | £1,857 | £1,808 |
| Isles of Scilly | £1,360 | - | - | - |
| North Somerset | £1,015 | £1,065 | £1,982 | £1,130 |
| Plymouth | £948 | £1,101 | £2,005 | £1,366 |
| Somerset | £1,200 | £1,109 | £2,052 | £1,206 |
| South Gloucestershire | £1,337 | £1,374 | £2,673 | £2,551 |
| Swindon | £1,214 | £1,152 | £2,349 | £1,788 |
| Torbay | £986 | £1,191 | £1,532 | £1,690 |
| Wiltshire | £1,120 | £1,082 | £2,425 | £1,433 |
Marked as unusual: Brent (nursing 18 to 64). East Riding of Yorkshire (nursing 18 to 64). Lambeth (residential 65 and over, nursing 65 and over, nursing 18 to 64). Portsmouth (residential 18 to 64). Redcar and Cleveland (nursing 18 to 64). Rutland (nursing 65 and over, nursing 18 to 64). Westminster (residential 18 to 64).
Where each figure comes from
- Adult social care finance report, England: 2025 to 2026Department of Health and Social Care, published 22 October 2026. Table 52 of the data tables gives the unit costs for 2025 to 2026 and 2024 to 2025 for all 153 councils with adult social care duties. Checked on 12 November 2026.
- Which?, how much do care homes costThe regional self-funder averages, from Lottie and correct at January 2026. Northern Ireland is not covered. Checked on 12 November 2026.
- NHS, NHS-funded nursing careThe standard rate of £267.68 a week set on 1 April 2026 and the fact that it is paid to the home. Checked on 12 November 2026.
Our own sums: a year is 52 weeks, differences are against the England average for the same kind of place and age group, and percentages are rounded to one decimal place. MyCareCheck editorial team, updated 12 November 2026.