Methodology

Care home fees are a major financial decision, so every figure on this site is traceable to a named, public source. Here is exactly what we show, where it comes from, and what it can and cannot tell you.

What the figures mean

For each area we show three things:

• The council rate - what the local authority pays care homes for a week of residential or nursing care for an older person. This is real, published data.
• The self-funder estimate - what a family paying privately is likely to be charged for the same care. This is an estimate, explained below.
• Local supply - how many care homes and beds the area has, split into nursing and residential.

Where the data comes from

• Council rates: NHS England Digital, Adult Social Care Activity and Finance Report, England 2023-24, Table 52 (unit costs). Published October 2024. This gives the gross weekly cost each council pays for clients aged 65 and over, per local authority. England averages: £916/week residential, £1,026/week nursing.
• Homes and beds: Care Quality Commission directory, June 2026. We count every active registered care home and its beds, split by whether it provides nursing.
• Self-funder premium: Competition and Markets Authority, Care Homes Market Study (2018), which found self-funders pay on average around 41% more than councils for the same care in the same home.
• Means-test thresholds: gov.uk Care Act guidance (England: £14,250 lower, £23,250 upper).

How we estimate the self-funder figure

We take the council rate for the area and add the CMA’s 41% premium. So if a council pays £916/week, a self-funder is estimated to pay around £1,292/week.

We checked this against independent figures: carehome.co.uk’s published average (data September 2025) is about £1,298/week for residential and £1,535/week for nursing. Our England estimate of £1,292 residential matches almost exactly, and nursing is within a few percent. The method is an estimate, but a well-grounded one.

Outliers and fallbacks

A small number of councils report unit costs that look anomalous (very low or very high), usually because few people fall into that category. Where a council’s figure falls outside a sensible range, we show the regional average instead, so an oddity in one return does not produce a misleading local number.

What these figures cannot tell you

• The council rate is not the self-funder rate. Self-funders pay more, which is why we show both. Do not assume the lower council figure is what you will be charged.
• Every home prices differently. The gap between homes in one area can be hundreds of pounds a week. Our figures are area averages for setting expectations, not quotes. Always get real quotes.
• This is England only. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland use different data and different means-test rules.
• This is not financial or legal advice. Confirm your funding position with your council or an independent financial adviser before deciding.

How often this is updated

Council rates refresh once a year when NHS England Digital publishes the new finance report (usually October). The CQC home and bed counts refresh monthly. We review the site against the latest releases and date each update.

Who produces this

This site is built and maintained by Digital Signet. We are independent and not affiliated with any care home, care directory, council or the NHS. We do not sell care or take commission on placements.

Last reviewed June 2026. Questions about the data? See costs by area or the calculator.