Research · 2026 Q4
Care Access Gap: how many care home beds each area has for its older people
England has 482,756 registered care home beds for 11,234,391 people aged 65 and over: 43.0 beds per 1,000, or 31.8 per 100 people aged 85 and over. Access varies 5.8-fold between council areas: Hackney has 11.4 beds per 1,000 people aged 65+, against 65.9 in Middlesbrough.
Published 20 October 2026 · CQC register 19 October 2026 · ONS mid-2025 population · Download the data (CSV) · How to cite
- 43.0care home beds per 1,000 people aged 65+ in England
- 31.8beds per 100 people aged 85+
- 482,756registered beds in 14,679 care homes
- 12.0home care agencies per 10,000 people aged 65+
Key findings
- England has 482,756 registered care home beds for 11,234,391 people aged 65 and over: 43.0 beds per 1,000, or 31.8 per 100 people aged 85 and over.
- Access varies 5.8-fold between council areas: Hackney has 11.4 beds per 1,000 people aged 65+, against 65.9 in Middlesbrough.
- The largest shortfall against the England rate is in Cornwall, which would need about 1,761 more beds to match it.
- There are 13,478 CQC-registered home care agencies, 12.0 for every 10,000 people aged 65+.
Lowest access: fewest care home beds for older people
Council areas with at least 5,000 people aged 65+. "Beds short" is how many more beds the area would need to match the England rate.
| Council area | Region | Aged 65+ | Beds | Beds per 1,000 aged 65+ | Beds short | Home care agencies per 10,000 aged 65+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hackney | London | 23,716 | 271 | 11.4 | 749 | 16.0 |
| Haringey | London | 31,069 | 375 | 12.1 | 961 | 20.0 |
| Southwark | London | 29,969 | 521 | 17.4 | 768 | 17.7 |
| Westminster | London | 27,643 | 488 | 17.7 | 701 | 7.2 |
| Camden | London | 27,160 | 510 | 18.8 | 658 | 16.9 |
| Kensington and Chelsea | London | 23,486 | 443 | 18.9 | 567 | 6.0 |
| Tower Hamlets | London | 20,317 | 387 | 19.0 | 487 | 33.5 |
| Newham | London | 29,303 | 592 | 20.2 | 668 | 29.0 |
| Brent | London | 44,479 | 1,038 | 23.3 | 875 | 20.5 |
| Hounslow | London | 37,855 | 885 | 23.4 | 743 | 16.4 |
| Greenwich | London | 33,428 | 879 | 26.3 | 558 | 29.9 |
| Thurrock | East of England | 24,842 | 676 | 27.2 | 392 | 32.2 |
| Lewisham | London | 32,532 | 895 | 27.5 | 504 | 24.9 |
| Portsmouth | South East | 32,607 | 931 | 28.6 | 471 | 16.9 |
| Ealing | London | 50,302 | 1,445 | 28.7 | 718 | 20.5 |
Largest shortfalls in beds
Beds each area would need to add to match England's 43.0 beds per 1,000 people aged 65+. Big counties top this list because they have the most older people.
- Cornwall 1,761 beds
- Leicestershire 1,501 beds
- Essex 1,282 beds
- Devon 1,134 beds
- Haringey 961 beds
- Brent 875 beds
- Dorset 796 beds
- Southwark 768 beds
- Westmorland and Furness 764 beds
- Bromley 762 beds
Highest access
| Council area | Region | Beds per 1,000 aged 65+ | Beds per 100 aged 85+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Middlesbrough | North East | 65.9 | 53.4 |
| Windsor and Maidenhead | South East | 63.0 | 40.2 |
| Surrey | South East | 61.8 | 38.6 |
| Leicester | East Midlands | 60.4 | 49.3 |
| Kingston upon Thames | London | 59.5 | 41.4 |
| East Sussex | South East | 59.3 | 40.2 |
| Croydon | London | 58.4 | 42.8 |
| Stoke-on-Trent | West Midlands | 58.1 | 46.3 |
| East Riding of Yorkshire | Yorkshire and the Humber | 57.7 | 43.4 |
| Newcastle upon Tyne | North East | 54.2 | 39.6 |
By region
| Region | Aged 65+ | Beds | Beds per 1,000 aged 65+ | Nursing beds per 1,000 | Dementia beds per 1,000 | Agencies per 10,000 aged 65+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Midlands | 1,028,602 | 45,427 | 44.2 | 18.5 | 35.4 | 13.1 |
| East of England | 1,342,065 | 55,863 | 41.6 | 17.8 | 35.3 | 12.9 |
| London | 1,152,518 | 37,104 | 32.2 | 20.5 | 25.5 | 19.7 |
| North East | 589,351 | 26,408 | 44.8 | 23.0 | 38.9 | 6.7 |
| North West | 1,487,736 | 63,015 | 42.4 | 21.2 | 33.2 | 9.9 |
| South East | 1,956,338 | 95,609 | 48.9 | 27.3 | 38.3 | 12.1 |
| South West | 1,371,695 | 56,013 | 40.8 | 19.6 | 31.2 | 9.1 |
| West Midlands | 1,187,357 | 52,784 | 44.5 | 23.3 | 37.4 | 12.6 |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | 1,118,729 | 50,533 | 45.2 | 17.4 | 37.7 | 10.4 |
| England | 11,234,391 | 482,756 | 43.0 | 21.3 | 34.7 | 12.0 |
Every council area
| Council area | Aged 65+ (% of people) | Care homes | Beds per 1,000 aged 65+ | Beds per 100 aged 85+ | Homes rated Good or Outstanding | Agencies per 10,000 aged 65+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barking and Dagenham | 20,520 (8.6%) | 22 | 29.1 | 23.7 | 95.2% | 66.3 |
| Barnet | 62,555 (15.3%) | 74 | 47.0 | 30.7 | 86.8% | 13.6 |
| Barnsley | 51,461 (20.4%) | 70 | 43.8 | 37.7 | 81.8% | 10.5 |
| Bath and North East Somerset | 39,917 (19.9%) | 54 | 46.9 | 31.4 | 84.3% | 6.8 |
| Bedford | 34,234 (17.4%) | 72 | 48.9 | 34.2 | 77.1% | 19.9 |
| Bexley | 43,380 (16.9%) | 31 | 37.3 | 24.6 | 75.9% | 13.8 |
| Birmingham | 156,241 (13.3%) | 277 | 48.5 | 34.5 | 76.6% | 18.9 |
| Blackburn with Darwen | 23,510 (14.4%) | 34 | 44.7 | 39.6 | 80.6% | 14.5 |
| Blackpool | 30,394 (21.2%) | 63 | 53.5 | 42.1 | 77.8% | 8.6 |
| Bolton | 53,127 (17.2%) | 56 | 34.7 | 29.4 | 83.6% | 11.5 |
| Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole | 90,622 (22.3%) | 133 | 50.4 | 32.5 | 96.1% | 13.4 |
| Bracknell Forest | 21,603 (16.3%) | 19 | 39.5 | 30.7 | 73.3% | 13.0 |
| Bradford | 89,524 (16.1%) | 108 | 45.9 | 34.7 | 76.0% | 11.7 |
| Brent | 44,479 (12.6%) | 46 | 23.3 | 17.6 | 86.7% | 20.5 |
| Brighton and Hove | 41,753 (14.7%) | 85 | 50.6 | 37.3 | 91.7% | 12.2 |
| Bristol, City of | 63,056 (12.7%) | 92 | 46.2 | 33.9 | 97.7% | 13.6 |
| Bromley | 61,366 (18.3%) | 52 | 30.6 | 20.0 | 93.3% | 13.4 |
| Buckinghamshire | 113,210 (19.4%) | 132 | 43.5 | 28.9 | 74.2% | 11.3 |
| Bury | 37,185 (18.7%) | 51 | 44.1 | 34.4 | 86.0% | 12.1 |
| Calderdale | 42,185 (20.0%) | 46 | 31.8 | 27.3 | 78.6% | 11.1 |
| Cambridgeshire | 138,149 (19.3%) | 139 | 40.7 | 29.5 | 92.8% | 9.8 |
| Camden | 27,160 (12.5%) | 11 | 18.8 | 15.1 | 90.9% | 16.9 |
| Central Bedfordshire | 59,317 (18.4%) | 62 | 33.2 | 26.4 | 75.0% | 9.4 |
| Cheshire East | 97,536 (22.9%) | 106 | 51.5 | 36.1 | 77.3% | 9.5 |
| Cheshire West and Chester | 82,254 (22.0%) | 85 | 41.1 | 30.6 | 74.3% | 8.9 |
| City of London | 1,441 (9.2%) | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | – | 104.1 |
| Cornwall | 154,714 (26.5%) | 199 | 31.6 | 25.2 | 81.4% | 7.4 |
| County Durham | 120,397 (22.3%) | 143 | 43.4 | 36.1 | 92.8% | 4.9 |
| Coventry | 51,703 (14.2%) | 72 | 39.6 | 27.9 | 66.7% | 24.0 |
| Croydon | 58,601 (14.3%) | 126 | 58.4 | 42.8 | 90.1% | 23.5 |
| Cumberland | 69,038 (24.5%) | 78 | 34.0 | 26.6 | 79.5% | 8.5 |
| Darlington | 24,376 (21.5%) | 31 | 53.4 | 39.6 | 86.2% | 7.4 |
| Derby | 45,389 (16.5%) | 69 | 51.6 | 34.9 | 75.8% | 25.1 |
| Derbyshire | 189,935 (23.0%) | 240 | 39.8 | 32.4 | 81.0% | 7.5 |
| Devon | 226,786 (26.8%) | 308 | 38.0 | 27.3 | 90.0% | 6.4 |
| Doncaster | 64,028 (19.8%) | 79 | 38.7 | 32.1 | 81.3% | 10.6 |
| Dorset | 121,959 (31.2%) | 119 | 36.5 | 25.3 | 94.4% | 6.8 |
| Dudley | 67,639 (20.3%) | 92 | 37.6 | 27.0 | 70.2% | 9.0 |
| Ealing | 50,302 (13.0%) | 35 | 28.7 | 22.9 | 85.7% | 20.5 |
| East Riding of Yorkshire | 99,256 (27.5%) | 149 | 57.7 | 43.4 | 77.6% | 5.5 |
| East Sussex | 152,307 (27.1%) | 294 | 59.3 | 40.2 | 84.4% | 6.6 |
| Enfield | 49,734 (15.1%) | 81 | 40.4 | 27.2 | 82.7% | 22.7 |
| Essex | 332,914 (21.1%) | 403 | 39.1 | 27.8 | 83.7% | 13.5 |
| Gateshead | 41,971 (20.7%) | 49 | 47.4 | 35.1 | 97.9% | 9.8 |
| Gloucestershire | 151,739 (22.6%) | 199 | 40.5 | 29.3 | 85.8% | 11.5 |
| Greenwich | 33,428 (11.1%) | 42 | 26.3 | 23.7 | 82.5% | 29.9 |
| Hackney | 23,716 (8.9%) | 12 | 11.4 | 11.8 | 83.3% | 16.0 |
| Halton | 25,817 (19.6%) | 25 | 28.9 | 28.6 | 75.0% | 5.8 |
| Hammersmith and Fulham | 21,378 (11.2%) | 10 | 28.7 | 24.4 | 87.5% | 15.4 |
| Hampshire | 332,688 (22.9%) | 480 | 47.7 | 32.2 | 84.9% | 10.1 |
| Haringey | 31,069 (11.7%) | 24 | 12.1 | 10.6 | 87.5% | 20.0 |
| Harrow | 43,860 (16.1%) | 52 | 33.2 | 23.0 | 93.9% | 19.8 |
| Hartlepool | 20,214 (20.3%) | 27 | 49.8 | 39.8 | 92.6% | 5.4 |
| Havering | 48,496 (17.3%) | 60 | 40.6 | 26.7 | 92.3% | 23.5 |
| Herefordshire, County of | 52,724 (27.4%) | 86 | 42.2 | 31.1 | 84.1% | 9.1 |
| Hertfordshire | 221,305 (17.9%) | 254 | 45.4 | 29.8 | 76.5% | 14.2 |
| Hillingdon | 44,348 (13.6%) | 48 | 37.0 | 26.3 | 90.7% | 17.8 |
| Hounslow | 37,855 (12.6%) | 32 | 23.4 | 19.1 | 89.7% | 16.4 |
| Isle of Wight | 43,599 (31.0%) | 61 | 41.2 | 30.8 | 72.9% | 8.0 |
| Isles of Scilly | 616 (26.8%) | 2 | 42.2 | 24.5 | 0.0% | 32.5 |
| Islington | 22,477 (10.0%) | 18 | 33.7 | 31.7 | 100.0% | 20.0 |
| Kensington and Chelsea | 23,486 (16.1%) | 11 | 18.9 | 15.3 | 90.0% | 6.0 |
| Kent | 342,980 (20.8%) | 500 | 46.4 | 33.5 | 79.1% | 11.4 |
| Kingston upon Hull, City of | 43,349 (15.9%) | 78 | 51.6 | 45.5 | 72.9% | 11.8 |
| Kingston upon Thames | 26,622 (15.4%) | 43 | 59.5 | 41.4 | 89.5% | 16.9 |
| Kirklees | 82,473 (18.5%) | 124 | 41.9 | 33.0 | 78.9% | 8.7 |
| Knowsley | 28,984 (17.7%) | 27 | 36.3 | 32.3 | 78.3% | 7.6 |
| Lambeth | 31,319 (10.0%) | 34 | 31.3 | 28.1 | 75.8% | 18.2 |
| Lancashire | 280,048 (21.4%) | 418 | 48.1 | 37.7 | 82.5% | 9.8 |
| Leeds | 133,810 (15.9%) | 159 | 45.8 | 33.4 | 78.2% | 17.3 |
| Leicester | 47,719 (12.5%) | 99 | 60.4 | 49.3 | 80.6% | 35.2 |
| Leicestershire | 160,849 (21.4%) | 164 | 33.7 | 26.1 | 81.5% | 10.0 |
| Lewisham | 32,532 (10.8%) | 49 | 27.5 | 21.8 | 95.7% | 24.9 |
| Lincolnshire | 195,402 (24.6%) | 284 | 47.0 | 36.7 | 76.7% | 6.1 |
| Liverpool | 79,708 (15.7%) | 87 | 42.1 | 37.0 | 67.5% | 12.3 |
| Luton | 27,710 (11.7%) | 34 | 35.6 | 25.0 | 72.7% | 24.2 |
| Manchester | 56,354 (9.6%) | 81 | 38.3 | 35.7 | 82.9% | 16.7 |
| Medway | 49,047 (16.8%) | 65 | 34.8 | 28.9 | 70.0% | 20.4 |
| Merton | 29,748 (13.6%) | 35 | 29.3 | 22.0 | 100.0% | 19.5 |
| Middlesbrough | 26,536 (17.4%) | 47 | 65.9 | 53.4 | 95.3% | 7.5 |
| Milton Keynes | 44,895 (14.5%) | 47 | 37.4 | 32.9 | 84.1% | 36.8 |
| Newcastle upon Tyne | 48,474 (15.1%) | 73 | 54.2 | 39.6 | 90.6% | 9.3 |
| Newham | 29,303 (7.8%) | 22 | 20.2 | 19.5 | 90.5% | 29.0 |
| Norfolk | 239,700 (25.4%) | 319 | 43.0 | 30.8 | 66.0% | 7.1 |
| North East Lincolnshire | 35,303 (22.1%) | 54 | 51.9 | 38.1 | 86.0% | 6.5 |
| North Lincolnshire | 40,054 (23.4%) | 59 | 48.5 | 37.8 | 80.4% | 4.7 |
| North Northamptonshire | 70,585 (18.6%) | 108 | 45.9 | 38.5 | 81.7% | 19.6 |
| North Somerset | 55,209 (24.3%) | 94 | 52.9 | 36.2 | 96.6% | 7.1 |
| North Tyneside | 46,596 (21.6%) | 43 | 37.9 | 30.7 | 90.2% | 7.9 |
| North Yorkshire | 170,388 (26.7%) | 202 | 43.0 | 31.9 | 85.6% | 8.6 |
| Northumberland | 90,910 (27.2%) | 94 | 38.4 | 32.1 | 90.3% | 4.6 |
| Nottingham | 39,820 (12.2%) | 77 | 50.3 | 39.0 | 76.4% | 33.1 |
| Nottinghamshire | 188,852 (21.9%) | 276 | 47.6 | 35.9 | 84.4% | 10.2 |
| Oldham | 40,263 (16.0%) | 45 | 40.8 | 33.8 | 85.4% | 14.9 |
| Oxfordshire | 144,398 (18.8%) | 146 | 48.3 | 32.6 | 87.4% | 11.6 |
| Peterborough | 32,673 (14.5%) | 37 | 48.4 | 35.8 | 87.9% | 36.1 |
| Plymouth | 52,103 (19.2%) | 86 | 43.3 | 32.6 | 78.8% | 9.2 |
| Portsmouth | 32,607 (15.4%) | 29 | 28.6 | 21.8 | 73.3% | 16.9 |
| Reading | 22,678 (12.3%) | 32 | 44.2 | 31.7 | 75.9% | 24.7 |
| Redbridge | 41,272 (12.8%) | 76 | 32.7 | 24.4 | 85.9% | 30.5 |
| Redcar and Cleveland | 34,258 (24.6%) | 42 | 39.5 | 31.2 | 85.0% | 5.5 |
| Richmond upon Thames | 34,511 (17.5%) | 41 | 29.7 | 22.8 | 95.0% | 7.2 |
| Rochdale | 39,319 (16.5%) | 61 | 41.3 | 37.9 | 64.8% | 13.2 |
| Rotherham | 55,447 (19.9%) | 84 | 47.1 | 37.0 | 88.6% | 9.4 |
| Rutland | 11,243 (27.0%) | 11 | 40.2 | 26.9 | 81.8% | 12.5 |
| Salford | 37,448 (12.6%) | 43 | 39.9 | 32.5 | 80.0% | 13.9 |
| Sandwell | 51,493 (14.6%) | 91 | 42.4 | 31.9 | 73.4% | 16.3 |
| Sefton | 69,531 (24.2%) | 110 | 50.3 | 34.5 | 79.4% | 7.0 |
| Sheffield | 99,123 (17.1%) | 114 | 42.6 | 30.5 | 85.0% | 13.0 |
| Shropshire | 90,151 (27.1%) | 116 | 42.4 | 30.1 | 79.8% | 9.3 |
| Slough | 16,780 (10.0%) | 16 | 34.0 | 28.6 | 57.1% | 39.9 |
| Solihull | 47,662 (21.5%) | 63 | 50.6 | 33.1 | 88.3% | 11.5 |
| Somerset | 152,914 (25.9%) | 197 | 41.7 | 30.3 | 89.2% | 7.7 |
| South Gloucestershire | 58,415 (18.9%) | 81 | 43.9 | 29.8 | 96.1% | 12.7 |
| South Tyneside | 33,222 (22.0%) | 34 | 40.3 | 32.6 | 93.5% | 5.1 |
| Southampton | 36,191 (14.0%) | 51 | 42.3 | 33.5 | 83.3% | 22.7 |
| Southend-on-Sea | 36,514 (19.7%) | 83 | 49.6 | 33.7 | 92.2% | 20.3 |
| Southwark | 29,969 (9.6%) | 13 | 17.4 | 16.2 | 76.9% | 17.7 |
| St. Helens | 39,285 (20.7%) | 41 | 35.9 | 28.7 | 89.2% | 9.9 |
| Staffordshire | 208,682 (22.9%) | 269 | 42.7 | 32.4 | 77.8% | 7.7 |
| Stockport | 62,213 (20.4%) | 67 | 43.0 | 29.5 | 72.1% | 10.1 |
| Stockton-on-Tees | 41,554 (20.1%) | 56 | 45.6 | 38.8 | 91.8% | 9.9 |
| Stoke-on-Trent | 46,529 (17.1%) | 84 | 58.1 | 46.3 | 80.5% | 16.3 |
| Suffolk | 194,707 (24.7%) | 195 | 41.9 | 29.4 | 80.2% | 10.3 |
| Sunderland | 60,843 (21.2%) | 87 | 43.9 | 36.3 | 93.1% | 6.9 |
| Surrey | 245,022 (19.5%) | 380 | 61.8 | 38.6 | 81.4% | 11.8 |
| Sutton | 33,529 (15.7%) | 68 | 40.5 | 28.6 | 95.4% | 15.5 |
| Swindon | 41,020 (16.7%) | 47 | 31.4 | 24.7 | 88.9% | 12.4 |
| Tameside | 42,735 (17.7%) | 34 | 32.3 | 28.6 | 71.4% | 6.3 |
| Telford and Wrekin | 35,925 (18.0%) | 36 | 35.0 | 29.7 | 78.8% | 16.7 |
| Thurrock | 24,842 (13.7%) | 26 | 27.2 | 22.6 | 92.0% | 32.2 |
| Torbay | 38,913 (27.9%) | 74 | 51.4 | 35.6 | 80.0% | 7.2 |
| Tower Hamlets | 20,317 (6.1%) | 10 | 19.0 | 18.4 | 90.0% | 33.5 |
| Trafford | 43,246 (17.9%) | 55 | 39.5 | 27.0 | 86.3% | 14.3 |
| Wakefield | 71,492 (19.4%) | 96 | 40.9 | 34.8 | 73.9% | 9.9 |
| Walsall | 51,197 (17.3%) | 61 | 39.0 | 27.2 | 68.4% | 16.2 |
| Waltham Forest | 31,338 (11.0%) | 46 | 32.7 | 26.5 | 95.3% | 16.9 |
| Wandsworth | 34,764 (10.2%) | 26 | 36.8 | 27.6 | 92.3% | 11.2 |
| Warrington | 43,594 (20.2%) | 56 | 48.9 | 36.2 | 81.1% | 9.4 |
| Warwickshire | 133,118 (20.7%) | 171 | 46.4 | 32.7 | 80.5% | 9.8 |
| West Berkshire | 34,366 (20.8%) | 44 | 34.9 | 27.3 | 89.7% | 11.1 |
| West Northamptonshire | 78,808 (17.7%) | 105 | 42.7 | 33.7 | 68.4% | 20.4 |
| West Sussex | 217,984 (23.7%) | 342 | 50.7 | 33.7 | 84.3% | 9.0 |
| Westminster | 27,643 (13.0%) | 9 | 17.7 | 13.9 | 100.0% | 7.2 |
| Westmorland and Furness | 62,675 (27.1%) | 59 | 30.8 | 22.8 | 89.1% | 7.3 |
| Wigan | 67,701 (19.5%) | 59 | 34.9 | 31.4 | 92.5% | 6.2 |
| Wiltshire | 123,712 (23.5%) | 163 | 41.4 | 29.4 | 89.1% | 11.2 |
| Windsor and Maidenhead | 30,854 (19.3%) | 41 | 63.0 | 40.2 | 71.8% | 9.1 |
| Wirral | 75,771 (23.0%) | 112 | 45.5 | 34.0 | 70.2% | 6.5 |
| Wokingham | 33,376 (17.7%) | 45 | 40.8 | 27.9 | 93.0% | 13.8 |
| Wolverhampton | 45,574 (16.2%) | 71 | 51.0 | 35.5 | 66.2% | 26.6 |
| Worcestershire | 148,719 (23.8%) | 174 | 44.4 | 32.3 | 86.1% | 7.5 |
| York | 40,836 (19.5%) | 42 | 47.3 | 31.4 | 85.7% | 10.5 |
Method
Supply is every care home and home care agency on the Care Quality Commission register that is active and not dormant, with the number of beds each care home is registered for. Demand is the ONS mid-2025 population estimate of people aged 65 and over, and 85 and over, for each county and unitary council (read from Nomis). The two are matched by council name; areas whose names don't match are left out (2 this edition).
Registered beds are capacity, not vacancies: some beds are double rooms used as singles, some homes care for younger adults, and people often move to a home in a neighbouring area. Read the figures as how much care home capacity an area has relative to its older population, not how easy it is to find a room this week. Updated each quarter with our Care Fees and Quality Index.
How to cite
Free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 with credit to The Care Panel and a link to this page.
The Care Panel, "Care Access Gap: care home beds and home care for older people in England", October 2026, using CQC and ONS data. https://thecarepanel.co.uk/care-access-gap/
Questions
How many care home beds are there in England?
The CQC register lists 482,756 beds in 14,679 active care homes in England (October 2026). That is 43.0 beds for every 1,000 people aged 65 and over, using ONS mid-2025 population estimates.
Which council areas have the fewest care home beds for older people?
Relative to people aged 65 and over: Hackney (11.4 per 1,000); Haringey (12.1 per 1,000); Southwark (17.4 per 1,000). Areas with few beds often rely more on home care or on homes in neighbouring areas.
Does a low number of beds mean I can't find a care home?
Not necessarily. Many people choose a home in a neighbouring area, and some areas have fewer beds because more people are supported at home. But fewer beds per person usually means fewer vacancies to choose from and more competition for the rooms councils will fund, so start looking early.
Where does the data come from?
Beds and agencies come from the Care Quality Commission register (Open Government Licence), counting active services that are not dormant. Population comes from ONS mid-2025 population estimates for county and unitary authorities, via Nomis. We match the two by council name.
Sources: Care Quality Commission register (Open Government Licence v3.0); Office for National Statistics mid-year population estimates via Nomis (Open Government Licence v3.0).
CQC register data (Oct 2026), reused under the Open Government Licence v3.0. The Care Panel is independent of every provider listed.