Across England, 82.6% of rated care homes (11,146 of 13,499) hold a Good or Outstanding overall rating from the Care Quality Commission (CQC), based on CQC data released on 1 October 2026. By council, the share ranges from 57.1% in Slough (8 of 14) to 100% in two councils (Merton, Islington). A further 828 care homes (5.8%) have no overall rating yet.
In short
- 11,146 of 13,499 rated care homes in England (82.6%) are rated Good or Outstanding; 618 (4.6%) are Outstanding.
- 2,256 (16.7%) are rated Requires improvement and 97 (0.7%) are rated Inadequate.
- The North East has the highest regional share at 91.3%; the West Midlands the lowest at 77.7%.
- 36 of 149 ranked councils have 90% or more of care homes rated Good or Outstanding; 22 are below 75%.
- 828 of 14,327 active care homes (5.8%) have no overall rating; 571 of these registered with CQC in the last two years.
How we built the league table
This is our own analysis of two official CQC files published on the CQC website in October 2026: the “Care directory with filters” (active locations) and the “Care directory with ratings” (latest ratings), both showing the CQC register as at 1 October 2026.
- What counts as a care home: an active CQC location in the social care sector registered for the service type “Care home service with nursing” or “Care home service without nursing”. This covers residential and nursing homes for all adult age groups, not just older people.
- Exclusions: locations CQC marks as dormant, the small number of Welsh-council addresses in the file, and the secondary record of each “dual registered” home (where two providers are registered for the same home, CQC asks users to count it once). That leaves 14,327 care homes in England.
- Which rating: the latest published overall rating. Where CQC gives a separate “Care Homes” service-level rating (it no longer rates some multi-service locations as a whole), we used that. Inherited ratings carried over after a change of owner are included, as CQC displays them.
- Rated: Outstanding, Good, Requires improvement or Inadequate. Homes with no rating yet, or “Not rated” or “Insufficient evidence to rate”, are counted separately as unrated and are not in the percentages.
- Geography: the council (county or unitary local authority) CQC assigns to the home’s address, and the CQC region. Councils with fewer than 10 rated care homes are shown in the full data but left out of the best and worst lists, as one home changes their percentage a lot. That excludes Westminster, Hammersmith and Fulham, Isles of Scilly; the City of London has no registered care homes. One newly registered, not yet rated home has no council recorded in the CQC file, so it is counted in the England total but not in any council or region.
Contains CQC data © Care Quality Commission. Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence v.3.0. CQC is not responsible for this analysis or its interpretation.
Best councils for care home ratings
These are the 15 councils with the highest share of rated care homes holding a Good or Outstanding overall rating. Where two councils tie, the one with more rated homes is listed first.
| Rank | Council | Region | Rated homes | Good or Outstanding | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Merton | London | 35 | 35 | 100.0% |
| 2 | Islington | London | 15 | 15 | 100.0% |
| 3 | Bristol, City of | South West | 87 | 85 | 97.7% |
| 4 | Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole | South West | 127 | 122 | 96.1% |
| 5 | South Gloucestershire | South West | 75 | 72 | 96.0% |
| 6 | Gateshead | North East | 47 | 45 | 95.7% |
| 7 | Lewisham | London | 46 | 44 | 95.7% |
| 8 | North Somerset | South West | 91 | 87 | 95.6% |
| 9 | Sutton | London | 64 | 61 | 95.3% |
| 10 | Middlesbrough | North East | 42 | 40 | 95.2% |
| 11 | Barking and Dagenham | London | 21 | 20 | 95.2% |
| 12 | Richmond upon Thames | London | 40 | 38 | 95.0% |
| 13 | Dorset | South West | 106 | 100 | 94.3% |
| 14 | Harrow | London | 47 | 44 | 93.6% |
| 15 | South Tyneside | North East | 31 | 29 | 93.5% |
Councils with the lowest share of Good or Outstanding homes
These are the 15 councils with the lowest share. A low share does not mean every home is poor: in Slough, 8 of 14 rated homes are still Good or Outstanding.
| Rank (lowest first) | Council | Region | Rated homes | Good or Outstanding | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Slough | South East | 14 | 8 | 57.1% |
| 2 | Rochdale | North West | 54 | 35 | 64.8% |
| 3 | Coventry | West Midlands | 69 | 45 | 65.2% |
| 4 | Norfolk | East of England | 295 | 195 | 66.1% |
| 5 | Walsall | West Midlands | 57 | 38 | 66.7% |
| 6 | Wolverhampton | West Midlands | 64 | 43 | 67.2% |
| 7 | Liverpool | North West | 77 | 53 | 68.8% |
| 8 | West Northamptonshire | East Midlands | 95 | 66 | 69.5% |
| 9 | Medway | South East | 59 | 41 | 69.5% |
| 10 | Dudley | West Midlands | 83 | 58 | 69.9% |
| 11 | Tameside | North West | 34 | 24 | 70.6% |
| 12 | Wirral | North West | 103 | 73 | 70.9% |
| 13 | Isle of Wight | South East | 59 | 42 | 71.2% |
| 14 | Stockport | North West | 60 | 43 | 71.7% |
| 15 | Buckinghamshire | South East | 115 | 83 | 72.2% |
Care home ratings by region
The regional table shows every rating band and the number of homes not yet rated. The percentage uses rated homes only as its denominator.
| Region | Care homes | Rated | Good or Outstanding | Share Good or Outstanding | Outstanding | Requires improvement | Inadequate | Not yet rated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North East | 718 | 687 | 627 | 91.3% | 40 | 60 | 0 | 31 |
| London | 1,215 | 1,169 | 1,043 | 89.2% | 32 | 124 | 2 | 46 |
| South West | 1,810 | 1,745 | 1,550 | 88.8% | 94 | 189 | 6 | 65 |
| South East | 2,665 | 2,538 | 2,076 | 81.8% | 113 | 446 | 16 | 127 |
| Yorkshire and The Humber | 1,431 | 1,353 | 1,090 | 80.6% | 68 | 251 | 12 | 78 |
| East Midlands | 1,415 | 1,327 | 1,060 | 79.9% | 87 | 259 | 8 | 88 |
| North West | 1,854 | 1,713 | 1,367 | 79.8% | 61 | 327 | 19 | 141 |
| East of England | 1,578 | 1,466 | 1,167 | 79.6% | 79 | 279 | 20 | 112 |
| West Midlands | 1,640 | 1,501 | 1,166 | 77.7% | 44 | 321 | 14 | 139 |
| England | 14,327 | 13,499 | 11,146 | 82.6% | 618 | 2,256 | 97 | 828 |
What this means for families
A council’s percentage is a starting point, not a verdict on any one home. Even in the lowest-ranked areas most rated homes are Good or Outstanding, and in the highest-ranked areas some homes still require improvement. What matters is the home your relative will live in.
- Read the report, not just the badge. Check the date and the five key question ratings (safe, effective, caring, responsive, well-led). Our guide to CQC ratings explained shows what each one covers.
- Check how old the rating is. Many ratings are several years old. Our companion report on how long since care homes were inspected shows the scale of this.
- Treat “not yet rated” with care, not alarm. New homes often have good buildings and staff, but no independent check yet. Ask about staffing, the manager’s experience and how they handle complaints.
- Visit more than once. Use our questions to ask when visiting a care home and the care home visit checklist, and ask about staffing levels.
- Look beyond your council boundary. If your area has few Good homes with places, a home a few miles away in a neighbouring council may suit better. Our care home beds access gap report shows where supply is tight.
- Budget at the same time. Highly rated homes can charge more. Compare care home fees by county and use the care cost calculator to plan.
If a home your relative already lives in has a poor or worsening rating, you can raise concerns with the manager, the council or CQC. Our guides on how to complain about a care home and changing care homes explain the steps.
Limits of this data
Ratings reflect the home on the date CQC assessed it. Some homes have improved or declined since. CQC says its directory files are delayed while it moves to a new system, so some recent changes, such as cancelled registrations, may not yet show. Councils with few homes can move sharply when one rating changes.
Frequently asked questions
What percentage of care homes are rated Good or Outstanding in England?
82.6% of rated care homes in England (11,146 of 13,499) had a Good or Outstanding overall CQC rating in the CQC data released on 1 October 2026. 618 were Outstanding, 2,256 Requires improvement and 97 Inadequate. Another 828 homes had no rating yet.
Which council has the best care home ratings?
In our analysis of CQC data at 1 October 2026, 2 councils had all their rated care homes rated Good or Outstanding: Merton and Islington. Bristol, City of followed at 97.7%. We only ranked councils with at least 10 rated care homes.
Which area has the worst care home ratings?
Slough had the lowest share of Good or Outstanding care homes among ranked councils, at 57.1% (8 of 14). Rochdale (64.8%) and Coventry (65.2%) were next. By region, the West Midlands had the lowest share at 77.7%. We only ranked councils with at least 10 rated homes.
Should I avoid a care home rated Requires improvement?
Not automatically. 16.7% of rated homes in England are rated Requires improvement. Read the report to see which areas fell short, check the date, and ask the manager what has changed since. A home with a recent improvement plan may be a better fit than an older Good rating. Be more cautious with Inadequate homes, which CQC normally places in special measures.
Why do some care homes have no CQC rating?
828 of 14,327 active care homes in England (5.8%) had no overall rating at 1 October 2026. 571 of them registered with CQC in the last two years, so many are simply waiting for a first assessment. A handful show as “Not rated” in the CQC file.
How often are care home league tables like this updated?
CQC publishes its care directory data files every month. We plan to refresh this council league table from the CQC releases. The figures here come from the CQC 1 October 2026 release, so check the CQC website for the latest rating of any individual home you are considering.
Sources
- CQC: Using CQC data (care directory with filters and with ratings, 1 October 2026 files)
- CQC: How we assess providers
- CQC: Give feedback on care
- Open Government Licence v3.0
Data correct as of the CQC 1 October 2026 release. Download the table: a CSV of the full council-level table is available on request through our contact page, as we cannot host downloadable files yet.
General information, not legal or financial advice. Figures checked October 2026.
Free · by email
Free care cost report for your area
- Typical local prices for care homes and nursing homes
- What the council and the NHS may pay, with the 2026/27 savings limits
- The best-rated services near you, from the CQC register
Find care homes near you
- Care homes in Wolverhampton 50
- Care homes in Plymouth 48
- Care homes in Croydon 126
- Care homes in Redbridge 77
- Care homes in Northampton 63
- Care homes in Weston-super-Mare 61
- Care homes in Kingston upon Hull 59
- Care homes in Streatham 56
All care homes in England by town → · Search by postcode
Highly rated care homes in England
- 1 Sheringham Avenue Outstanding · Enfield
- Birch Hill Care Centre Outstanding · Berwick-upon-tweed
- Casa Mia Care Home Outstanding · Kidderminster
- Choices for Living Well (Killelea) Outstanding · Bury
Rated by CQC in the last three years. Nobody pays to appear here.
Care homes by county
- Wiltshire
- Telford and Wrekin
- Kingston upon Hull, City of
- Derby
- Bedford
- Thurrock
- Redcar and Cleveland
- Cumberland
- St. Helens
- Buckinghamshire
- Slough
- Cornwall
Paying for care by council
- Paying for care in Southend-on-Sea
- Paying for care in Hillingdon
- Paying for care in Gateshead
- Paying for care in Lancashire
- Paying for care in Hampshire
- Paying for care in Devon
- Paying for care in Telford and Wrekin
- Paying for care in York
Related guides
Free download
Visiting care homes? Take this 40-point checklist
Use it to compare up to three homes on the same questions, from CQC reports and staffing to the room, fees and contract terms.
Reviewed by The Care Panel team on 29 October 2026. This guide is general information about care in England, not legal, medical or financial advice. Rules and rates change; check with your council or an adviser before making decisions.