England has 482,756 registered care home beds for 11,234,391 people aged 65 and over: 43.0 beds for every 1,000. But the number varies 5.8-fold between areas, from 11.4 per 1,000 in Hackney to 65.9 in Middlesbrough.
The 15 council areas with the fewest care home beds for older people
| Council area | Beds per 1,000 aged 65+ | Care home beds | People aged 65+ | Nursing beds per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hackney | 11.4 | 271 | 23,716 | 7.6 |
| Haringey | 12.1 | 375 | 31,069 | 3.9 |
| Southwark | 17.4 | 521 | 29,969 | 9.1 |
| Westminster | 17.7 | 488 | 27,643 | 16.0 |
| Camden | 18.8 | 510 | 27,160 | 12.7 |
| Kensington and Chelsea | 18.9 | 443 | 23,486 | 14.8 |
| Tower Hamlets | 19.0 | 387 | 20,317 | 8.1 |
| Newham | 20.2 | 592 | 29,303 | 16.7 |
| Brent | 23.3 | 1,038 | 44,479 | 16.5 |
| Hounslow | 23.4 | 885 | 37,855 | 16.7 |
| Greenwich | 26.3 | 879 | 33,428 | 19.0 |
| Thurrock | 27.2 | 676 | 24,842 | 12.3 |
| Lewisham | 27.5 | 895 | 32,532 | 11.3 |
| Portsmouth | 28.6 | 931 | 32,607 | 13.1 |
| Ealing | 28.7 | 1,445 | 50,302 | 21.9 |
The 10 areas with the most
| Council area | Beds per 1,000 aged 65+ | Care home beds | People aged 65+ | Nursing beds per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Middlesbrough | 65.9 | 1,748 | 26,536 | 32.2 |
| Windsor and Maidenhead | 63.0 | 1,943 | 30,854 | 49.4 |
| Surrey | 61.8 | 15,141 | 245,022 | 38.2 |
| Leicester | 60.4 | 2,883 | 47,719 | 15.2 |
| Kingston upon Thames | 59.5 | 1,584 | 26,622 | 46.9 |
| East Sussex | 59.3 | 9,036 | 152,307 | 29.0 |
| Croydon | 58.4 | 3,420 | 58,601 | 33.1 |
| Stoke-on-Trent | 58.1 | 2,704 | 46,529 | 32.7 |
| East Riding of Yorkshire | 57.7 | 5,727 | 99,256 | 8.4 |
| Newcastle upon Tyne | 54.2 | 2,628 | 48,474 | 34.1 |
Biggest shortfalls against the England rate
| Council area | Beds needed to match England | Beds per 1,000 aged 65+ |
|---|---|---|
| Cornwall | 1,761 | 31.6 |
| Leicestershire | 1,501 | 33.7 |
| Essex | 1,282 | 39.1 |
| Devon | 1,134 | 38.0 |
| Haringey | 961 | 12.1 |
| Brent | 875 | 23.3 |
| Dorset | 796 | 36.5 |
| Southwark | 768 | 17.4 |
| Westmorland and Furness | 764 | 30.8 |
| Bromley | 762 | 30.6 |
By region
| Region | Beds per 1,000 aged 65+ | Care home beds | People aged 65+ | Nursing beds per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| London | 32.2 | 37,104 | 1,152,518 | 20.5 |
| South West | 40.8 | 56,013 | 1,371,695 | 19.6 |
| East of England | 41.6 | 55,863 | 1,342,065 | 17.8 |
| North West | 42.4 | 63,015 | 1,487,736 | 21.2 |
| East Midlands | 44.2 | 45,427 | 1,028,602 | 18.5 |
| West Midlands | 44.5 | 52,784 | 1,187,357 | 23.3 |
| North East | 44.8 | 26,408 | 589,351 | 23.0 |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | 45.2 | 50,533 | 1,118,729 | 17.4 |
| South East | 48.9 | 95,609 | 1,956,338 | 27.3 |
Areas with fewer than 5,000 people aged 65 and over are left out. Beds are in active, non-dormant services on the CQC register.
Source: Care Access Gap, ONS mid-2025 population estimates. CQC data under the Open Government Licence; our figures under CC BY 4.0: credit The Care Panel and link to the source page. Figures update automatically with each edition.
What a low number means for families
- Fewer vacancies: in areas with few beds, rooms in well-rated homes go quickly. Start looking before a crisis, if you can.
- More competition for council-funded rooms: fewer homes may accept the council’s rate. See choosing a care home when the council pays.
- Looking further afield: you can choose a home in a neighbouring council area, for example near family.
- More care at home: some areas have fewer beds because more people are supported at home, sometimes with live-in care or extra care housing.
Nursing beds are scarcer still. If nursing care may be needed, ask early: see residential or nursing home.
Method
We count beds in active, non-dormant care homes on the CQC register and divide by ONS mid-2025 population estimates for people aged 65 and over in each county and unitary authority. The shortfall is the number of extra beds an area would need to match the England rate. The full table and CSV are on the Care Access Gap page.
Questions people ask
Find care homes near you
- Care homes in Havering 60
- Care homes in Leicester 56
- Care homes in Liverpool 50
- Care homes in Colchester 48
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- Care homes in Barnet 80
- Care homes in Derby 65
- Care homes in Hastings 62
All care homes in England by town → · Search by postcode
Highly rated care homes in England
- Birchwood Outstanding · Chesham
- Castleford House Nursing Home Outstanding · Chepstow
- Cleeve Lodge Outstanding · Reading
- 1 Sheringham Avenue Outstanding · Enfield
Rated by CQC in the last three years. Nobody pays to appear here.
Care homes by county
- Stockport
- East Sussex
- Southampton
- Devon
- Birmingham
- Walsall
- Kirklees
- Derbyshire
- Cambridgeshire
- London
- South Tyneside
- Halton
Related guides
Free download
Choosing a care home: the 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 21 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.