Overnight care at home costs about £219 a night in England, based on the median price published on agency websites in October 2026. A sleeping night, where the carer can sleep and is only woken if needed, is usually cheaper than a waking night, where the carer stays awake all night. A 10-hour waking night charged at hourly rates costs about £250 to £350 depending on the region. This page shows what overnight care costs in each major city.
At a glance
- Median published overnight price: £219 a night (18 agency websites). The middle half runs from about £180 to £255.
- Seven nights a week at £219 is about £1,530 a week, close to the cost of live-in care.
- Waking nights cost more: 10 hours at typical hourly rates is about £250 in London and the North West and £340 or more in the South West and East Midlands.
- Councils paid an average of £25.05 an hour for home care in 2025/26, which is what a council-funded night is usually based on.
- For care every night, compare live-in care costs by city.
Sleeping night or waking night?
| Sleeping night | Waking night | |
|---|---|---|
| What the carer does | Sleeps in a spare room and helps if woken, usually up to once or twice a night | Stays awake all night, checks on the person and helps as often as needed |
| Suits | Reassurance, occasional help to the toilet, someone at risk of falls at night | Frequent waking, turning, dementia with night-time restlessness, end-of-life care |
| Typical price | A flat fee per night, usually below the waking-night price | Hourly rates for the whole night, often £250 to £350 for 10 hours |
Overnight care costs by city
| City | Region | Waking night (10 hours at regional hourly rate) | Council home care rate 2025/26 (£ an hour) | Agencies covering the city | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| London | London | £250 | £22.85 | – | Home care by borough |
| Birmingham | West Midlands | £274 | £22.55 | 292 | 24-hour care · Best rated |
| Manchester | North West | £268 | £24.45 | 364 | 24-hour care · Best rated |
| Leeds | Yorkshire and the Humber | £288* | £25.54 | 210 | 24-hour care · Best rated |
| Liverpool | North West | £268 | £22.85 | 192 | 24-hour care · Best rated |
| Bristol | South West | £349 | £24.84 | 168 | 24-hour care · Best rated |
| Sheffield | Yorkshire and the Humber | £288* | £24.33 | 126 | 24-hour care · Best rated |
| Newcastle upon Tyne | North East | £288* | £20.36 | 137 | 24-hour care · Best rated |
| Nottingham | East Midlands | £336 | £21.58 | 246 | 24-hour care · Best rated |
| Leicester | East Midlands | £336 | £23.11 | 265 | 24-hour care · Best rated |
| Coventry | West Midlands | £274 | £22.52 | 156 | 24-hour care · Best rated |
| Brighton | South East | £295 | £23.73 | 59 | 24-hour care · Best rated |
| Southampton | South East | £295 | £22.63 | 171 | 24-hour care · Best rated |
| Portsmouth | South East | £295 | £24.40 | 119 | 24-hour care · Best rated |
| Reading | South East | £295 | £23.56 | 130 | 24-hour care · Best rated |
| Oxford | South East | £295 | £30.26 | 65 | 24-hour care · Best rated |
| Cambridge | East of England | £280 | £24.32 | 42 | 24-hour care · Best rated |
| Norwich | East of England | £280 | £26.50 | 78 | 24-hour care · Best rated |
| Plymouth | South West | £349 | £24.36 | 64 | 24-hour care · Best rated |
| Exeter | South West | £349 | £28.08 | 33 | 24-hour care · Best rated |
| Bath | South West | £349 | £27.51 | 28 | 24-hour care · Best rated |
| York | Yorkshire and the Humber | £288* | £26.25 | 42 | 24-hour care · Best rated |
The waking night figure is 10 hours at the median hourly rate published by agencies in the city’s region. *Where we have too few published hourly prices (North East, Yorkshire and the Humber) we use the England median of £28.75 an hour. Sleeping nights are usually a flat fee and cost less. “Agencies covering the city” counts CQC-registered home care agencies on that city’s page; not all provide overnight care. Select a city to see agencies that do.
Need help at night? Compare local agencies and their CQC ratings. Search by postcode →
Overnight care by region
Published flat overnight prices are still rare, so we only show regions with enough prices to be useful. In the South East, the median of 8 published prices is £247.50 a night. Across England, the median of 18 is £219.
Ways to pay
- Attendance Allowance is paid at the higher rate (£114.60 a week in 2026/27) when someone needs help both day and night. See Attendance Allowance rates.
- The council may fund night care after a care needs assessment. See what your council pays.
- NHS Continuing Healthcare can pay in full when night needs are mainly health needs. See FNC vs CHC.
Related guides
Sources
- Published overnight and hourly prices on home care agency websites, checked by The Care Panel, October 2026
- DHSC: Market Sustainability and Improvement Fund, care provider fees 2025 to 2026
Free · by email
Free care cost report for your area
- Typical local prices for home care and care 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 overnight care near you
- Overnight care in Whitefield 314
- Overnight care in Thames Ditton 296
- Overnight care in Birmingham 292
- Overnight care in Smethwick 267
- Overnight care in Leicester 265
- Overnight care in Eccles 259
- Overnight care in Nottingham 246
- Overnight care in Warlingham 238
- Overnight care in Aveley 418
- Overnight care in Dartford 331
All home care in England by town → · Search by postcode
Highly rated agencies in England
- Bright Opportunities Enabling Services Limited Outstanding · Buxton
- Choices for Living Well (Killelea) Outstanding · Bury
- Age UK Doncaster Outstanding · Doncaster
- Belong at Home Domiciliary Care Agency - Wigan & Southport Outstanding · Wigan
Rated by CQC in the last three years. Nobody pays to appear here.
Home care by county
- Redcar and Cleveland
- Cumberland
- St. Helens
- Buckinghamshire
- Slough
- Cornwall
- Wiltshire
- Telford and Wrekin
- Kingston upon Hull, City of
- Derby
- Bedford
- Thurrock
Care costs by council
- Care costs in Herefordshire, County of
- Care costs in North East Lincolnshire
- Care costs in Central Bedfordshire
- Care costs in Greenwich
- Care costs in Tower Hamlets
- Care costs in Bury
- Care costs in Wigan
- Care costs in Windsor and Maidenhead
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 26 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.