Devon Care Homes: A County Where Geography Changes the Decision
Devon is not just a pricing question. Distances, coastal versus inland supply, and the spread between larger centres and more rural areas all shape which shortlist is realistic for families.
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Devon Care Home Market
Key figures for the local care home market, drawn from regulatory, financial, and food safety data
Above the national average — most families here have strong options
What the local care home market looks like in Devon
Across Devon and surrounding areas
Homes trending upward based on recent official inspections
450 homes currently lack a registered manager
Official Rating Breakdown
CQC Quality by Domain
Average scores across Devon care homes
Devon homes rate strongest on Caring and weakest on Safe.
Inspection Freshness
How recently homes were inspected by the national regulator
93% of homes have ratings over 3 years old. Our reports verify against multiple data sources to give you a more current picture.
Care market across Devon
100% of 22 homes there are rated Good or Outstanding.
Average weekly costs range from about £1,165 to £1,445 across the county's larger towns.
260 homes (55%) currently offer this specialist support.
309 homes sit in the county's biggest local-authority cluster.
Care Standards in Devon
Specialist care coverage and food safety ratings across 473 homes
Overall quality
87%
Good or Outstanding
Largest specialist signal
260 homes
Dementia support (55%)
Specialist Care Coverage
This is the clearest specialist category currently reaching meaningful scale in the public county dataset.
260 (55%)
Dementia
Families looking for this type of support have a meaningful county-wide shortlist here, even if other specialist categories are less visible in current public records.
Major towns in Devon
Compare how care quality, pricing, and nursing supply vary across the main towns and local care markets in Devon.
Plymouth
Plymouth
Plymouth tends to matter when families want a larger city market without assuming it behaves like Exeter. It often brings a broader operational range, which makes due diligence more important but can also widen the shortlist.
Exeter
Devon
Exeter is often Devon's clearest anchor market: easier to compare, easier to revisit, and usually the best place to test whether a higher fee is buying stronger specialist provision or simply reflecting city-centre demand.
Torquay
Torbay
Torquay is one of the key care markets in Devon, with 46 homes in the current dataset. This is a broad care market with both nursing and dementia provision. Prices here sit close to the county average.
Newton Abbot
Devon
Newton Abbot is one of the key care markets in Devon, with 29 homes in the current dataset. This is a broad care market with both nursing and dementia provision. Prices here sit below the county average.
Paignton
Torbay
Paignton is one of the key care markets in Devon, with 23 homes in the current dataset. This is a broad care market with both nursing and dementia provision. Prices here sit close to the county average.
Bideford
Devon
Bideford is one of the key care markets in Devon, with 22 homes in the current dataset. This is a broad care market with both nursing and dementia provision. Prices here sit below the county average.
Which towns are easiest to visit and support in Devon?
These town-level signals use the homes we already track across the county: transport access, healthcare proximity, green space, and practical features such as parking, lifts, and Wi-Fi.
Easiest for repeat family visits
Exeter
Exeter currently looks like the easiest town in this county for repeat visits, based on how accessible homes appear by transport and basic arrival logistics.
- Avg train station distance 1.0km
- 8 bus stops nearby
- 40% of homes show parking
- 57% of homes show lift access
Strongest healthcare access around homes
Plymouth
Plymouth currently stands out for local practical support around care homes, with the strongest combined access to hospitals, GPs, and pharmacies in the county dataset.
- Avg hospital distance 1.1km
- Avg GP distance 0.5km
- Avg pharmacy distance 0.5km
Most convenient day-to-day setup
Torquay
Torquay currently looks strongest for day-to-day convenience, based on the mix of practical in-home features and the surrounding setting families are likely to notice once visits become routine.
- 17% of homes show Wi-Fi
- 74% of homes show gardens
- 20% of homes show parking
- Avg green space distance 278m
Why families in Devon use RightCareHome
Why this is more useful than a directory when the decision is serious
Without independent analysis
- 473 homes to compare manually
- Outdated directory data from years ago
- Commission-driven recommendations
- Hidden quality and safety issues
With RightCareHome
- A clearer view of where quality, cost and risk differ before you check any one home
- Independent scoring built from regulatory, review and financial evidence
- 100% independent, zero commissions
- A better starting point before you verify or compare specific homes
Frequently Asked Questions About Care Homes in Devon
Practical answers based on available local data and typical family concerns.
Why does geography matter more in Devon than in some other counties?
Devon is large enough that travel friction becomes a real part of the decision. Families may compare larger centres such as Exeter with coastal or more rural markets where the care offer, specialist depth, and practical visiting pattern can look very different even when headline prices are not far apart.
How should families use county data when looking across Devon?
Use the county view to understand the scale of the market, the overall quality picture, and whether specialist coverage looks broad or concentrated. Then pressure-test a shortlist at town level, because in Devon the best theoretical option is not always the best practical option for ongoing visits and care coordination.
How should families compare Exeter and Plymouth in Devon?
Exeter is often the easier anchor if you want a market that is simpler to revisit and benchmark, especially when testing whether a higher fee is really buying stronger specialist support. Plymouth can open a wider shortlist and a broader city-market mix, but it usually rewards families who are prepared to look more closely at operational consistency rather than relying on a quick first impression.
How many care homes are in Devon?
Devon has 473 registered care homes in our dataset, including 99 nursing homes and 379 residential homes across the county.
What does care cost across Devon?
Weekly care costs in Devon range from £700 to £4,050, with an average of £1,339. Among the county's larger markets, Plymouth is currently one of the cheaper towns while Torquay sits at the higher end.
Which towns have the biggest care markets in Devon?
Plymouth, Exeter, Torquay currently account for some of the largest care markets in Devon. At local authority level, Devon and Plymouth stand out for care home supply.
Which part of Devon currently looks strongest on care quality?
Bideford currently stands out in our county dataset, with 100% of its 22 homes rated Good or Outstanding.
How much dementia care is available in Devon?
260 homes in Devon offer specialist dementia care, representing 55% of the county market.
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Get a shortlist for DevonBased on official inspections, company accounts, and food hygiene records. Source update timings vary across inspection, pricing, and public records.
RCH Score methodology
How we rank care homes in Devon
Score 0–10 · updated monthly
CQC inspections can be 2–4 years old. Our RCH Score combines the official inspection result with live signals — real reviews, quality trajectory, and financial stability — to surface homes that are performing well today, not just at the last inspection.
CQC inspection rating
40%The official Care Quality Commission rating — Outstanding, Good, Requires Improvement, or Inadequate. The primary quality signal, but can be up to 4 years old.
Online reviews
30%Average star rating from verified public reviews across the web, weighted by volume. Reflects the day-to-day experience of residents and families. Only counted when 10+ reviews exist.
CQC trend
15%Whether the home's rating has been improving, stable, or declining across its last three inspections. An improving trajectory can offset an older rating.
Financial stability
15%Operational risk derived from Companies House filings — profit/loss trend, debt levels, and director changes. Financially stressed homes face higher closure and quality risk.
Rankings are calculated from public data only. We do not accept referral fees or paid placements from care homes.
The RCH Score is a decision-support tool, not a definitive ranking. Always visit a home in person and ask for the latest CQC inspection report before making a decision.
Devon homes worth shortlisting first
A county-wide starting shortlist drawn from the live directory. We prioritise current CQC rating first, then show the other public signals available on each home card.
Arcot House Residential Home, Devon
From ≈ £6,396 / mo
from £1,471 / wk
Brunel House, Devon
From ≈ £4,783 / mo
from £1,100 / wk
Dove Court Care Home, Devon
≈ £5,487–£5,814 / mo
£1,262–£1,337 / wk
Doveridge Care Home, Devon
From ≈ £6,518 / mo
from £1,499 / wk
Eastleigh Care Homes, Devon
From ≈ £7,596 / mo
from £1,747 / wk
Exmouth House, Devon
From ≈ £6,957 / mo
from £1,600 / wk
Grindon, Devon
From ≈ £6,088 / mo
from £1,400 / wk
Harbour Rise Rest Home, Devon
From ≈ £6,522 / mo
from £1,500 / wk
Hartley Park Care Home, Devon
≈ £4,783–£5,187 / mo
£1,100–£1,193 / wk
When one Devon home stands out, verify it properly
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All Care Homes in Devon
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Choose the right next step for care in Devon
You’ve seen the market. Now choose the next step that fits your decision: verify one specific home, compare a few in depth, or check affordability.
Not sure which route is right? If one home already looks promising, start with Care Home Check. If you still need to compare options, use the deeper comparison route.
Devon families often need a shortlist that works on both care quality and travel reality. Start county-wide, then narrow to the towns you can visit and support consistently.