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HERTFORDSHIRE COUNTY

Expert Analysis of 258 Hertfordshire Care Homes

79% of homes across Hertfordshire are rated Good or Outstanding. St Albans currently stands out on quality, while county pricing still varies meaningfully by town.

Hertfordshire Care Home Market

Key figures for the local care home market, drawn from regulatory, financial, and food safety data

79%
Rated Good or Outstanding

Based on official inspection reports

What the local care home market looks like in Hertfordshire
258
Care Homes Analysed

Across Hertfordshire and surrounding areas

22%
On Improving Trajectory

Homes trending upward based on recent official inspections

96%
Without Registered Manager

247 homes currently lack a registered manager

Official Rating Breakdown

11 Outstanding170 Good45 Requires Improvement2 Inadequate

CQC Quality by Domain

Average scores across Hertfordshire care homes

SafeGood
EffectiveGood
CaringGood
ResponsiveGood
Well-LedGood

Hertfordshire homes rate strongest on Responsive and weakest on Well-Led.

Inspection Freshness

How recently homes were inspected by the national regulator

1–3 years27 (12%)
Over 3 years201 (88%)

88% of homes have ratings over 3 years old. Our reports verify against multiple data sources to give you a more current picture.

Regional Insight

Care market across Hertfordshire

Quality leader
St Albans

91% of 23 homes there are rated Good or Outstanding.

Price spread
Hatfield to St Albans

Average weekly costs range from about £1,350 to £1,685 across the county's larger towns.

Specialist strength
Dementia

145 homes (56%) currently offer this specialist support.

Largest authority cluster
Hertfordshire

251 homes sit in the county's biggest local-authority cluster.

Care Standards in Hertfordshire

Specialist care coverage and food safety ratings across 258 homes

Overall quality

79%

Good or Outstanding

Largest specialist signal

145 homes

Dementia support (56%)

Specialist Care Coverage

This is the clearest specialist category currently reaching meaningful scale in the public county dataset.

145 (56%)

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.

Largest specialist signal
County Care Markets

Major towns in Hertfordshire

Compare how care quality, pricing, and nursing supply vary across the main towns and local care markets in Hertfordshire.

6 nursing homes

Watford

Hertfordshire

Watford is one of the key care markets in Hertfordshire, with 29 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.

Homes analysed29
Avg weekly cost£1,499
Good / Outstanding72%
2 Outstanding, 16 Good
17 dementia specialists
2 Outstanding-rated
6 nursing homes

St Albans

Hertfordshire

St Albans is one of the key care markets in Hertfordshire, with 23 homes in the current dataset. This is a broad care market with both nursing and dementia provision. Prices here run above the county average.

Homes analysed23
Avg weekly cost£1,685
Good / Outstanding91%
2 Outstanding, 19 Good
9 dementia specialists
2 Outstanding-rated
5 nursing homes

Hemel Hempstead

Hertfordshire

Hemel Hempstead is one of the key care markets in Hertfordshire, with 18 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.

Homes analysed18
Avg weekly cost£1,404
Good / Outstanding63%
1 Outstanding, 9 Good
9 dementia specialists
1 Outstanding-rated
3 nursing homes

Hatfield

Hertfordshire

Hatfield is one of the key care markets in Hertfordshire, with 16 homes in the current dataset. This is a broad care market with both nursing and dementia provision. Prices here sit below the county average.

Homes analysed16
Avg weekly cost£1,350
Good / Outstanding71%
0 Outstanding, 10 Good
7 dementia specialists
5 nursing homes

Hitchin

Hertfordshire

Hitchin is one of the key care markets in Hertfordshire, with 16 homes in the current dataset. This is a broad care market with both nursing and dementia provision. Prices here sit below the county average.

Homes analysed16
Avg weekly cost£1,376
Good / Outstanding86%
0 Outstanding, 12 Good
10 dementia specialists
3 nursing homes

Stevenage

Hertfordshire

Stevenage is one of the key care markets in Hertfordshire, with 12 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.

Homes analysed12
Avg weekly cost£1,453
Good / Outstanding73%
0 Outstanding, 8 Good
6 dementia specialists
Visiting Practicality

Which towns are easiest to visit and support in Hertfordshire?

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

Watford

Watford 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 0.9km
  • 9 bus stops nearby
  • 24% of homes show parking
  • 28% of homes show lift access

Strongest healthcare access around homes

St Albans

St Albans 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 2.6km
  • Avg GP distance 0.8km
  • Avg pharmacy distance 0.5km

Most convenient day-to-day setup

Hemel Hempstead

Hemel Hempstead 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
  • 33% of homes show gardens
  • 11% of homes show parking
  • Avg green space distance 411m

Why families in Hertfordshire use RightCareHome

Why this is more useful than a directory when the decision is serious

Without independent analysis

  • 258 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 Hertfordshire

Practical answers based on available local data and typical family concerns.

How many care homes are in Hertfordshire?

Hertfordshire has 258 registered care homes in our dataset, including 77 nursing homes and 184 residential homes across the county.

What does care cost across Hertfordshire?

Weekly care costs in Hertfordshire range from £1,009 to £2,362, with an average of £1,529. Among the county's larger markets, Hatfield is currently one of the cheaper towns while St Albans sits at the higher end.

Which towns have the biggest care markets in Hertfordshire?

Watford, St Albans, Hemel Hempstead currently account for some of the largest care markets in Hertfordshire. At local authority level, Hertfordshire and Essex stand out for care home supply.

Which part of Hertfordshire currently looks strongest on care quality?

St Albans currently stands out in our county dataset, with 91% of its 23 homes rated Good or Outstanding.

How much dementia care is available in Hertfordshire?

145 homes in Hertfordshire offer specialist dementia care, representing 56% of the county market.

Still have questions?

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Get a shortlist for Hertfordshire

Based on official inspections, company accounts, and food hygiene records. Source update timings vary across inspection, pricing, and public records.

Explore Nearby

More county care markets near Hertfordshire

Compare neighbouring county markets before narrowing your shortlist.

RCH Score methodology

How we rank care homes in Hertfordshire

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

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.

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All Care Homes in Hertfordshire

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258 homes across Hertfordshire, from Watford to St Albans. See which ones suit your family.