Care Homes Across Kent, Compared Properly
From Medway and commuter-belt towns to cathedral cities and the coast, Kent behaves like several care markets at once. Use the county view to see where fees, quality, and nursing supply begin to separate.
Found a home you may want to verify?
Use this page to understand the market first. When one home stands out, pressure-test it with Care Home Check before you commit.
Where to start in Kent
A county-level view of supply, CQC quality, pricing and linked city markets, built from the same signals used in the directory below.
Homes analysed
573
Open care home records currently covered in Kent.
CQC quality mix
79% Good+
16 Outstanding, 407 Good, 106 Requires Improvement and 5 Inadequate homes.
View evidenceWeekly cost signal
£1,453/week
Use this as a market guide, then verify home-level fees.
View evidenceCare type split
435 residential
147 nursing homes and 261 dementia-care signals across Kent.
Largest town cluster
Ashford
37 homes, 89% Good+, £1,620/week average.
View evidenceUse these signals to decide where to look first; always verify current fees, availability and care suitability with the individual home before committing.
Kent Care Home Market
Key figures for the local care home market, drawn from regulatory, financial, and food safety data
Based on official inspection reports
What the local care home market looks like in Kent
Across Kent and surrounding areas
Homes trending upward based on recent official inspections
555 homes currently lack a registered manager
Official Rating Breakdown
CQC Quality by Domain
Average scores across Kent care homes
Kent homes rate strongest on Caring and weakest on Well-Led.
Inspection Freshness
How recently homes were inspected by the national regulator
97% 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 Kent
89% of 37 homes there are rated Good or Outstanding.
Average weekly costs range from about £1,475 to £1,620 across the county's larger towns.
261 homes (46%) currently offer this specialist support.
495 homes sit in the county's biggest local-authority cluster.
Care Standards in Kent
Specialist care coverage and food safety ratings across 573 homes
Overall quality
79%
Good or Outstanding
Largest specialist signal
261 homes
Dementia support (46%)
Specialist Care Coverage
This is the clearest specialist category currently reaching meaningful scale in the public county dataset.
261 (46%)
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 Kent
Compare how care quality, pricing, and nursing supply vary across the main towns and local care markets in Kent.
Ashford
Kent
Ashford is one of the key care markets in Kent, with 37 homes in the current dataset. This is a broad care market with both nursing and dementia provision. Prices here run above the county average.
Folkestone
Kent
Folkestone is one of the key care markets in Kent, with 37 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.
Maidstone
Kent
Maidstone tends to work as Kent's practical middle ground: a sizeable county-town market with enough nursing depth to keep options open, but usually with less of the pricing distortion families see in the most London-facing parts of the county.
Canterbury
Kent
Canterbury often appeals to families who want a more established residential care market with a clearer sense of place. The trade-off is that homes here can feel more selective, so availability and price discipline matter as much as headline quality.
Dover
Kent
Dover is one of the key care markets in Kent, with 31 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.
Rochester
Medway
Rochester is one of the key care markets in Kent, with 27 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.
Which towns are easiest to visit and support in Kent?
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
Maidstone
Maidstone 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 1.2km
- 7 bus stops nearby
- 50% of homes show parking
- 72% of homes show lift access
Strongest healthcare access around homes
Ashford
Ashford 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 0.9km
- Avg GP distance 1.1km
- Avg pharmacy distance 0.7km
Most convenient day-to-day setup
Dover
Dover 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.
- 52% of homes show Wi-Fi
- 94% of homes show gardens
- 52% of homes show parking
- Avg green space distance 629m
County-wide data signals for Kent
A structured view of the care type, CQC, financial-risk, postcode and linked-city signals behind this county guide.
Care type split
573 homes analysed
- 147 nursing homes (26%)
- 435 residential homes (76%)
- 261 dementia-care signals (46%)
CQC distribution
79% Good or Outstanding
- 16 Outstanding
- 407 Good
- 106 Requires Improvement
- 5 Inadequate
Financial coverage
88% coverage
- 507 homes with financial signals
- 249 low risk
- 88 medium risk
- 101 high risk
- 69 critical risk
Postcode clusters
Strongest local postcode samples
CT6
23 homesCT6 is one of the strongest postcode clusters in Kent, with 23 homes around Herne Bay. Visible weekly fees average £1,350. 74% of rated homes in this postcode cluster are Good or Outstanding.
CT14
21 homesCT14 is one of the strongest postcode clusters in Kent, with 21 homes around Deal. Visible weekly fees average £1,594. 67% of rated homes in this postcode cluster are Good or Outstanding.
CT9
19 homesCT9 is one of the strongest postcode clusters in Kent, with 19 homes around Margate. Visible weekly fees average £1,155. 84% of rated homes in this postcode cluster are Good or Outstanding.
CT20
19 homesCT20 is one of the strongest postcode clusters in Kent, with 19 homes around Folkestone. Visible weekly fees average £1,576. 79% of rated homes in this postcode cluster are Good or Outstanding.
Linked city guides
Strongest city connections
Ashford is one of the strongest linked city guides inside Kent, with 37 homes, 89% Good/Outstanding ratings, 11 nursing homes and 10 dementia-care signals.
Folkestone is one of the strongest linked city guides inside Kent, with 37 homes, 83% Good/Outstanding ratings, 6 nursing homes and 11 dementia-care signals.
Maidstone is one of the strongest linked city guides inside Kent, with 36 homes, 87% Good/Outstanding ratings, 15 nursing homes and 27 dementia-care signals.
Canterbury is one of the strongest linked city guides inside Kent, with 33 homes, 84% Good/Outstanding ratings, 6 nursing homes and 18 dementia-care signals.
Dover is one of the strongest linked city guides inside Kent, with 31 homes, 79% Good/Outstanding ratings, 5 nursing homes and 13 dementia-care signals.
Town clusters
Where the county market is most concentrated
Ashford
37 homesAshford is a major Kent care market with 37 homes in the county dataset. 89% of rated homes are Good or Outstanding, with 11 nursing homes and 10 dementia-care signals available for comparison.
Folkestone
37 homesFolkestone is a major Kent care market with 37 homes in the county dataset. 83% of rated homes are Good or Outstanding, with 6 nursing homes and 11 dementia-care signals available for comparison.
Maidstone
36 homesMaidstone is a major Kent care market with 36 homes in the county dataset. 87% of rated homes are Good or Outstanding, with 15 nursing homes and 27 dementia-care signals available for comparison.
Canterbury
33 homesCanterbury is a major Kent care market with 33 homes in the county dataset. 84% of rated homes are Good or Outstanding, with 6 nursing homes and 18 dementia-care signals available for comparison.
Dover
31 homesDover is a major Kent care market with 31 homes in the county dataset. 79% of rated homes are Good or Outstanding, with 5 nursing homes and 13 dementia-care signals available for comparison.
Why families in Kent use RightCareHome
Why this is more useful than a directory when the decision is serious
Without independent analysis
- 573 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 Kent
Practical answers based on available local data and typical family concerns.
Still have questions?
Share your situation and get an independent shortlist of homes.
Get a shortlist for KentBased on official inspections, company accounts, and food hygiene records. Source update timings vary across inspection, pricing, and public records.
More county care markets near Kent
Compare neighbouring county markets before narrowing your shortlist.
RCH Score methodology
How we rank care homes in Kent
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.
Kent 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.
Aspley House, Kent
From ≈ £6,305 / mo
from £1,450 / wk
Chitty Barn, Kent
From ≈ £6,853 / mo
from £1,576 / wk
Eglantine Villa Care Home, Kent
From ≈ £6,305 / mo
from £1,450 / wk
Family Investment (Four) Limited, Kent
From ≈ £6,853 / mo
from £1,576 / wk
Gresham House, Kent
From ≈ £6,196 / mo
from £1,425 / wk
Hale Place Farmhouse, Kent
From ≈ £9,240 / mo
from £2,125 / wk
Insight SBS ltd 201 London Road, Kent
From ≈ £6,305 / mo
from £1,450 / wk
Moordean, Kent
From ≈ £4,996 / mo
from £1,149 / wk
Rose Farm House, Kent
From ≈ £6,935 / mo
from £1,595 / wk
When one Kent home stands out, verify it properly
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All Care Homes in Kent
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Choose the right next step for care in Kent
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.
Kent is large enough that the right shortlist usually appears town by town, not county-wide. Use the data to narrow the field before you start visiting homes.