Can a Care workers and home carers afford to rent in the UK?
Can a Care workers and home carers afford to rent in the UK?
A Care workers and home carers earns a full-time median of £27,468 per year (ONS ASHE 2025 provisional, April 2025). Across 11 UK regions, rent is affordable (below 30% of gross income) in 0 out of 11. North East is most affordable at a Gera Affordability Ratio of 35.8%; London is least affordable at 96.9%.
Gera Affordability Ratio
North East is most affordable for a Care workers and home carers. 0 of 11 regions are below the 30% ONS threshold.
How this is calculatedCare workers and home carers — salary and affordability summary
National median
£27,468
ONS ASHE 2025, FT
Monthly gross
£2,289
Before tax
Affordable regions
0/11
GAR ≤ 30%
Rent affordability by UK region
Gera Affordability Ratio = (monthly rent ÷ regional median monthly salary) × 100. Sorted most affordable first. Click a region for a detailed breakdown.
| Region | Salary | Avg rent / mo | GAR | GAR 2-bed | Buy ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North East | £26,029 | £776 | 35.8% | 31.6% | 6.3× |
| Wales | £27,249 | £836 | 36.8% | 34.0% | 7.8× |
| Yorkshire and The Humber | £26,477 | £856 | 38.8% | 34.5% | 7.9× |
| Scotland | £30,181 | £1,009 | 40.1% | 36.1% | 6.4× |
| East Midlands | £26,864 | £914 | 40.8% | 36.5% | 9× |
| North West | £27,245 | £954 | 42.0% | 38.3% | 7.9× |
| West Midlands | £26,422 | £966 | 43.9% | 39.6% | 9.5× |
| South West | £27,061 | £1,234 | 54.7% | 46.8% | 11.2× |
| East of England | £27,775 | £1,280 | 55.3% | 49.2% | 12.1× |
| South East | £28,179 | £1,418 | 60.4% | 53.9% | 13.4× |
| London | £28,413 | £2,294 | 96.9% | 92.7% | 19.5× |
Frequently asked questions
- What is the median salary for a Care workers and home carers?
- According to ONS ASHE 2025 provisional data (reference period April 2025), the UK median gross annual pay for a Care workers and home carers working full-time is £27,468, which equals £2,289 per month before tax.
- Which UK region is most affordable for a Care workers and home carers to rent?
- North East is the most affordable region for a Care workers and home carers to rent, with a Gera Affordability Ratio of 35.8% — average monthly rent £776 against a regional median salary of £26,029 (ONS ASHE 2025, April 2025).
- Where is it hardest for a Care workers and home carers to afford rent?
- London is the least affordable region, with a Gera Affordability Ratio of 96.9% — average monthly rent £2,294 versus regional median salary £28,413 for this occupation.
- Can a Care workers and home carers afford to buy a home in the UK?
- At the national median salary of £27,468, buying in North East would require a price-to-income ratio of 6.3× (average house price £163,190 ÷ regional salary £26,029). That is rated "Stretched" — 5–8× salary — typical UK first-buyer stretch. The full buy-ratio across all regions is shown in the table below.
- How is the Gera Affordability Ratio calculated for a Care workers and home carers?
- GAR = (monthly_rent ÷ regional_median_monthly_salary) × 100. Salary from ONS ASHE 2025 (Table 15(4).7a, region × occupation, full-time median). Rent from ONS PIPR May 2026 (regional average monthly private rent). A ratio ≤ 30% is "affordable" per ONS guidance. Full methodology: https://gerajobs.com/affordability/methodology.
Data sources
Salary: Office for National Statistics — Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) 2025 provisional · Open Government Licence v3.0
Rent: Office for National Statistics — Price Index of Private Rents (PIPR), May 2026 · Open Government Licence v3.0
House prices: HM Land Registry — UK House Price Index (UKHPI), April 2026 · Open Government Licence v3.0
Find Care workers and home carers jobs in affordable regions
GeraJobs lists live Care workers and home carers vacancies with salary ranges — filter by your target region to find roles where the maths works.