Can a Care workers and home carers afford to rent in South West?
Can a Care workers and home carers afford to rent in South West?
In South West, a Care workers and home carers earns a full-time median of £27,061 per year (ONS ASHE 2025, April 2025). Average monthly rent is £1,234 (ONS PIPR, May 2026), giving a Gera Affordability Ratio of 54.7% — rated "Unaffordable": Significantly above the 30% ONS threshold.
Gera Affordability Ratio
Unaffordable — Significantly above the 30% ONS threshold. Methodology: ratio of monthly rent to monthly gross salary (ONS threshold ≤ 30%).
How this is calculatedKey figures — South West
Regional salary
£27,061
ONS ASHE 2025 FT median
Monthly gross
£2,255
Before tax
Avg rent / mo
£1,234
ONS PIPR May 2026
1-bed rent
£823
per month
2-bed rent
£1,056
per month
Avg house price
£302,618
UKHPI Apr 2026
Gera Affordability Ratio breakdown
GAR — average rent
54.7%
Unaffordable
Significantly above the 30% ONS threshold.
GAR — 2-bed rent
46.8%
Unaffordable
£1,056 / mo
Gera Buy Ratio
11.2×
Out of reach
Over 8× annual salary — very high price-to-income ratio.
GAR = (monthly rent ÷ monthly gross salary) × 100 · ONS threshold: ≤ 30% = affordable · Methodology
Your Gera Affordability Ratio — personalise by salary
The page uses the ONS ASHE 2025 median. Enter your actual salary to see how your personal ratio compares.
ONS 2025 median for Care workers and home carers: £27,061
Gera Affordability Ratio — average rent
54.7%
Unaffordable
£1,234 rent ÷ £2,255 monthly gross = 54.7% — above the 30% ONS threshold.
1-bed
36.5%
£823 / mo
2-bed
46.8%
£1,056 / mo
Gera Buy Ratio (house price ÷ salary)
11.2×
£302,618 average house price ÷ £27,061 salary. Very high (over 8×).
Gross salary only — does not account for income tax, NI, or other deductions. Use the Take-Home Pay calculator for net income.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the median salary for a Care workers and home carers in South West?
- According to ONS ASHE 2025 provisional data (reference period April 2025), the full-time median gross annual pay for a Care workers and home carers in South West is £27,061, or £2,255 per month before tax. The UK national median for this role is £27,468.
- What is the average rent in South West?
- The average monthly private rent in South West is £1,234 across all property types (ONS PIPR, May 2026). A 1-bed averages £823. A 2-bed averages £1,056. A 3-bed averages £1,285.
- What is the Gera Affordability Ratio for a Care workers and home carers in South West?
- The Gera Affordability Ratio (GAR) for a Care workers and home carers in South West is 54.7% for average rent and 46.8% for a 2-bed. GAR = (monthly_rent ÷ monthly_gross_salary) × 100. A ratio ≤ 30% is rated "Unaffordable".
- Can a Care workers and home carers afford to buy in South West?
- The average house price in South West is £302,618 (UKHPI April 2026). At a regional salary of £27,061, the price-to-income multiple (Gera Buy Ratio) is 11.2×, rated "Out of reach" — Over 8× annual salary — very high price-to-income ratio.
- What percentage of gross income does rent take for a Care workers and home carers in South West?
- Rent takes 54.7% of gross monthly income for this occupation in South West at average rent, or 46.8% for a 2-bed flat. The ONS affordability threshold is 30%; this area is therefore rated "Unaffordable".
Care workers and home carers affordability in other regions
Data sources
Salary: Office for National Statistics — Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) 2025 provisional · As of April 2025 · Open Government Licence v3.0
Rent: Office for National Statistics — Price Index of Private Rents (PIPR), May 2026 · As of May 2026 · Open Government Licence v3.0
House prices: HM Land Registry — UK House Price Index (UKHPI), April 2026 · As of April 2026 · Open Government Licence v3.0
Full methodology · ← All regions for Care workers and home carers
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