Can a Care workers and home carers afford to rent in West Midlands?
Can a Care workers and home carers afford to rent in West Midlands?
In West Midlands, a Care workers and home carers earns a full-time median of £26,422 per year (ONS ASHE 2025, April 2025). Average monthly rent is £966 (ONS PIPR, May 2026), giving a Gera Affordability Ratio of 43.9% — 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 — West Midlands
Regional salary
£26,422
ONS ASHE 2025 FT median
Monthly gross
£2,202
Before tax
Avg rent / mo
£966
ONS PIPR May 2026
1-bed rent
£701
per month
2-bed rent
£872
per month
Avg house price
£250,625
UKHPI Apr 2026
Gera Affordability Ratio breakdown
GAR — average rent
43.9%
Unaffordable
Significantly above the 30% ONS threshold.
GAR — 2-bed rent
39.6%
Tight
£872 / mo
Gera Buy Ratio
9.5×
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: £26,422
Gera Affordability Ratio — average rent
43.9%
Unaffordable
£966 rent ÷ £2,202 monthly gross = 43.9% — above the 30% ONS threshold.
1-bed
31.8%
£701 / mo
2-bed
39.6%
£872 / mo
Gera Buy Ratio (house price ÷ salary)
9.5×
£250,625 average house price ÷ £26,422 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 West Midlands?
- 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 West Midlands is £26,422, or £2,202 per month before tax. The UK national median for this role is £27,468.
- What is the average rent in West Midlands?
- The average monthly private rent in West Midlands is £966 across all property types (ONS PIPR, May 2026). A 1-bed averages £701. A 2-bed averages £872. A 3-bed averages £1,034.
- What is the Gera Affordability Ratio for a Care workers and home carers in West Midlands?
- The Gera Affordability Ratio (GAR) for a Care workers and home carers in West Midlands is 43.9% for average rent and 39.6% 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 West Midlands?
- The average house price in West Midlands is £250,625 (UKHPI April 2026). At a regional salary of £26,422, the price-to-income multiple (Gera Buy Ratio) is 9.5×, 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 West Midlands?
- Rent takes 43.9% of gross monthly income for this occupation in West Midlands at average rent, or 39.6% 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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