Care in County Durham
County Durham carries 42.7 beds per 100 residents aged 85+, against a national average of 32.5 — oversupplied
Demand & supply today
| Residents aged 75+ | 49,386 |
| Residents aged 85+ | 12,566 |
| Registered care beds | 5,371 |
| Beds per 100 aged 85+ | 42.7 |
| Beds at the national rate (32.5/100) | 4,084 |
| Surplus vs national rate | 1,287 beds |
| Beds in homes registered for nursing | 2,911 |
| Beds in homes registered for dementia | 4,638 |
Quality of the existing stock
89% of beds sit in homes rated Good or Outstanding by the CQC. 371 beds sit in homes rated Requires improvement or Inadequate — supply that may not endure, and therefore latent demand a new scheme can plan around.
Largest providers in County Durham
| Provider | Homes | Beds |
|---|---|---|
| Gainford Care Homes Limited | 7 | 383 |
| Harbour Healthcare (North) Ltd | 5 | 314 |
| WT HI OpCo 1 Limited | 6 | 285 |
| HC-One No.2 Limited | 5 | 282 |
| Sanctuary Care Limited | 4 | 217 |
| Care UK Care Services Limited | 3 | 174 |
| MMCG (CCH) (2) Limited | 3 | 167 |
| Bondcare Willington Limited | 3 | 138 |
Appraising a care site in County Durham?
Threshold Care turns this picture into a site-level appraisal: drop a pin, set the catchment, and see the over-85 demand, every competing home and its CQC rating, the gap, and the maximum land bid — in under 60 seconds.
Become a founding partner →Care in County Durham — questions
- How many care home beds are there in County Durham?
- There are 5,371 registered care home beds across 146 CQC-registered homes in County Durham, of which 2,911 are in homes registered for nursing care and 4,638 in homes registered for dementia care (2026-07-10).
- Is County Durham undersupplied or oversupplied with care beds?
- County Durham has 42.7 beds per 100 residents aged 85+, against a national average of 32.5 — oversupplied. That is 1,287 beds above what the national rate implies.
- How will demand for care beds in County Durham change by 2043?
- The population aged 85+ in County Durham is projected to change by +68.1% between 2025 and 2043 (ONS 2022-based projections). Held at today's 5,371 beds, that would be 25.4 beds per 100 aged 85+ — undersupplied, a shortfall of 1,496 beds at the national rate.
- How many care beds does County Durham need?
- At the national rate of 32.5 beds per 100 aged 85+, County Durham would hold about 4,084 beds today against its actual 5,371, rising to roughly 6,867 beds by 2043 as the 85+ population grows.
Nearby authorities in North East: Northumberland · North Tyneside · Redcar and Cleveland · Stockton-on-Tees · Newcastle upon Tyne · South Tyneside · Sunderland · Gateshead · Darlington · Hartlepool
All of North East · All areas
Method: CQC HSCA Active Locations give every registered care home, its beds, registration scope (nursing / dementia) and latest rating; each home is assigned to a local authority by its nearest ONS population-weighted centroid. Demand is ONS small-area population aged 75+/85+ (2020); growth is ONS 2022-based subnational projections for the 85+ band (2025–2043). The national benchmark of 32.5 beds per 100 aged 85+ is computed from the same data, not assumed. Figures are estimates for research and site screening, not a substitute for a commissioned feasibility study. Updated July 2026.