Home-Based Care Franchises Surge on the 2026 Franchise Times Top 400 as Sector Sales Hit $10.4 Billion
Sixteen home-based care companies earned spots on the 2026 Franchise Times Top 400 — the annual ranking of the largest U.S.-based franchise systems by global systemwide sales — according to an October 2026 report by Home Health Care News. Named brands included Home Instead, Visiting Angels, Right at Home, BrightStar Care, Always Best Care, Comfort Keepers, FirstLight, Griswold, Homewatch CareGivers, Interim HealthCare, Vital Care Infusion and HomeWell.
The home care category's brands posted a combined $10.4 billion in system sales in 2025, up 7.3% from 2024, making it one of the faster-growing segments on the full Top 400 list. BrightStar Care led the category at $801 million in system sales, while FirstLight ranked No. 194 overall.
HomeWell Franchising confirmed on October 22, 2026 that it made the 2026 Top 400 for a second consecutive year. Home Health Care News reported HomeWell's position at No. 273, with $164.26 million in global systemwide sales across 201 locations — figures posted after the brand's ownership transitioned to Main Post Partners earlier in 2026.
The home care category's growth sits alongside a broader aging-demographics tailwind cited across the sector, as U.S. franchise systems built around elder and in-home support continue to add locations and multi-unit operators faster than many traditional retail and food-service categories.
