Independent guide. Check your council's website for your exact bill. Data last verified April 2026.
£counciltaxcost.com
Regional comparison

Council tax by area: cheapest and most expensive councils, 2026/27

For an identical Band D home, the gap between the cheapest and dearest English council is over £1,700 a year. Below are the cheapest and dearest of each, regional averages, and the seven councils granted permission to raise above the referendum cap this year.

The gap
Cheapest Band D
£1,028
Wandsworth, London
£1,737 difference
For exactly the same band-D property
Most expensive Band D
£2,765
Dorset, South West

Cheapest English councils

#CouncilRegionBand D
1WandsworthLondon£1,028
2WestminsterLondon£1,050

Inner-London boroughs dominate. Strong business rates and historic political commitments keep household bills low.

Most expensive English councils

#CouncilRegionBand D
1DorsetSouth West£2,765
2LewesSouth East£2,756
3NottinghamEast Midlands£2,755

Unitary authorities and councils with high social-care demand tend to top the dearest list.

Regional averages, 2026/27

Authority typeAverage Band D
London boroughs£2,068
Metropolitan districts£2,409
Unitary authorities£2,490
Shire counties (incl. district)£2,452

Approximate averages based on 2026/27 council tax statistics from MHCLG. London boroughs sit well below the national figure of £2,392.

Councils raising above the 4.99% cap in 2026/27

English councils can normally raise core council tax by up to 2.99 per cent, plus a 2.00 per cent adult social-care precept, without holding a local referendum. In 2026/27 the government granted seven councils permission to exceed that cap.

CouncilApproved increase
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole6.74%
North Somerset8.99%
Shropshire8.99%
Trafford7.49%
Warrington7.49%
Windsor and Maidenhead7.49%
Worcestershire8.99%

Why London boroughs charge less

Inner-London boroughs benefit from three things at once: enormous business-rates income from offices and retail; a high concentration of high-value homes paying upper bands; and the structure of the Greater London Authority precept, which is comparatively modest. Westminster and Wandsworth in particular have made low council tax a long-standing political commitment.

Outside London, councils tend to rely more heavily on the household charge. Rural unitary authorities serve large areas with relatively few ratepayers and high social-care costs, which pushes Band D rates up.

Frequently asked questions

Why does council tax differ so much between areas?
Three main reasons. First, business rates: London boroughs collect a lot from offices and shops, so they need less from households. Second, government grants are not even, with deprived areas often receiving more. Third, areas with high social-care demand and a thin tax base (small populations spread over large rural areas) tend to charge more.
Why is Westminster so cheap?
Westminster has an enormous business-rates base from offices, hotels and retail, which subsidises the household charge. It also has a long-standing political commitment to keeping council tax low. The neighbouring borough of Kensington and Chelsea, by contrast, has chosen to charge more.
Are the most expensive councils always the worst run?
Not necessarily. Many of the dearest authorities are unitary or county councils with social-care responsibilities, large rural areas to maintain and limited business-rates income. A higher Band D rate can reflect what a council has to fund, not how well it spends.
Which councils have raised council tax above the 4.99 per cent referendum cap in 2026/27?
Seven councils were granted permission for above-cap rises in 2026/27: Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole; North Somerset; Shropshire; Trafford; Warrington; Windsor and Maidenhead; and Worcestershire. Permitted increases ranged from 6.74 per cent to 8.99 per cent.

Related: see what bands mean, all the 2026/27 changes, and how Scotland and Wales compare.