Most Expensive and Cheapest Council Tax 2026/27
The 350 largest UK councils ranked by total Band D bill for 2026/27, from highest to lowest. Figures include police, fire and (in London) the GLA precept, so the comparison is like-for-like.
Quick answer
The cheapest council tax in the UK for 2026/27 is Wandsworth Borough Council at £1,020.35 at Band D, and the most expensive is Dorset Council at £2,765.02 - a difference of £1,744.67 a year for an identical Band D home. MHCLG's 2026/27 figures confirm these two as the lowest and highest average Band D of any billing authority in England; they are also the extremes among the 350 councils compared below. Figures are the Band D charge including police, fire and (in London) the GLA precept.
10 Most Expensive Councils - Band D 2026/27
| # | Council | Band D 2026/27 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dorset Council | £2,765.02 |
| 2 | Lewes | £2,756.17 |
| 3 | Nottingham City Council | £2,755.39 |
| 4 | Rutland County Council | £2,737.58 |
| 5 | Wealden | £2,728.43 |
| 6 | Gateshead Metropolitan Borough Council | £2,715.81 |
| 7 | Bristol City Council | £2,713.68 |
| 8 | West Devon | £2,705.33 |
| 9 | Rother | £2,700.95 |
| 10 | Newark and Sherwood | £2,682.10 |
10 Cheapest Councils - Band D 2026/27
| # | Council | Band D 2026/27 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wandsworth Borough Council | £1,020.35 |
| 2 | Westminster City Council | £1,049.55 |
| 3 | City of London | £1,329.56 |
| 4 | South Lanarkshire Council | £1,468.47 |
| 5 | Shetland Islands | £1,487.90 |
| 6 | Na h-Eileanan Siar | £1,505.50 |
| 7 | London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham | £1,519.51 |
| 8 | North Lanarkshire Council | £1,554.56 |
| 9 | Fife Council | £1,573.70 |
| 10 | Dumfries and Galloway | £1,578.65 |
Looking for a specific area? Browse all councils by region for the full Band A to H rate table.
Cheapest and Most Expensive Council by Region - Band D 2026/27
The lowest and highest Band D bill among the councils in each region for 2026/27. Tap a region for the full regional comparison, or a council for its complete Band A to H table.
| Region | Cheapest (Band D) | Most expensive (Band D) |
|---|---|---|
| London | Wandsworth Borough Council - £1,020.35 | Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames - £2,609.20 |
| North West | Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council - £2,152.68 | Liverpool City Council - £2,673.59 |
| North East | Sunderland City Council - £2,197.14 | Gateshead Metropolitan Borough Council - £2,715.81 |
| Yorkshire & Humber | City of Doncaster Council - £2,167.75 | North Yorkshire Council - £2,544.34 |
| West Midlands | Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council - £2,144.84 | Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council - £2,627.48 |
| East Midlands | South Kesteven - £2,260.00 | Nottingham City Council - £2,755.39 |
| East of England | Thurrock Council - £2,254.68 | Huntingdonshire - £2,556.40 |
| South East | Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead - £1,952.62 | Lewes - £2,756.17 |
| South West | Isles of Scilly - £2,047.96 | Dorset Council - £2,765.02 |
| Wales | Cardiff Council - £2,013.18 | Merthyr Tydfil - £2,593.60 |
| Scotland | South Lanarkshire Council - £1,468.47 | Midlothian - £1,816.16 |
Figures are the total Band D charge including police, fire and (in London) the GLA precept. Scottish figures are the council tax portion only; Scottish Water and waste water charges are billed on top. Based on the councils tracked in each region, not every authority.
How the ranking is calculated
Each council is ranked by its total Band D charge for 2026/27. This is the figure a Band D household actually pays: the billing authority's own charge plus the police and fire precepts, and in London the Greater London Authority precept. Parish and town council precepts, which vary street by street, are excluded so the comparison stays like-for-like.
Band D is the standard reference band. Every other band is a fixed fraction of Band D, so a council that is expensive at Band D is expensive at every band. A home in Band A pays roughly two-thirds of the Band D figure; a Band H home pays double.
This page ranks all 350 billing authorities in England, Wales and Scotland. Northern Ireland is excluded because it charges domestic rates rather than council tax.
Sources: MHCLG, 'Council Tax levels set by local authorities in England: 2026 to 2027' (25 March 2026); Welsh Government, 'Council Tax levels: April 2026 to March 2027' (24 March 2026); Scottish Government, 'Council Tax Datasets: Council Tax by band 2026-27' (31 March 2026). All Open Government Licence v3.0.