The cheapest and dearest councils for council tax, 2026/27
In 2026/27, the highest Band D council tax in England is in Dorset, at £2,765.02 a year, and the lowest in Wandsworth, at £1,028.21. In Scotland, Band D ranges from £1,468.47 in South Lanarkshire to £1,816.16 in Midlothian; in Wales, from £2,013.18 in Cardiff to £2,593.60 in Merthyr Tydfil.
The rankings below use Band D; rank 1 is the council with the highest Band D. Within each nation every band is a fixed share of Band D, the same in every council (see council tax band values), so a council's place in the ranking is the same whichever band you look at.
Why the nations are ranked separately
The three sets of figures are not counted in the same way. English figures are averages for the whole council area, parish charges included, so a bill in a particular parish may be higher or lower. Scottish figures do not include water and sewerage charges. Wales has a ninth band, I, so its top band is shown as Band I.
England: 296 councils
England: the 10 councils with the highest Band D, 2026/27
| Rank | Council | Band D a year | Band A | Band H |
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| 1 | Dorset | £2,765.02 | £1,843.35 | £5,530.04 |
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| 2 | Lewes | £2,756.17 | £1,837.45 | £5,512.34 |
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| 3 | Nottingham | £2,755.39 | £1,836.93 | £5,510.78 |
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| 4 | Rutland | £2,737.58 | £1,825.05 | £5,475.16 |
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| 5 | Wealden | £2,728.43 | £1,818.95 | £5,456.86 |
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| 6 | Gateshead | £2,715.81 | £1,810.54 | £5,431.62 |
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| 7 | Bristol | £2,713.68 | £1,809.12 | £5,427.36 |
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| 8 | West Devon | £2,705.33 | £1,803.55 | £5,410.66 |
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| 9 | Rother | £2,700.95 | £1,800.63 | £5,401.90 |
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| 10 | Newark and Sherwood | £2,682.10 | £1,788.07 | £5,364.20 |
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England: the 10 councils with the lowest Band D, 2026/27
| Rank | Council | Band D a year | Band A | Band H |
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| 296 | Wandsworth | £1,028.21 | £685.47 | £2,056.42 |
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| 295 | Westminster | £1,049.55 | £699.70 | £2,099.10 |
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| 294 | City of London | £1,329.56 | £886.37 | £2,659.12 |
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| 293 | Hammersmith and Fulham | £1,519.51 | £1,013.01 | £3,039.02 |
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| 292 | Kensington and Chelsea | £1,666.65 | £1,111.10 | £3,333.30 |
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| 291 | Tower Hamlets | £1,837.78 | £1,225.19 | £3,675.56 |
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| 290 | Newham | £1,944.23 | £1,296.15 | £3,888.46 |
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| 289 | Windsor and Maidenhead | £1,952.62 | £1,301.75 | £3,905.24 |
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| 288 | Southwark | £1,967.26 | £1,311.51 | £3,934.52 |
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| 287 | Hillingdon | £2,045.46 | £1,363.64 | £4,090.92 |
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Scotland: 32 councils
Scotland: the 5 councils with the highest Band D, 2026/27
| Rank | Council | Band D a year | Band A | Band H |
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| 1 | Midlothian | £1,816.16 | £1,210.77 | £4,449.59 |
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| 2 | Argyll & Bute | £1,783.33 | £1,188.89 | £4,369.16 |
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| 3 | Stirling | £1,752.87 | £1,168.58 | £4,294.53 |
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| 4 | East Dunbartonshire | £1,751.67 | £1,167.78 | £4,291.59 |
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| 5 | Aberdeen City | £1,747.54 | £1,165.03 | £4,281.47 |
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Scotland: the 5 councils with the lowest Band D, 2026/27
| Rank | Council | Band D a year | Band A | Band H |
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| 32 | South Lanarkshire | £1,468.47 | £978.98 | £3,597.76 |
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| 31 | Shetland Islands | £1,487.90 | £991.93 | £3,645.36 |
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| 30 | Na h-Eileanan Siar | £1,505.50 | £1,003.67 | £3,688.48 |
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| 29 | North Lanarkshire | £1,554.56 | £1,036.37 | £3,808.67 |
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| 28 | Fife | £1,573.70 | £1,049.13 | £3,855.57 |
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Wales: 22 councils
Wales: the 5 councils with the highest Band D, 2026/27
| Rank | Council | Band D a year | Band A | Band I |
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| 1 | Merthyr Tydfil | £2,593.60 | £1,729.07 | £6,051.73 |
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| 2 | Neath Port Talbot | £2,541.39 | £1,694.26 | £5,929.91 |
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| 3 | Blaenau Gwent | £2,531.26 | £1,687.51 | £5,906.27 |
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| 4 | Bridgend | £2,477.99 | £1,651.99 | £5,781.98 |
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| 5 | Conwy | £2,472.82 | £1,648.55 | £5,769.91 |
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Wales: the 5 councils with the lowest Band D, 2026/27
| Rank | Council | Band D a year | Band A | Band I |
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| 22 | Cardiff | £2,013.18 | £1,342.12 | £4,697.42 |
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| 21 | Caerphilly | £2,082.88 | £1,388.59 | £4,860.05 |
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| 20 | Newport | £2,088.48 | £1,392.32 | £4,873.12 |
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| 19 | Torfaen | £2,155.68 | £1,437.12 | £5,029.92 |
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| 18 | Pembrokeshire | £2,166.15 | £1,444.10 | £5,054.35 |
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Every other council
For any council not in these tables, choose it on the front page: it shows every band, the monthly cost and how the council compares with another one. How much bills rose this year is in the council tax increase for 2026/27.
Want the figures for your own council? Set the front page for your council.