We’ve broken down the details of where in the UK has the most expensive Council Tax, and which areas pay the least. Want to see where your Council falls? We have a full ranking of every local authority below.
Read more about Council Tax:
How is Council Tax Calculated?
The amount you’ll pay in Council Tax depends on two things – the value of the property and what local authority you live in. Every property in the UK is given a Council Tax band between A and H, based on what the property would have sold for in 1991. You can see the specific values for all 8 Council Tax bands below.
Each local authority then decides how much each band will pay for Council Tax as part of their local budget. Properties in the same band can pay very different amounts in tax depending on their location.
Where has the UK’s most expensive Council Tax?
In the tax year 2022/2023, the UK’s most expensive Council Tax bills are in Rutland, where a band D home will pay around £2,300 this year, depending on which parish they are in. In contrast, The UK’s cheapest Council Tax is in Westminster, London, where a band D property will pay approximately £866 a year.
Other areas with very high tax rates include Bristol (£2,230 annually), Durham (£2,203 annually) and Preston (£2,171 annually). All three of the cheapest areas for Council Tax are in London, with Westminster joined by Wandsworth (£873 annually) and City of London (£1,075 annually).
The cheapest and most expensive Council Tax across the UK
This is a ranking of every local authority in the UK by the average Band D council tax paid annually for a home occupied by 2 adults in the tax year 2022/2023, across England, Scotland and Wales. We’ve arranged it from cheapest to most expensive Council Tax. Looking for your council? Hit ctrl + F or cmd + F and search for the name of your local authority.
Very Low tax
|
Rank |
Council |
Tax £ |
|
1 |
Westminster |
866 |
|
2 |
Wandsworth |
873 |
|
3 |
City of London |
1,075 |
Low Tax
|
Rank |
Council |
Tax £ |
|
4 |
Shetland Islands |
1,206 |
|
5 |
Hammersmith & Fulham |
1,228 |
|
6 |
Na h-Eileanan Siar |
1,229 |
|
7 |
South Lanarkshire |
1,233 |
|
8 |
Angus |
1,242 |
|
9 |
Orkney Islands |
1,245 |
|
10 |
North Lanarkshire |
1,258 |
|
11 |
Dumfries & Galloway |
1,259 |
|
12 |
Falkirk |
1,275 |
|
13 |
Scottish Borders |
1,292 |
|
14 |
West Lothian |
1,315 |
|
15 |
Fife |
1,319 |
|
16 |
West Dunbartonshire |
1,332 |
|
17 |
East Renfrewshire |
1,335 |
|
18 |
Aberdeenshire |
1,340 |
|
19 |
East Lothian |
1,342 |
|
20 |
Clackmannanshire |
1,344 |
|
21 |
East Dunbartonshire |
1,348 |
|
22 |
Perth & Kinross |
1,351 |
|
23 |
Renfrewshire |
1,355 |
|
24 |
Inverclyde |
1,358 |
|
25 |
Moray |
1,363 |
|
26 |
Highland |
1,372 |
|
27 |
City of Edinburgh |
1,379 |
|
28 |
Kensington & Chelsea |
1,382 |
|
29 |
North Ayrshire |
1,383 |
|
30 |
South Ayrshire |
1,384 |
|
31 |
Stirling |
1,385 |
Average Tax
|
Rank |
Council |
Tax £ |
|
32 |
Argyll & Bute |
1,409 |
|
33 |
East Ayrshire |
1,417 |
|
34 |
Aberdeen City |
1,419 |
|
35 |
Dundee City |
1,419 |
|
36 |
Glasgow City |
1,428 |
|
37 |
Midlothian |
1,443 |
|
38 |
Tower Hamlets |
1,520 |
|
39 |
Windsor & Maidenhead |
1,523 |
|
40 |
Newham |
1,532 |
|
41 |
Caerphilly |
1,573 |
|
42 |
Pembrokeshire |
1,579 |
|
43 |
Newport |
1,583 |
|
44 |
Southwark |
1,595 |
|
45 |
Cardiff |
1,640 |
|
46 |
Hillingdon |
1,659 |
|
47 |
Lambeth |
1,660 |
|
48 |
Hackney |
1,671 |
|
49 |
Isles of Scilly |
1,683 |
|
50 |
Islington |
1,710 |
|
51 |
Greenwich |
1,710 |
|
52 |
Ealing |
1,735 |
|
53 |
Thurrock |
1,735 |
|
54 |
Bromley |
1,737 |
|
55 |
Wigan |
1,741 |
|
56 |
Wrexham |
1,741 |
|
57 |
Barnet |
1,746 |
|
58 |
Dudley |
1,749 |
|
59 |
Vale of Glamorgan |
1,751 |
|
60 |
Hounslow |
1,774 |
|
61 |
Ceredigion |
1,777 |
|
62 |
Carmarthenshire |
1,780 |
|
63 |
Merton |
1,781 |
|
64 |
Swansea |
1,782 |
|
65 |
Barking & Dagenham |
1,785 |
|
66 |
Trafford |
1,786 |
|
67 |
Camden |
1,792 |
|
68 |
Solihull |
1,792 |
|
69 |
Stoke-on-Trent |
1,797 |
|
70 |
Torfaen |
1,803 |
|
71 |
Conwy |
1,803 |
|
72 |
Powys |
1,814 |
|
73 |
Brent |
1,815 |
|
74 |
Flintshire |
1,815 |
|
75 |
Birmingham |
1,816 |
|
76 |
Lewisham |
1,817 |
|
77 |
Sandwell |
1,831 |
|
78 |
Sunderland |
1,832 |
|
79 |
Doncaster |
1,842 |
|
80 |
Enfield |
1,842 |
|
81 |
Monmouthshire |
1,847 |
|
82 |
Denbighshire |
1,853 |
|
83 |
Slough |
1,855 |
|
84 |
Southend-on-Sea |
1,856 |
|
85 |
Peterborough |
1,856 |
|
86 |
Bradford |
1,857 |
|
87 |
Bracknell Forest |
1,861 |
|
88 |
Basingstoke & Deane |
1,863 |
|
89 |
Redbridge |
1,864 |
|
90 |
York |
1,865 |
|
91 |
Leeds |
1,869 |
|
92 |
Manchester |
1,873 |
|
93 |
Fareham |
1,878 |
|
94 |
Haringey |
1,880 |
|
95 |
Portsmouth |
1,882 |
|
96 |
Wakefield |
1,883 |
|
97 |
Kingston-upon-Hull |
1,885 |
|
98 |
Rhondda Cynon Taf |
1,886 |
|
99 |
Telford & Wrekin |
1,887 |
|
100 |
Gwynedd |
1,893 |
|
101 |
Test Valley |
1,899 |
|
102 |
Broxbourne |
1,901 |
|
103 |
Medway |
1,909 |
|
104 |
Wychavon |
1,909 |
|
105 |
Derby |
1,910 |
|
106 |
Eastleigh |
1,911 |
|
107 |
Brentwood |
1,912 |
|
108 |
Rushmoor |
1,922 |
|
109 |
Tamworth |
1,922 |
|
110 |
Havant |
1,922 |
|
111 |
Stafford |
1,922 |
|
112 |
South Kesteven |
1,922 |
|
113 |
Epping Forest |
1,923 |
|
114 |
Bexley |
1,923 |
|
115 |
South Staffordshire |
1,923 |
|
116 |
Tendring |
1,923 |
|
117 |
East Hampshire |
1,932 |
|
118 |
Braintree |
1,933 |
|
119 |
Sutton |
1,933 |
|
120 |
Colchester |
1,934 |
|
121 |
Tewkesbury |
1,934 |
|
122 |
East Lindsey |
1,935 |
|
123 |
Halton |
1,937 |
|
124 |
East Suffolk |
1,939 |
|
125 |
Waltham Forest |
1,940 |
|
126 |
Mid Suffolk |
1,941 |
|
127 |
Worcester |
1,941 |
|
128 |
South Holland |
1,941 |
|
129 |
Milton Keynes |
1,943 |
|
130 |
Gosport |
1,944 |
|
131 |
Chelmsford |
1,946 |
|
132 |
Winchester |
1,949 |
|
133 |
Barnsley |
1,949 |
|
134 |
Staffordshire Moorlands |
1,950 |
|
135 |
Bath & North East Somerset |
1,950 |
|
136 |
Bridgend |
1,951 |
|
137 |
Chesterfield |
1,954 |
|
138 |
Babergh |
1,954 |
|
139 |
Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole |
1,955 |
|
140 |
Gloucester |
1,955 |
|
141 |
West Suffolk |
1,956 |
|
142 |
Southampton |
1,956 |
|
143 |
South Derbyshire |
1,957 |
|
144 |
Newcastle-under-Lyme |
1,958 |
|
145 |
North Somerset |
1,959 |
|
146 |
Somerset West & Taunton |
1,959 |
|
147 |
Bolton |
1,960 |
|
148 |
East Staffordshire |
1,962 |
|
149 |
Cheltenham |
1,964 |
|
150 |
Uttlesford |
1,966 |
|
151 |
Croydon |
1,966 |
|
152 |
Cotswold |
1,967 |
|
153 |
Warrington |
1,969 |
|
154 |
Maldon |
1,970 |
|
155 |
Havering |
1,971 |
|
156 |
St Helens |
1,972 |
|
157 |
Erewash |
1,972 |
|
158 |
Lichfield |
1,972 |
|
159 |
Boston |
1,973 |
|
160 |
Hertsmere |
1,975 |
|
161 |
Castle Point |
1,977 |
|
162 |
Stevenage |
1,978 |
|
163 |
Hart |
1,978 |
|
164 |
Calderdale |
1,981 |
|
165 |
Swindon |
1,982 |
|
166 |
Harlow |
1,984 |
|
167 |
Tameside |
1,984 |
|
168 |
Malvern Hills |
1,984 |
|
169 |
Dartford |
1,985 |
|
170 |
South Tyneside |
1,985 |
|
171 |
North Northamptonshire |
1,985 |
|
172 |
High Peak |
1,986 |
|
173 |
Basildon |
1,986 |
|
174 |
Dacorum |
1,986 |
|
175 |
New Forest |
1,988 |
|
176 |
Cannock Chase |
1,988 |
|
177 |
Sedgemoor |
1,988 |
|
178 |
Hinckley & Bosworth |
1,989 |
|
179 |
North Kesteven |
1,990 |
|
180 |
Hambleton |
1,990 |
|
181 |
Redditch |
1,991 |
|
182 |
St Albans |
1,994 |
|
183 |
Rochford |
1,994 |
|
184 |
Swale |
1,995 |
|
185 |
Kirklees |
1,997 |
|
186 |
Three Rivers |
1,998 |
|
187 |
Crawley |
1,999 |
|
188 |
Lincoln |
1,999 |
High Tax
|
Rank |
Council |
Tax £ |
|
189 |
Ashford |
2,000 |
|
190 |
Shropshire |
2,000 |
|
191 |
Bromsgrove |
2,002 |
|
192 |
Great Yarmouth |
2,002 |
|
193 |
North Lincolnshire |
2,003 |
|
194 |
Gravesham |
2,003 |
|
195 |
Amber Valley |
2,003 |
|
196 |
Luton |
2,004 |
|
197 |
North Tyneside |
2,004 |
|
198 |
Cheshire East |
2,004 |
|
199 |
Plymouth |
2,008 |
|
200 |
Horsham |
2,010 |
|
201 |
Ribble Valley |
2,010 |
|
202 |
West Lindsey |
2,011 |
|
203 |
Breckland |
2,011 |
|
204 |
Neath Port Talbot |
2,012 |
|
205 |
Wyre Forest |
2,012 |
|
206 |
King’s Lynn & West Norfolk |
2,015 |
|
207 |
Cambridge |
2,015 |
|
208 |
Canterbury |
2,015 |
|
209 |
Blackburn with Darwen |
2,016 |
|
210 |
Charnwood |
2,016 |
|
211 |
Forest of Dean |
2,016 |
|
212 |
East Hertfordshire |
2,017 |
|
213 |
Harborough |
2,020 |
|
214 |
Welwyn Hatfield |
2,020 |
|
215 |
East Riding of Yorkshire |
2,021 |
|
216 |
Richmond-upon-Thames |
2,022 |
|
217 |
North Hertfordshire |
2,023 |
|
218 |
Oadby & Wigston |
2,025 |
|
219 |
Broadland |
2,027 |
|
220 |
South Somerset |
2,027 |
|
221 |
Chichester |
2,028 |
|
222 |
North Norfolk |
2,030 |
|
223 |
Tunbridge Wells |
2,030 |
|
224 |
North West Leicestershire |
2,031 |
|
225 |
East Cambridgeshire |
2,032 |
|
226 |
Worthing |
2,033 |
|
227 |
Watford |
2,035 |
|
228 |
Rotherham |
2,035 |
|
229 |
Torbay |
2,037 |
|
230 |
Mid Sussex |
2,038 |
|
231 |
Melton |
2,040 |
|
232 |
West Northamptonshire |
2,041 |
|
233 |
Derbyshire Dales |
2,042 |
|
234 |
Harrow |
2,042 |
|
235 |
Mendip |
2,045 |
|
236 |
West Berkshire |
2,046 |
|
237 |
Knowsley |
2,047 |
|
238 |
Chorley |
2,048 |
|
239 |
Darlington |
2,048 |
|
240 |
Merthyr Tydfil |
2,050 |
|
241 |
Dover |
2,050 |
|
242 |
Wirral |
2,053 |
|
243 |
Wokingham |
2,053 |
|
244 |
Carlisle |
2,053 |
|
245 |
Stroud |
2,054 |
|
246 |
South Norfolk |
2,057 |
|
247 |
Arun |
2,057 |
|
248 |
Sheffield |
2,058 |
|
249 |
Cheshire West and Chester |
2,061 |
|
250 |
South Lakeland |
2,061 |
|
251 |
South Cambridgeshire |
2,062 |
|
252 |
North East Derbyshire |
2,063 |
|
253 |
Bedford |
2,063 |
|
254 |
South Ribble |
2,064 |
|
255 |
West Lancashire |
2,064 |
|
256 |
Tonbridge & Malling |
2,064 |
|
257 |
Blackpool |
2,064 |
|
258 |
Exeter |
2,065 |
|
259 |
Wyre |
2,065 |
|
260 |
Warwick |
2,066 |
|
261 |
Selby |
2,067 |
|
262 |
Barrow-in-Furness |
2,068 |
|
263 |
Buckinghamshire |
2,068 |
|
264 |
Eden |
2,069 |
|
265 |
Thanet |
2,070 |
|
266 |
Ipswich |
2,071 |
|
267 |
Bury |
2,073 |
|
268 |
Stratford-on-Avon |
2,074 |
|
269 |
Wolverhampton |
2,074 |
|
270 |
Huntingdonshire |
2,075 |
|
271 |
Craven |
2,075 |
|
272 |
Coventry |
2,076 |
|
273 |
Leicester |
2,078 |
|
274 |
Allerdale |
2,079 |
|
275 |
Blaby |
2,079 |
|
276 |
North East Lincolnshire |
2,080 |
|
277 |
Rugby |
2,082 |
|
278 |
Ryedale |
2,083 |
|
279 |
Fylde |
2,084 |
|
280 |
Richmondshire |
2,085 |
|
281 |
Norwich |
2,085 |
|
282 |
Maidstone |
2,085 |
|
283 |
South Gloucestershire |
2,086 |
|
284 |
Copeland |
2,086 |
|
285 |
Newcastle-upon-Tyne |
2,088 |
|
286 |
Hyndburn |
2,089 |
|
287 |
Lancaster |
2,093 |
|
288 |
Scarborough |
2,097 |
|
289 |
Sevenoaks |
2,098 |
|
290 |
Blaenau Gwent |
2,099 |
|
291 |
Harrogate |
2,099 |
|
292 |
Wiltshire |
2,100 |
|
293 |
Runnymede |
2,102 |
|
294 |
Nuneaton & Bedworth |
2,102 |
|
295 |
West Oxfordshire |
2,103 |
|
296 |
Salford |
2,105 |
|
297 |
Cornwall |
2,109 |
|
298 |
Rochdale |
2,110 |
|
299 |
Bolsover |
2,111 |
|
300 |
Fenland |
2,111 |
|
301 |
Redcar & Cleveland |
2,112 |
|
302 |
Herefordshire |
2,114 |
|
303 |
Brighton & Hove |
2,119 |
|
304 |
Adur |
2,119 |
|
305 |
Folkestone & Hythe |
2,119 |
|
306 |
Rossendale |
2,122 |
|
307 |
Sefton |
2,122 |
|
308 |
Kingston-upon-Thames |
2,123 |
|
309 |
Mole Valley |
2,124 |
|
310 |
Vale of White Horse |
2,124 |
|
311 |
North Warwickshire |
2,128 |
|
312 |
Oldham |
2,128 |
|
313 |
East Devon |
2,130 |
|
314 |
Spelthorne |
2,132 |
|
315 |
South Oxfordshire |
2,133 |
|
316 |
Epsom & Ewell |
2,135 |
|
317 |
Cherwell |
2,138 |
|
318 |
Stockton-on-Tees |
2,138 |
|
319 |
Isle of Wight Council |
2,140 |
|
320 |
Central Bedfordshire |
2,142 |
|
321 |
Northumberland |
2,142 |
|
322 |
Stockport |
2,142 |
|
323 |
Guildford |
2,144 |
|
324 |
Torridge |
2,145 |
|
325 |
Reading |
2,145 |
Very High Tax
|
Rank |
Council |
Tax £ |
|
326 |
Burnley |
2,154 |
|
327 |
South Hams |
2,155 |
|
328 |
Elmbridge |
2,159 |
|
329 |
Teignbridge |
2,167 |
|
330 |
Middlesbrough |
2,168 |
|
331 |
North Devon |
2,170 |
|
332 |
Preston |
2,171 |
|
333 |
Reigate & Banstead |
2,173 |
|
334 |
Surrey Heath |
2,177 |
|
335 |
Woking |
2,177 |
|
336 |
Mansfield |
2,181 |
|
337 |
Tandridge |
2,181 |
|
338 |
Gedling |
2,182 |
|
339 |
Walsall |
2,183 |
|
340 |
Mid Devon |
2,186 |
|
341 |
Ashfield |
2,188 |
|
342 |
Broxtowe |
2,188 |
|
343 |
Waverley |
2,188 |
|
344 |
Liverpool |
2,195 |
|
345 |
Hartlepool |
2,197 |
|
346 |
Eastbourne |
2,199 |
|
347 |
Durham |
2,203 |
|
348 |
Rushcliffe |
2,206 |
|
349 |
Bassetlaw |
2,210 |
|
350 |
Rother |
2,211 |
|
351 |
Pendle |
2,211 |
|
352 |
Gateshead |
2,214 |
|
353 |
Hastings |
2,219 |
|
354 |
Oxford |
2,225 |
|
355 |
Bristol |
2,230 |
|
356 |
West Devon |
2,231 |
|
357 |
Newark & Sherwood |
2,252 |
|
358 |
Wealden |
2,252 |
|
359 |
Lewes |
2,281 |
|
360 |
Dorset Council |
2,290 |
|
361 |
Nottingham |
2,294 |
|
362 |
Rutland |
2,300 |
