Most Expensive & Cheapest Council Tax in the UK 2025-26

For 2025-26, the most expensive Band D council tax in the UK is in Nottingham at £2,656 a year, and the cheapest is Wandsworth at £990, a difference of £1,666. Across all 765 councils the average Band D bill is £2,039.

Most expensive

£2,656

Nottingham

Cheapest

£990

Wandsworth

UK average

£2,039

median £2,050

15 most expensive councils (Band D, 2025-26)

#	Council	Region	Band D
1	Nottingham	East Midlands	£2,656
2	Bristol	South West	£2,584
3	Newcastle	North East	£2,412
4	Leicester	East Midlands	£2,400
5	Middlesbrough	North East	£2,400
6	Norwich	East of England	£2,392
7	Sheffield	Yorkshire	£2,384
8	Northampton	East Midlands	£2,380
9	Towcester	East Midlands	£2,380
10	Brackley	East Midlands	£2,380
11	Oxford	South East	£2,355
12	Cambridge	East of England	£2,355
13	Brighton	South East	£2,350
14	Torbay	South West	£2,350
15	Luton	East of England	£2,350

15 cheapest councils (Band D, 2025-26)

#	Council	Region	Band D
1	Wandsworth	London	£990
2	Westminster	London	£1,022
3	City of London	London	£1,279
4	South Lanarkshire	Scotland	£1,379
5	Dumfries & Galloway	Scotland	£1,455
6	Hammersmith & Fulham	London	£1,456
7	Scottish Borders	Scotland	£1,492
8	Fife	Scotland	£1,499
9	Shetland Islands	Scotland	£1,500
10	North Ayrshire	Scotland	£1,500
11	East Renfrewshire	Scotland	£1,500
12	Isles of Scilly	South West	£1,500
13	Western Isles	Scotland	£1,510
14	Highland	Scotland	£1,527
15	South Ayrshire	Scotland	£1,530

Average Band D council tax by region

Region / nation	Average Band D	Councils
North East	£2,135	42
Yorkshire	£2,125	58
East Midlands	£2,103	73
West Midlands	£2,074	60
South West	£2,070	99
South East	£2,066	157
East of England	£2,061	116
North West	£2,053	72
Wales	£1,964	22
London	£1,750	34
Scotland	£1,564	32

FAQ

Which UK area has the most expensive council tax?

Nottingham has the highest Band D council tax in this dataset at £2,656 for 2025-26. Council tax is set locally, so the most expensive areas tend to be smaller authorities with high precepts and fewer Band D-plus properties to spread the cost.

Where is council tax cheapest in the UK?

Wandsworth has the cheapest Band D council tax at £990, followed by other inner-London boroughs. London boroughs are typically cheapest because a large tax base and central grants keep the Band D rate low.

What is the average Band D council tax in the UK?

Across all 765 councils in this dataset the average Band D bill is £2,039 and the median is £2,050 for 2025-26. England averages £2,280, Scotland £1,579 and Wales £2,170.

Why does council tax vary so much between areas?

The gap from £990 to £2,656 (a spread of £1,666) comes down to each council's budget, the size of its tax base, adult social care and police/fire precepts, and central government funding. Two identical homes in different areas can have very different bills.

Method & source

Figures are the 2025-26 Band D council tax for 765 billing authorities across England, Scotland and Wales, the rate a typical household pays before any discount. Band D is the standard reference band. National averages are sourced from MHCLG (England), the Scottish Government and StatsWales. Rankings are free to cite with a link to this page.