Aerial view of East London suburb, Thames Gateway, London UK.
Picture:
Getty
By Georgia Rowe
Households in some of the poorest areas in England will continue to pay some of the highest levels of council tax on average, new official figures show.
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Residents living in metropolitan areas, mostly concentrated in the North and the Midlands, will see annual bills for Band D properties – the standard measure of council tax – averaging £2,409 this year.
This compares to London boroughs, which include both wealthy and deprived areas, where the average will be £2,068.
Households in areas served by unitary councils, which also have mixed levels of prosperity, will pay Band D charges averaging £2,490, while those billed by county-wide councils are being charged £2,452.
Across England, the average Band D council tax in 2026/27 will be £2,392 – an increase of £111 or 4.9% on 2025-26, according to the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government.
Across England, the average Band D council tax in 2026/27 will be £2,392 .
Picture:
Getty
It is the fourth year in a row that the England-wide increase has averaged around 5%.
Shadow communities secretary Sir James Cleverly said council tax rises were “cooked up in Whitehall”.
He added: “Keir Starmer promised to ease the cost of living and freeze council tax, yet families now face back-to-back hikes and a total council tax take rising by £2.6 million – another broken promise.
“Conservatives will always back hard-working people, delivering better services while keeping council tax down, while Labour, Lib Dems and Reform councils are pushing through the highest rises.”
Average council tax increase in 2026/27 for Band D properties in local areas of England.
Picture:
PA
Below is the full list of the average level of council tax for each local authority area in England for 2026/27.
Each section is arranged alphabetically and reads, from left to right: name of local authority; average total council tax for Band D property in 2026/27; (in brackets) average total council tax for Band D property in 2025/26; increase from 2025/26 to 2026/27.
The data has been published by the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government and is based on the average for a Band D property.
The figures include, where appropriate, the adult social care levy, parish precepts and any additional charges that are included on council tax bills for police, fire and regional authorities.
