Essex vs Hampshire
Essex County Council charges £1,580.00 Band D council tax in 2025-26, compared to £1,610.00 for Hampshire County Council — a difference of £30.00. Essex County Council is cheaper.
Key metrics
Side-by-side comparison for 2025-26
EssexHampshire
Band D Council Tax£1,580.00 (lower)£1,610.00
Year-on-year change+3.7% (lower)+5.0%
Total service budget£2.2 billion£2.6 billion
Population1,563,3651,447,214
Spending per person£1,412£1,805
Spending by service
Budget allocation comparison
EssexHampshire
Education£915.4 million£1.4 billion
Adult Social Care£727.4 million£642.8 million
Children's Services£222.2 million£300.3 million
Environment & Streets£96.8 million£72.7 million
Roads & Transport£98.7 million£77.6 million
Housing£1.2 million£62,000
Leisure & Culture£27.3 million£24.3 million
Public Health£76.7 million£65.1 million
Planning£11.1 million£5.4 million
Council Services£29.9 million£13.5 million