Portsmouth vs Southend-on-Sea
Portsmouth Council charges £2,181.00 Band D council tax in 2025-26, compared to £2,155.00 for Southend-on-Sea Council — a difference of £26.00. Southend-on-Sea Council is cheaper.
Key metrics
Side-by-side comparison for 2025-26
PortsmouthSouthend-on-Sea
Band D Council Tax£2,181.00£2,155.00 (lower)
Year-on-year change+5.1% (lower)+5.1%
Total service budget£368.1 million£252.6 million
Population215,100183,600
Spending per person£1,712£1,376
CEO salary£190,958£201,739
Spending by service
Budget allocation comparison
PortsmouthSouthend-on-Sea
Education£124.1 million£79.5 million
Adult Social Care£83.4 million£65.2 million
Children's Services£58.5 million£41.9 million
Environment & Streets£22.8 million£19.2 million
Roads & Transport£17.3 million£523,000
Housing£14.6 million£10.1 million
Leisure & Culture£16.1 million£7.8 million
Public Health£20.4 million£11.5 million
Planning£2.3 million£2.4 million
Council Services£8.7 million£6.9 million