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The average Band D council tax across England's 296 billing authorities for 2026-27 is £2,411 — up 4.8% on last year, compared with a 4.9% average rise the year before. The highest is Dorset UA Council at £2,765.00; the lowest is Wandsworth at £1,028.00.
All 296 billing authorities with a published 2026-27 Band D bill. County councils are not billing authorities, so they are not counted here.
Compare like with like — different council types do different jobs. County councils show their own 2025-26 share, the latest published; everything else is the full 2026-27 area bill.
Across all billing authorities. See full top 20 by type →
Across all billing authorities. See full top 20 by type →
Top 10 areas where the Band D bill rose the most from 2025-26 to 2026-27.
Pick up to 5 councils side by side: Band D, total bill, budget breakdowns, CEO pay, suppliers.
Open the comparison toolCommon questions about how council tax compares across England.
For 2026-27 (effective April 2026), the average Band D council tax across England's 296 billing authorities is £2,411 — up 4.8% on last year, compared with a 4.9% average rise the year before.
Compare Band D bills within the same council type. For billing authorities — unitary, metropolitan, London borough and district councils — the figure is the full Band D bill for the area, including any county, police and fire shares. County councils only show their own share, so they are compared separately.
5% (technically 4.99%) is the most a council can normally add to its own share without holding a local referendum — councils in severe financial difficulty can get government permission to go higher. In 110 of 296 billing areas the whole 2026-27 Band D bill rose by 4.99% or more; the biggest area rise was Shropshire Council at 9.0%.
Dorset UA Council has the highest Band D council tax in England for 2026-27 at £2,765.00.
Wandsworth has the lowest Band D council tax in England for 2026-27 at £1,028.00.
Most homes are in bands A to C, which are charged less than Band D — so the typical household pays less than the average Band D figure of £2,411. CivAccount shows your specific bill once you select your council.