By council
Cardiff council tax 2026/27
The capital of Wales charges one of the lowest Band D rates in the country, on a scale of nine bands that England does not have.
Cardiff, Band D, 2026/27
£2,013a year
First payment £204.18, then 9 of £201.00
| Band D charge | £2,013.18 |
| Bill for the year | £2,013.18 |
Band D at 9/9 of Band D.
Where the council tax goes
How Cardiff compares
Band D here is £2,013.18, number 22 of 22 in Wales (1 = dearest). The same band in Cardiff, the cheapest, costs £2,013 on the same terms.
Think the band is wrong? How a band challenge works
Cardiff Council's Band D council tax for 2026/27 is £2,013.18, up 4.5 % from £1,926.18, which puts the city lowest of the 22 Welsh councils and £270 under the Welsh average of £2,283.08. The total has three parts at Band D: £1,603.72 for the council, £405.14 for the South Wales Police and Crime Commissioner and an average of £4.32 for community councils. Two adults in Band D pay £204.18 in the first month and £201.00 in each of the nine that follow. Bands in Wales run from A to I and rest on values at 1 April 2003; Band I, the ninth, pays 21/9 of Band D, or £4,697.42 in Cardiff. Every home will be revalued for April 2028 and the new bands are to come.
Figures checked by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · How the bill is worked out
Nine bands, A to I
| Band | Share of D | Two adults | Living alone | Each of 10 payments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Band A | 6/9 | £1,342.12 | £1,006.59 | £134.21 |
| Band B | 7/9 | £1,565.81 | £1,174.36 | £156.58 |
| Band C | 8/9 | £1,789.49 | £1,342.12 | £178.95 |
| Band D | 9/9 | £2,013.18 | £1,509.88 | £201.32 |
| Band E | 11/9 | £2,460.55 | £1,845.41 | £246.06 |
| Band F | 13/9 | £2,907.93 | £2,180.95 | £290.79 |
| Band G | 15/9 | £3,355.30 | £2,516.47 | £335.53 |
| Band H | 18/9 | £4,026.36 | £3,019.77 | £402.64 |
| Band I | 21/9 | £4,697.42 | £3,523.06 | £469.74 |
The Welsh scale is the English one with an extra band on top. Bands A to H keep the same fractions of Band D, from six ninths to eighteen ninths, but they were redrawn on 1 April 2003 values in the last Welsh revaluation, and Band I was added for the most valuable homes. A Band E house in Cardiff, worth £123,001 to £162,000 in 2003, pays £2,460.55 this year. The Valuation Office Agency guidance gives every Welsh value range.
Cardiff and the South Wales councils
Cardiff shares its police force with neighbouring councils, so the police share is identical or close across the area and the difference comes from what each council charges for itself. The table sorts them from the cheapest Band D.
| Council | Band C | Band D | Police at D | Change on 2025/26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cardiff | £1,789.49 | £2,013.18 | £405.14 | 4.5 % |
| Caerphilly | £1,851.45 | £2,082.88 | £403.53 | 6.5 % |
| Newport | £1,856.43 | £2,088.48 | £403.53 | 5.3 % |
| Vale of Glamorgan | £1,983.59 | £2,231.54 | £405.14 | 6.6 % |
| Rhondda Cynon Taf | £2,035.05 | £2,289.43 | £405.14 | 4.5 % |
| Bridgend | £2,202.66 | £2,477.99 | £405.14 | 5.1 % |
| Merthyr Tydfil | £2,305.42 | £2,593.60 | £405.14 | 5.3 % |
A move across the boundary to the Vale of Glamorgan adds £218 a year at Band D. The Wales page ranks all 22 councils.
Community councils
Community councils in Wales are the equivalent of English parish councils. Only parts of Cardiff have one, and each adds its own precept to the bills of the homes it represents, which is why the average community council share in the city is as low as £4.32 at Band D. If your annual notice lists a community council, your charge is a little above the city-wide average used on this page.
Second homes and long-term empty homes in Wales
Welsh councils may charge a premium of up to 300 % on second homes and on homes empty for a year or more, under the Welsh Government premiums guidance. Each council chooses its own rate and can set different rates for different lengths of time empty. Check Cardiff Council's rate for 2026/27 before relying on a figure, then type it into the calculator; the second home guide explains the exceptions, such as homes on the market or awaiting probate.
The 2028 revaluation
Every home in Wales is to be revalued, with new bands taking effect in April 2028, and then every five years, as set out on the Welsh Government reform page. Some Cardiff homes will move up a band and others down; the new bands, their value ranges and their ratios are still to come. Until then, the current band on the GOV.UK search is the one used for your bill, and the revaluation guide follows each step of the reform.