By region
South West council tax 2026/27
The highest Band D in England, one of the lowest, and a coast full of second homes.
Plymouth, Band B, 2026/27
£1,899a year
First payment £189.22, then 9 of £190.00
| Band B charge | £1,899.22 |
| Bill for the year | £1,899.22 |
Band B at 7/9 of Band D.
Where the council tax goes
How Plymouth compares
Band D here is £2,441.85, number 148 of 296 in England (1 = dearest). The same band in Wandsworth, the cheapest, costs £800 on the same terms.
Think the band is wrong? How a band challenge works
The South West has 27 billing authorities for 2026/27: 13 unitary councils and 14 districts in Devon and Gloucestershire. Band D for two adults runs from £2,047.96 on the Isles of Scilly to £2,765.02 in Dorset, the highest of any billing authority in England; the simple average is £2,511.40. Two councils in the region were allowed to go above the usual limit this year: North Somerset, by up to 9 %, and Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, by up to 6.75 %. Large parish and town council precepts weigh on rural bills, and the region's many holiday homes mean the premiums on second homes, now charged by many of its councils, affect far more households here than in most of England. Five police forces cover the region, from Devon and Cornwall to Gloucestershire, each with its own precept.
Figures checked by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · How the bill is worked out
All 27 councils
| Council | Band A | Band D | Band H | Band D 2025/26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dorset | £1,843.35 | £2,765.02 | £5,530.04 | £2,630.30 | 5.1 % |
| Bristol | £1,809.12 | £2,713.68 | £5,427.36 | £2,583.89 | 5.0 % |
| West Devon | £1,803.55 | £2,705.33 | £5,410.66 | £2,574.29 | 5.1 % |
| Mid Devon | £1,770.94 | £2,656.41 | £5,312.82 | £2,521.17 | 5.4 % |
| Teignbridge | £1,762.08 | £2,643.12 | £5,286.24 | £2,512.83 | 5.2 % |
| North Devon | £1,761.47 | £2,642.21 | £5,284.42 | £2,514.66 | 5.1 % |
| South Hams | £1,743.48 | £2,615.22 | £5,230.44 | £2,491.75 | 5.0 % |
| Torridge | £1,734.28 | £2,601.42 | £5,202.84 | £2,479.12 | 4.9 % |
| East Devon | £1,730.31 | £2,595.46 | £5,190.92 | £2,461.40 | 5.4 % |
| Cornwall | £1,727.29 | £2,590.93 | £5,181.86 | £2,459.92 | 5.3 % |
| Wiltshire | £1,714.52 | £2,571.78 | £5,143.56 | £2,443.40 | 5.3 % |
| Somerset | £1,707.06 | £2,560.59 | £5,121.18 | £2,438.62 | 5.0 % |
| South Gloucestershire | £1,700.39 | £2,550.59 | £5,101.18 | £2,427.90 | 5.1 % |
| Exeter | £1,663.57 | £2,495.36 | £4,990.72 | £2,379.90 | 4.9 % |
| Stroud | £1,660.91 | £2,491.36 | £4,982.72 | £2,369.37 | 5.1 % |
| North Somerset | £1,660.81 | £2,491.22 | £4,982.44 | £2,294.94 | 8.6 % |
| Torbay | £1,646.83 | £2,470.25 | £4,940.50 | £2,350.64 | 5.1 % |
| Forest of Dean | £1,628.95 | £2,443.42 | £4,886.84 | £2,326.88 | 5.0 % |
| Plymouth | £1,627.90 | £2,441.85 | £4,883.70 | £2,325.42 | 5.0 % |
| Swindon | £1,625.40 | £2,438.10 | £4,876.20 | £2,317.63 | 5.2 % |
| Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole | £1,623.72 | £2,435.58 | £4,871.16 | £2,264.78 | 7.5 % |
| Cotswold | £1,594.43 | £2,391.65 | £4,783.30 | £2,276.70 | 5.0 % |
| Bath and North East Somerset | £1,588.95 | £2,383.42 | £4,766.84 | £2,265.80 | 5.2 % |
| Cheltenham | £1,579.68 | £2,369.52 | £4,739.04 | £2,258.28 | 4.9 % |
| Gloucester | £1,570.56 | £2,355.84 | £4,711.68 | £2,246.16 | 4.9 % |
| Tewkesbury | £1,560.35 | £2,340.53 | £4,681.06 | £2,226.55 | 5.1 % |
| Isles of Scilly | £1,365.31 | £2,047.96 | £4,095.92 | £1,950.03 | 5.0 % |
Devon and Gloucestershire
Only two counties in the region keep two tiers. Devon's 8 districts average £2,619.32 at Band D, with Devon County Council taking £1,891.17 of each. Gloucestershire's 6 districts average £2,398.72, with a county share of £1,763.46. Everywhere else a unitary council sends the bill, including Somerset, unitary since 2023, and Cornwall, Wiltshire and Dorset.
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole
BCP Council charges £2,435.58 at Band D, a rise of 7.5 %, after the government allowed it a higher limit. It shares Dorset police and Dorset and Wiltshire fire with its neighbour Dorset Council, yet its Band D is lower by £329, mainly because of the two councils' own charges, with Dorset's larger parish precepts adding to the gap.
Second homes and holiday lets
Cornwall, Devon's coastal districts, Dorset and the Isles of Scilly have many second homes. Since April 2025 English councils may charge a second home premium of up to 100 %, and Cornwall charges the full amount. A Band D second home in Cornwall now pays £5,181.86. Holiday lets that are available for 140 days a year and let for 70 pay business rates instead. The second homes guide has the exceptions.
Parishes and towns
Almost every rural home in the region is in a parish, and town councils in places such as Bridport, St Ives or Cirencester can run markets, public toilets, parks and events, all paid for by their precept. That is why the average parish precept here is higher than in the North or the Midlands. In Dorset the average is £139.59 at Band D, in Cornwall £201.37, in North Somerset £132.58. Your own parish can be well above or below the average: your bill names it.
Gloucestershire and Wiltshire
The north of the region is cheaper. The six Gloucestershire districts are among the lowest in the region, with Tewkesbury at £2,340.53, the second lowest after the Isles of Scilly. South Gloucestershire and Swindon are unitary councils on the edge of Bristol and the M4.
Cities
Bristol, Plymouth, Swindon and Bath and North East Somerset are unitary. Bristol charges £2,713.68 at Band D, Plymouth £2,441.85. Plymouth's homes are mostly in Bands A to C; the calculator above opens on Band B there.