Council Tax in the East of England 2026/27: All 45 Councils, Highest to Lowest
The 45 billing authorities in the East of England average £2,391.20 at Band D for 2026/27 (England: £2,410.97), up 4.7% on average. Huntingdonshire is the dearest at £2,556.40, Thurrock the cheapest at £2,254.68. 26 of the 45 apply the second-homes premium.
Every council in the East of England, ranked by Band D
Band D is MHCLG’s area council tax for two adults, including the adult social care, county, police, fire and average parish elements. Open a council for all eight bands, its monthly equivalents, and the full empty-home premium schedule.
| # | Council | Type | Band D 2026/27 | Change | Second-home premium | Empty 10+ yrs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Huntingdonshire | Shire district | £2,556.40 | +4.8% | No | 300% |
| 2 | Fenland | Shire district | £2,537.74 | +4.3% | Yes — 100% | 300% |
| 3 | South Cambridgeshire | Shire district | £2,536.25 | +5.0% | No | 300% |
| 4 | Central Bedfordshire | Unitary authority | £2,516.16 | +5.1% | No | 300% |
| 5 | Norwich | Shire district | £2,503.44 | +4.7% | Yes — 100% | 300% |
| 6 | East Cambridgeshire | Shire district | £2,485.18 | +4.7% | No | 300% |
| 7 | South Norfolk | Shire district | £2,482.87 | +4.9% | No | 300% |
| 8 | Bedford | Unitary authority | £2,471.74 | +5.1% | Yes — 100% | 300% |
| 9 | Ipswich | Shire district | £2,468.25 | +4.7% | Yes — 100% | 300% |
| 10 | Cambridge | Shire district | £2,467.02 | +4.7% | Yes — 100% | 300% |
| 11 | North Norfolk | Shire district | £2,459.93 | +5.1% | Yes — 100% | 300% |
| 12 | East Hertfordshire | Shire district | £2,454.78 | +4.9% | No | 300% |
| 13 | Welwyn Hatfield | Shire district | £2,452.26 | +5.1% | Yes — 100% | 300% |
| 14 | North Hertfordshire | Shire district | £2,448.52 | +5.0% | No | 300% |
| 15 | Watford | Shire district | £2,446.70 | +4.4% | No | — |
| 16 | Breckland | Shire district | £2,443.67 | +4.9% | No | — |
| 17 | Luton | Unitary authority | £2,439.93 | +5.2% | No | — |
| 18 | Broadland | Shire district | £2,437.78 | +4.7% | No | 300% |
| 19 | King's Lynn & West Norfolk | Shire district | £2,430.13 | +4.8% | Yes — 100% | 300% |
| 20 | Three Rivers | Shire district | £2,422.31 | +5.0% | No | — |
| 21 | St Albans | Shire district | £2,419.22 | +4.9% | No | 300% |
| 22 | Great Yarmouth | Shire district | £2,414.41 | +4.7% | Yes — 100% | 300% |
| 23 | Dacorum | Shire district | £2,408.51 | +5.0% | No | 300% |
| 24 | Hertsmere | Shire district | £2,405.83 | +5.1% | Yes — 100% | — |
| 25 | Stevenage | Shire district | £2,391.97 | +4.8% | No | — |
| 26 | Rochford | Shire district | £2,363.48 | +4.2% | Yes — 100% | — |
| 27 | West Suffolk | Shire district | £2,351.47 | +4.8% | Yes — 100% | 300% |
| 28 | Babergh | Shire district | £2,341.55 | +4.8% | Yes — 100% | 300% |
| 29 | East Suffolk | Shire district | £2,334.80 | +5.1% | Yes — 100% | 300% |
| 30 | Uttlesford | Shire district | £2,333.82 | +4.3% | Yes — 100% | 100% |
| 31 | Maldon | Shire district | £2,328.37 | +4.3% | Yes — 100% | 300% |
| 32 | Basildon | Shire district | £2,327.24 | +3.7% | No | 300% |
| 33 | Castle Point | Shire district | £2,318.63 | +4.1% | No | 0% |
| 34 | Mid Suffolk | Shire district | £2,316.88 | +4.9% | Yes — 100% | 300% |
| 35 | Broxbourne | Shire district | £2,306.43 | +4.9% | No | 0% |
| 36 | Chelmsford | Shire district | £2,300.18 | +4.2% | Yes — 100% | 300% |
| 37 | Harlow | Shire district | £2,298.69 | +3.7% | Yes — 100% | 0% |
| 38 | Peterborough | Unitary authority | £2,293.47 | +4.9% | Yes — 100% | 300% |
| 39 | Colchester | Shire district | £2,282.85 | +4.1% | Yes — 100% | 300% |
| 40 | Braintree | Shire district | £2,280.34 | +3.9% | Yes — 100% | 300% |
| 41 | Epping Forest | Shire district | £2,277.21 | +4.1% | No | 300% |
| 42 | Tendring | Shire district | £2,269.63 | +4.2% | Yes — 100% | 300% |
| 43 | Southend-on-Sea | Unitary authority | £2,265.17 | +5.1% | Yes — 100% | 300% |
| 44 | Brentwood | Shire district | £2,258.14 | +4.2% | Yes — 100% | 300% |
| 45 | Thurrock | Unitary authority | £2,254.68 | +5.1% | Yes — 100% | 300% |
Premiums across the region
26 of the 45 councils billed the second-homes premium in 2025/26 and 44 charge an empty-home premium at some stage. gov.uk: “You can also be charged up to 2 times your normal Council Tax. This is sometimes known as the second homes premium.” Which councils, and at what rate for how long empty, is on the second-home premium tracker; the England-wide Band D table is on council tax rates 2026/27.
Band D and bands A–H: MHCLG, Council Tax levels set by local authorities in England 2026 to 2027 (published 25 March 2026, Table 9 area council tax for two adults, including precepts); 2025/26 comparator and % change from the MHCLG live tables. Premiums: MHCLG Council Taxbase 2025 (CTB1 return, revised 21 January 2026) = policy for 2025/26; the 2026/27 return is due around November 2026. Rules quoted from gov.uk (checked 5 September 2026). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Averages and rankings are ours, computed across the 296 billing authorities.
Asked about this council
Huntingdonshire, at £2,556.40 for Band D in 2026/27. The lowest in the region is Thurrock at £2,254.68.
The simple average Band D across the region's 45 billing authorities is £2,391.20 for 2026/27, against £2,410.97 across England.
26 of 45 in their 2025/26 returns to MHCLG. Councils decide each year; the 2026/27 return is due around November 2026.