Council Tax in the South West 2026/27: All 27 Councils, Highest to Lowest
The 27 billing authorities in the South West average £2,511.40 at Band D for 2026/27 (England: £2,410.97), up 5.3% on average. Dorset is the dearest at £2,765.02, Isles of Scilly the cheapest at £2,047.96. 24 of the 27 apply the second-homes premium.
Every council in the South West, 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 | Dorset | Unitary authority | £2,765.02 | +5.1% | Yes — 100% | — |
| 2 | Bristol | Unitary authority | £2,713.68 | +5.0% | Yes — 100% | 300% |
| 3 | West Devon | Shire district | £2,705.33 | +5.1% | Yes — 100% | 300% |
| 4 | Mid Devon | Shire district | £2,656.41 | +5.4% | Yes — 100% | 300% |
| 5 | Teignbridge | Shire district | £2,643.12 | +5.2% | Yes — 100% | 300% |
| 6 | North Devon | Shire district | £2,642.21 | +5.1% | Yes — 100% | 300% |
| 7 | South Hams | Shire district | £2,615.22 | +5.0% | Yes — 100% | 300% |
| 8 | Torridge | Shire district | £2,601.42 | +4.9% | Yes — 100% | 300% |
| 9 | East Devon | Shire district | £2,595.46 | +5.5% | Yes — 100% | 300% |
| 10 | Cornwall | Unitary authority | £2,590.93 | +5.3% | Yes — 100% | 300% |
| 11 | Wiltshire | Unitary authority | £2,571.78 | +5.2% | No | 200% |
| 12 | Somerset | Unitary authority | £2,560.59 | +5.0% | Yes — 100% | 300% |
| 13 | South Gloucestershire | Unitary authority | £2,550.59 | +5.0% | Yes — 100% | 300% |
| 14 | Exeter | Shire district | £2,495.36 | +4.8% | Yes — 100% | — |
| 15 | Stroud | Shire district | £2,491.36 | +5.2% | Yes — 100% | 300% |
| 16 | North Somerset | Unitary authority | £2,491.22 | +8.6% | No | 300% |
| 17 | Torbay | Unitary authority | £2,470.25 | +5.1% | Yes — 100% | 300% |
| 18 | Forest of Dean | Shire district | £2,443.42 | +5.0% | Yes — 100% | 300% |
| 19 | Plymouth | Unitary authority | £2,441.85 | +5.0% | Yes — 100% | 300% |
| 20 | Swindon | Unitary authority | £2,438.10 | +5.2% | No | 300% |
| 21 | Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole | Unitary authority | £2,435.58 | +7.5% | Yes — 100% | 300% |
| 22 | Cotswold | Shire district | £2,391.65 | +5.0% | Yes — 100% | 300% |
| 23 | Bath & North East Somerset | Unitary authority | £2,383.42 | +5.2% | Yes — 100% | 300% |
| 24 | Cheltenham | Shire district | £2,369.52 | +4.9% | Yes — 100% | 300% |
| 25 | Gloucester | Shire district | £2,355.84 | +4.9% | Yes — 100% | 300% |
| 26 | Tewkesbury | Shire district | £2,340.53 | +5.1% | Yes — 100% | 300% |
| 27 | Isles of Scilly | Unitary authority | £2,047.96 | +5.0% | Yes — 100% | 0% |
Premiums across the region
24 of the 27 councils billed the second-homes premium in 2025/26 and 27 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
Dorset, at £2,765.02 for Band D in 2026/27. The lowest in the region is Isles of Scilly at £2,047.96.
The simple average Band D across the region's 27 billing authorities is £2,511.40 for 2026/27, against £2,410.97 across England.
24 of 27 in their 2025/26 returns to MHCLG. Councils decide each year; the 2026/27 return is due around November 2026.