Welsh council tax rates 2026/27: all 22 councils ranked
Charges data last updated
Band D council tax across Wales's 22 councils runs from £2,013.18 in Cardiff to £2,593.60 in Merthyr Tydfil for 2026/27. The simple average is £2,326.14, and the median rise on 2025/26 was 5.28%. Wales has nine bands, A to I, based on values at 1 April 2003. If your band looks wrong, the official challenge is free.
Council tax bands A to I in every Welsh council, 2026/27
| Rank | Council | Band A | Band B | Band C | Band D | Band E | Band F | Band G | Band H | Band I | Band D change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cardiff | £1,342.12 | £1,565.81 | £1,789.49 | £2,013.18 | £2,460.55 | £2,907.93 | £3,355.30 | £4,026.36 | £4,697.42 | +4.52% |
| 2 | Caerphilly | £1,388.59 | £1,620.02 | £1,851.45 | £2,082.88 | £2,545.74 | £3,008.60 | £3,471.47 | £4,165.76 | £4,860.05 | +6.48% |
| 3 | Newport | £1,392.32 | £1,624.37 | £1,856.43 | £2,088.48 | £2,552.59 | £3,016.69 | £3,480.80 | £4,176.96 | £4,873.12 | +5.27% |
| 4 | Torfaen | £1,437.12 | £1,676.64 | £1,916.16 | £2,155.68 | £2,634.72 | £3,113.76 | £3,592.80 | £4,311.36 | £5,029.92 | +4.67% |
| 5 | Pembrokeshire | £1,444.10 | £1,684.78 | £1,925.47 | £2,166.15 | £2,647.52 | £3,128.88 | £3,610.25 | £4,332.30 | £5,054.35 | +5.16% |
| 6 | Vale of Glamorgan | £1,487.70 | £1,735.64 | £1,983.59 | £2,231.54 | £2,727.44 | £3,223.34 | £3,719.24 | £4,463.09 | £5,206.93 | +6.57% |
| 7 | Swansea | £1,492.19 | £1,740.89 | £1,989.59 | £2,238.29 | £2,735.69 | £3,233.09 | £3,730.48 | £4,476.58 | £5,222.68 | +4.45% |
| 8 | Isle of Anglesey | £1,507.15 | £1,758.35 | £2,009.54 | £2,260.73 | £2,763.11 | £3,265.50 | £3,767.88 | £4,521.46 | £5,275.04 | +5.45% |
| 9 | Rhondda Cynon Taf | £1,526.29 | £1,780.67 | £2,035.05 | £2,289.43 | £2,798.19 | £3,306.95 | £3,815.72 | £4,578.86 | £5,342.00 | +4.54% |
| 10 | Wrexham | £1,539.25 | £1,795.80 | £2,052.34 | £2,308.88 | £2,821.96 | £3,335.05 | £3,848.13 | £4,617.76 | £5,387.39 | +5.29% |
| 11 | Denbighshire | £1,559.35 | £1,819.25 | £2,079.14 | £2,339.03 | £2,858.81 | £3,378.60 | £3,898.38 | £4,678.06 | £5,457.74 | +5.50% |
| 12 | Carmarthenshire | £1,567.47 | £1,828.71 | £2,089.96 | £2,351.20 | £2,873.69 | £3,396.18 | £3,918.67 | £4,702.40 | £5,486.13 | +5.34% |
| 13 | Powys | £1,567.81 | £1,829.12 | £2,090.42 | £2,351.72 | £2,874.32 | £3,396.93 | £3,919.53 | £4,703.44 | £5,487.35 | +5.25% |
| 14 | Flintshire | £1,584.11 | £1,848.13 | £2,112.15 | £2,376.17 | £2,904.21 | £3,432.25 | £3,960.28 | £4,752.34 | £5,544.40 | +5.77% |
| 15 | Monmouthshire | £1,611.00 | £1,879.50 | £2,148.00 | £2,416.50 | £2,953.50 | £3,490.50 | £4,027.50 | £4,833.00 | £5,638.50 | +6.12% |
| 16 | Ceredigion | £1,612.97 | £1,881.79 | £2,150.62 | £2,419.45 | £2,957.11 | £3,494.76 | £4,032.42 | £4,838.90 | £5,645.38 | +5.37% |
| 17 | Gwynedd | £1,645.85 | £1,920.15 | £2,194.46 | £2,468.77 | £3,017.39 | £3,566.00 | £4,114.62 | £4,937.54 | £5,760.46 | +5.49% |
| 18 | Conwy | £1,648.55 | £1,923.30 | £2,198.06 | £2,472.82 | £3,022.34 | £3,571.85 | £4,121.37 | £4,945.64 | £5,769.91 | +6.55% |
| 19 | Bridgend | £1,651.99 | £1,927.33 | £2,202.66 | £2,477.99 | £3,028.65 | £3,579.32 | £4,129.98 | £4,955.98 | £5,781.98 | +5.11% |
| 20 | Blaenau Gwent | £1,687.51 | £1,968.76 | £2,250.01 | £2,531.26 | £3,093.76 | £3,656.26 | £4,218.77 | £5,062.52 | £5,906.27 | +4.23% |
| 21 | Neath Port Talbot | £1,694.26 | £1,976.64 | £2,259.01 | £2,541.39 | £3,106.14 | £3,670.90 | £4,235.65 | £5,082.78 | £5,929.91 | +4.12% |
| 22 | Merthyr Tydfil | £1,729.07 | £2,017.24 | £2,305.42 | £2,593.60 | £3,169.96 | £3,746.31 | £4,322.67 | £5,187.20 | £6,051.73 | +5.26% |
Band D is the Welsh Government's published figure for each billing authority for 2026/27; the other bands are the statutory fractions of it (A 6/9, B 7/9, C 8/9, E 11/9, F 13/9, G 15/9, H 18/9, I 21/9). Band D change is against 2025/26. Compare every UK council in council tax increases for 2026/27.
Check your council tax band in Wales against your neighbours
Enter your postcode to see your band next to the bands of similar homes on your street, from the VOA's own list. Free, no account. If your band is one too high, challenging is free through gov.uk and refunds are backdated.
Welsh bands rest on 2003 values
Wales is the only nation in Britain to have revalued its homes for council tax. Every Welsh band reflects the property's value at 1 April 2003, effective from 1 April 2005, and Band I covers homes worth over £424,000 at that date. Our guide to council tax bands in Wales has the full threshold table. A further revaluation is written into the Local Government Finance (Wales) Act 2024 for 2028, but as of August 2026 the Welsh Government was reviewing whether to proceed; see the Wales council tax revaluation in 2028 for the latest.
Your council sets the charge; you can check the band
Nobody can appeal their council's charge, but the band it is applied to can be wrong. In Wales, one band too high costs between a ninth and a third of Band D every year, and refunds are backdated. Welsh bands are set by the Valuation Office Agency, and challenging is free on gov.uk. Of 39,590 challenges the VOA resolved in England and Wales in the year to March 2024, 10,530 (27%) ended in a lower band and 30 moved up. Our £9.99 evidence pack builds the comparable-property case, using 2003-era evidence for Welsh homes, if you want it done for you.
Is your Welsh band one too high?
Enter your postcode to compare your band with similar homes on your street, using the VOA's own list. The check is free, and so is the challenge.
Check my council tax bandFrequently asked questions
What are the council tax rates in Wales for 2026/27?
Band D council tax in Wales for 2026/27 runs from £2,013.18 in Cardiff to £2,593.60 in Merthyr Tydfil. The simple average across the 22 councils is £2,326.14. Band A is two thirds of Band D and Band I is 21 ninths of it.
Which Welsh council has the cheapest council tax in 2026/27?
Cardiff has the lowest Band D in Wales for 2026/27 at £2,013.18 a year, followed by Caerphilly at £2,082.88. Merthyr Tydfil is the highest at £2,593.60.
How much did council tax go up in Wales in 2026/27?
The median Band D rise across Wales's 22 councils was 5.28% for 2026/27. The largest was +6.57% in Vale of Glamorgan and the smallest +4.12% in Neath Port Talbot. 16 of 22 rose by more than 4.99%.
Why does Wales have nine council tax bands?
Wales revalued every home at 1 April 2003 prices, effective from 1 April 2005, and added Band I for homes worth over £424,000 at those values. England and Scotland still use eight bands based on 1991 values.
How do I challenge my council tax band in Wales?
Welsh bands are set by the Valuation Office Agency, the same as in England, and the challenge is free on gov.uk. Your evidence must reflect 1 April 2003 values, so comparable sales between 2001 and 2005 carry the most weight. Of 39,590 challenges resolved in England and Wales in the year to March 2024, 27% ended in a lower band.
Sources
- Welsh Government: Council Tax levels, April 2026 to March 2027 (Band D for 2025 to 2026 and 2026 to 2027)
- GOV.WALES: Council Tax reform and revaluation
- GOV.WALES: Local Government Finance (Wales) Act 2024
- VOA: Council Tax challenges and changes in England and Wales, year to March 2024
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.