Colchester Council Tax 2026
East of England, England · 86,830 domestic properties
According to MHCLG, Council Tax levels set by local authorities in England 2026-27, Colchester's Band D Council Tax is £2,282.85 for 2026-27, the 265th highest of 350 UK billing authorities (higher than 24% of them) and 2% below the UK average of £2,337.00. Nearest published Band D rates sit with Rhondda Cynon Taf, York, Leeds, Braintree, then South Holland, Epping Forest. Closest published housing-stock shapes include South Gloucestershire, Isle of Wight, Havant, Southwark.
How we calculate this rank & percentile
We compare every UK billing authority with a published 2026-27 Band D rate (350 in total). Rank is one plus the number with a higher charge, so equal charges share a rank. Percentile is round(authorities with a lower charge ÷ 350 × 100). The UK average is the simple mean of every council's Band D rate in our coverage set. Because the rank spans all three nations, it compares what each authority charges, not what each charge buys. English bands rest on 1991 property values in eight bands, A to H, while Scotland uses its own 1991 thresholds and Wales revalued to 2003 values with a ninth band. An English Band D home is therefore not the same property profile as a Welsh or Scottish one. Nearest published Band D rates sit with Rhondda Cynon Taf, York, Leeds, Braintree, then South Holland, Epping Forest. See our methodology page for the full source-to-figure lineage.
- £2,282.85
- Band D charge · 2026 statutory
- Near the UK average
- +4.14%
- year-on-year vs £2,192.08
- Lower-quarter rise
- -2.3%
- vs UK avg £2,337.00
- £4,565.70
- Band H · 18/9 of Band D
Nearest published Band D rates sit with Rhondda Cynon Taf, York, Leeds, Braintree, then South Holland, Epping Forest. Closest published housing-stock shapes include South Gloucestershire, Isle of Wight, Havant, Southwark. Open Rhondda Cynon Taf for the closest published Band D on the same vintage.
Colchester · year-on-year Band D
What changed for Colchester
Colchester's Band D Council Tax rose from £2,192.08 (2025-26) to £2,282.85 (2026-27). Among 350 billing authorities by percentage rise, it ranks 293.
How to read this Band D change
This is a change in the published Band D charge, not advice about household bills. Precepts, discounts, and banding decide the amount you pay.
See UK year-on-year changesColchester bands A-H schedule
Per-band charge 2026
Colchester's nearest Band D charges nationwide
Colchester is 265th of 350 on the national Band D list at £2,282.85. Nearest published Band D rates sit with Rhondda Cynon Taf, York, Leeds, Braintree, then South Holland, Epping Forest. The six closest published 2026-27 rates, led by Rhondda Cynon Taf, ignore geography on purpose, so a map neighbour is not mistaken for a charge twin. Read the difference column as a pound gap; cross-check the East of England ranking further down when you care about local neighbours, and the stock-weighted average when you care what most of Colchester's 86,830 dwellings actually pay. Closest published housing-stock shapes include South Gloucestershire, Isle of Wight, Havant, Southwark.
| Council | Band D | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Rhondda Cynon Taf | £2,289.43 | +£6.58 |
| York | £2,287.15 | +£4.30 |
| Leeds | £2,283.73 | +£0.88 |
| Braintree | £2,280.34 | −£2.51 |
| South Holland | £2,278.20 | −£4.65 |
| Epping Forest | £2,277.21 | −£5.64 |
Band A–H charge table (2026/2027)
| Band | Annual Charge | Monthly | Sole occupant (−25%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | £1,521.90 | £152.19 | £1,141.43 |
| B | £1,775.55 | £177.56 | £1,331.66 |
| C | £2,029.20 | £202.92 | £1,521.90 |
| D | £2,282.85 | £228.29 | £1,712.14 |
| E | £2,790.15 | £279.02 | £2,092.61 |
| F | £3,297.45 | £329.75 | £2,473.09 |
| G | £3,804.75 | £380.48 | £2,853.56 |
| H | £4,565.70 | £456.57 | £3,424.27 |
England 1991 valuation ranges (Band A–H)
- Band A: Up to £40,000 (1991 valuation)
- Band B: £40,001 to £52,000
- Band C: £52,001 to £68,000
- Band D: £68,001 to £88,000 (reference band)
- Band E: £88,001 to £120,000
- Band F: £120,001 to £160,000
- Band G: £160,001 to £320,000
- Band H: Over £320,000
Source: MHCLG, Council Tax levels set by local authorities in England 2026-27 (area Band D) + statutory England band ratios documented in our methodology. Monthly figure is the annual charge / 10 (most councils use 10 monthly instalments). The sole-occupant column applies the statutory 25% single-person discount, payable when only one adult lives in the property.
What Colchester's 86,830 properties actually pay
Colchester's housing stock peaks below the reference point, in Band B, which covers 23,160 of 86,830 dwellings (26.7%). A Band B home is charged at seven-ninths of the Band D rate, which is why the typical bill here lands under the headline figure. Bands B and C between them account for 51.1% of the stock. 62.2% of dwellings on the England valuation list here are banded below D.
Weighting each band's statutory charge by the number of properties in it gives a stock-weighted average of £2,156.27 per dwelling, £126.58 (5.5%) below the £2,282.85 Band D headline, because most of the stock sits in bands charged at less than the Band D rate. On that measure Colchester is 197th of 318 authorities with published stock counts, against a £2,269.00 average. That places Colchester 31st of the 45 billing authorities in East of England, below the regional median of £2,255.65.
How to read this stock pattern
Colchester's largest property group sits in the lower half of the valuation ladder rather than at the Band D reference used in national tables. Its modal Band B charge is seven-ninths of the Band D rate, and 62.2% of the published stock lies below D. The headline alone does not show how often each band occurs. The stock-weighted amount applies the full distribution for an area-level comparison, while remaining an average rather than a household quotation.
This is a two-band centre rather than a single-band market. Bands B and C together contain 51.1% of dwellings, so neither band should be presented as a complete account of the area. The stock-weighted result combines both groups and the smaller tails into one comparable measure. The table shows where that mean comes from and prevents the distribution being flattened into an overconfident "typical property" claim.
Colchester occupies the middle half of the East of England stock-weighted distribution, below its £2,255.65 median. The regional result gives more context than a UK-wide rank without turning the difference into a superlative. It also shows that the council's band mix, not only its published Band D rate, determines where it sits among nearby authorities. The remaining distance from the median is an area-level comparison rather than a household saving or premium.
Closest housing-stock shape: South Norfolk
South Norfolk is an exceptionally close stock-shape match for Colchester: moving 2.0% of dwellings between valuation bands would make the two published distributions align. That is a stricter comparison than sharing a modal band, because all published bands contribute to the distance.
Four largest band differences
- The largest separation falls on the reference band itself. Band D contains 18.8% of Colchester's stock but 17.7% of South Norfolk's, so the national headline describes more of the local distribution here.
- A smaller distinction is an upper-band difference at Band E. South Norfolk records 11.7% of dwellings there, compared with 10.8% in Colchester, so the peer carries more of its stock at that higher rung.
- A smaller distinction appears in the upper part of the ladder at Band G. Colchester places 3.0% of dwellings there versus 2.3% for South Norfolk, giving this profile the heavier upper-band tail at that point.
- A smaller distinction sits at lower Band B, where South Norfolk holds 27.3% of its stock and Colchester holds 26.7%. The peer is more bottom-weighted at this rung of the valuation list.
How the wider profile compares
South Norfolk is more concentrated across Bands A to C in aggregate, by 0.8% of its stock. Colchester's closest match is therefore achieved despite the peer carrying more homes below the reference band.
Across Bands E and above the combined shares differ by 0.2%. As with the lower bands, this net comparison does not erase any opposing gaps between individual upper bands.
Both profiles peak in Band B, so the peer match agrees on the most common valuation group as well as the full-distribution distance. The band-by-band gaps above show why a shared mode does not make the profiles interchangeable.
Band F is the most stable point in the comparison, with shares of 5.0% and 5.0%. Reading that near-match beside the largest gaps prevents the peer label from hiding where the two published distributions actually agree.
Show every band direction
- Band A is closely balanced
- Band B leans toward South Norfolk
- Band C is closely balanced
- Band D leans toward Colchester
- Band E leans toward South Norfolk
- Band F is closely balanced
- Band G leans toward Colchester
- Band H is closely balanced
This sequence is read from the lowest published band to the highest.
Other close England matches for Colchester: South Gloucestershire (2.3% redistribution distance); Isle of Wight (3.6% redistribution distance); Havant (3.9% redistribution distance); Southwark (4.4% redistribution distance). Ranked across every published band in the England valuation system, this shortlist shows whether South Norfolk stands alone or sits in a cluster of similarly shaped authorities.
| Band | Properties | Share of stock | Annual charge |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 9,680 | 11.1% | £1,521.90 |
| B | 23,160 | 26.7% | £1,775.55 |
| C | 21,200 | 24.4% | £2,029.20 |
| D | 16,310 | 18.8% | £2,282.85 |
| E | 9,370 | 10.8% | £2,790.15 |
| F | 4,340 | 5.0% | £3,297.45 |
| G | 2,600 | 3.0% | £3,804.75 |
| H | 170 | 0.2% | £4,565.70 |
Property-stock source, rounding and weighting notes
Property counts: VOA, Council Tax: stock of properties 2025 (Table CTSOP1.0_SUP, as at 9 September 2025), Open Government Licence v3.0. Counts are published rounded to the nearest 10, so shares are approximate and may not sum to exactly 100%. The stock-weighted average is our calculation: each band's 2026/2027 charge multiplied by its property count, divided by the total. It is a mean across the whole stock, not a bill any individual household receives.
Authorities charging a similar average across their stock
These are the closest authorities to Colchester on the stock-weighted measure, which is a different ordering from the Band D neighbours above because it accounts for how each area's properties are banded.
- Chorley£2,165.16
- Redditch£2,164.50
- Swansea£2,161.85
- Bury£2,161.13
- Hinckley & Bosworth£2,156.63
Colchester's nearest year-on-year movers
Colchester moved Band D from £2,192.08 to £2,282.85 (+4.14%, competition rank 293rd of 350). The closest published movements sit with Bassetlaw, Dartford, Epping Forest.
- Bassetlaw4.15%
- Dartford4.15%
- Epping Forest4.14%
- Pendle4.14%
- North Warwickshire4.13%
- Neath Port Talbot4.12%
How Colchester compares in East of England
Among the 45 billing authorities in East of England, Colchester's 2026-27 Band D charge of £2,282.85 ranks 39th of 45, higher than 13% of them (£108.15 below the East of England average of £2,391.00). Its nearest-charged neighbours in the region:
Regional low-charge outlier: this authority sits in the least costly fifth of East of England.
| Region rank | Council | Band D 2026-27 |
|---|---|---|
| 37th | Harlow | £2,298.69 |
| 38th | Peterborough | £2,293.47 |
| 39th | Colchester | £2,282.85 |
| 40th | Braintree | £2,280.34 |
| 41st | Epping Forest | £2,277.21 |
Regional rank out of 45 East of England billing authorities by 2026-27 Band D charge (1 = dearest). See the full UK ranking or the complete directory.
Questions answered from Colchester's data
These answers use Colchester's £2,282.85 Band D rate, the England statutory multipliers, and the VOA stock mix (modal Band B, 62.2% below D).
Is Colchester Council Tax above the UK average?
Colchester's 2026-27 Band D rate is £2,282.85, 2.3% below the UK average of £2,337.00. It has competition rank 265th of 350, with equal charges sharing a rank. Nearest published Band D rates sit with Rhondda Cynon Taf, York, Leeds, Braintree, then South Holland, Epping Forest.
Which councils have charges closest to Colchester?
The closest published Band D rates are Rhondda Cynon Taf (£2,289.43), York (£2,287.15), Leeds (£2,283.73), Braintree (£2,280.34), South Holland (£2,278.20), Epping Forest (£2,277.21). The comparison table above shows the six nearest authorities and the exact difference from Colchester.
What is the average Council Tax bill in Colchester?
Across Colchester's 86,830 domestic properties, the stock-weighted average charge is £2,156.27 for 2026-27. That is £126.58 below the £2,282.85 Band D rate, because the most common band here is Band B (26.7% of the stock) and 62.2% of dwellings are banded below D. Closest published housing-stock shapes include South Gloucestershire, Isle of Wight, Havant, Southwark. Property counts are from the VOA 2025 stock release; the weighting is our calculation.
How did Colchester Council Tax change for 2026-27?
Band D moved from £2,192.08 to £2,282.85, a 4.14% rise. Its competition rank by annual increase is 293rd of 350; the closest movements include Bassetlaw, Dartford, Epping Forest.
Advice boundary for Colchester
They are not personalised advice - expand a question for the figure that matches the tables above for the 2026-27 vintage, then follow the methodology or gov.uk links for a binding bill on a specific property.
Council Tax figure, precept and liability disclaimer
Council Tax charges shown on this page are derived from the published England Band D dataset and statutory England band ratios. They are intended as informational guidance, not as a personalised tax statement or legal advice. Your actual bill depends on your property's assigned band and on any discounts or exemptions that apply to your household. This area Band D is a two-tier total for Colchester: district charge plus county, police, fire where separate, and the average parish precept across the district. Nearest published Band D rates sit with Rhondda Cynon Taf, York, Leeds, Braintree, then South Holland, Epping Forest. Closest published housing-stock shapes include South Gloucestershire, Isle of Wight, Havant, Southwark. For a binding figure consult your Colchester Council Tax bill or the official gov.uk Council Tax service. Figures published in 2026 reflect the 2026/2027 financial year only.
UK tools, directories and band challenge
- Compare councils side-by-side →
- Browse all UK councils →
- Band D national rollup →
- Challenge your band guide →
Charges shown for Colchester are the area Band D and statutory band multiples, already including county, police, fire and average parish precepts where they apply. Nearest published Band D rates sit with Rhondda Cynon Taf, York, Leeds, Braintree, then South Holland, Epping Forest.