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Council tax in Bedford 2026/27
£2,472a year for a Band D home in Bedford, 2026/27: £247 a month over ten instalments
A Band D home in Bedford pays £2,471.74 in council tax for 2026/27, up £121 (5.1%) on 2025/26. Band A pays £1,648 and Band H £4,943. Bedford is in the middle third of England's 296 billing authorities (rank 118), £80 above the England average of £2,392.
Assumptions: financial year 2026/27 (1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027); a dwelling occupied by two adults with no discount, exemption or council tax support; the area average including the average parish precept (47 parish and town councils in Bedford set a precept, so bills differ between parishes). Figures as published by MHCLG on 2026-03-25.
All eight bands in Bedford
- Bedford (billing authority)
- Bedfordshire PCC
- Bedfordshire Fire
- Parish precept (average)
Each rung is one valuation band; its length is the annual bill and the colours show who receives the money. Bands are fixed proportions of Band D: A is 6/9, H is 18/9.
| Band | 1991 value | A year | A month (10) | A month (12) | Change on 2025/26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | up to £40,000 | £1,647.83 | £164.78 | £137.32 | +£80.54 |
| B | £40,001 to £52,000 | £1,922.46 | £192.25 | £160.21 | +£93.95 |
| C | £52,001 to £68,000 | £2,197.10 | £219.71 | £183.09 | +£107.38 |
| Dreference band | £68,001 to £88,000 | £2,471.74 | £247.17 | £205.98 | +£120.80 |
| E | £88,001 to £120,000 | £3,021.02 | £302.10 | £251.75 | +£147.65 |
| F | £120,001 to £160,000 | £3,570.29 | £357.03 | £297.52 | +£174.49 |
| G | £160,001 to £320,000 | £4,119.57 | £411.96 | £343.30 | +£201.34 |
| H | more than £320,000 | £4,943.48 | £494.35 | £411.96 | +£241.60 |
Annual figures are MHCLG's Table 9 (area council tax by band). The change on 2025/26 applies the statutory band ratio to last year's Band D, so it is exact for Band D and rounded to the pound for other bands. Councils normally bill in ten monthly instalments from April; you can ask for twelve.
Who receives the money
Of the £2,472 Band D bill, £2,011 (81%) is Bedford's own council tax, of which £38 is this year's adult social care precept increase. The rest is collected on behalf of other bodies:
- Bedford (billing authority)includes this year's adult social care precept increase of £38 (2.0%; earlier years' increases are in the baseline)£2,011.28
- Bedfordshire PCC£297.59
- Bedfordshire Fire£122.72
- Parish precept (average)average across the area; 47 of 48 parishes set a precept£40.15
- Band D area council tax 2026/27£2,471.74
Band D in Bedford, five years
Between 2022/23 and 2026/27 the Band D bill in Bedford rose from £2,063 to £2,472, 19.8% in 4 years. England's average went from £1,966 to £2,392 over the same period (21.7%).
Nearby councils in the East of England
| Council | Band A | Band D | Band H | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bedford | £1,648 | £2,472 | £4,943 | +5.1% |
| Cambridge | £1,645 | £2,467 | £4,934 | +4.7% |
| East Cambridgeshire | £1,657 | £2,485 | £4,970 | +4.7% |
| East Hertfordshire | £1,637 | £2,455 | £4,910 | +4.9% |
| Ipswich | £1,646 | £2,468 | £4,937 | +4.7% |
| North Hertfordshire | £1,632 | £2,449 | £4,897 | +5.0% |
| North Norfolk | £1,640 | £2,460 | £4,920 | +5.1% |
| South Norfolk | £1,655 | £2,483 | £4,966 | +4.9% |
| Welwyn Hatfield | £1,635 | £2,452 | £4,905 | +5.1% |
All councils in the East of England · Rankings for England · Every billing authority.
Questions about council tax in Bedford
How much is council tax in Bedford for a Band D home?
£2,471.74 a year in 2026/27 for a Band D dwelling occupied by two adults, or about £247 a month over the usual ten instalments (£206 over twelve). That is +£121 (+5.1%) compared with 2025/26.
How much is council tax band A in Bedford?
Band A in Bedford is £1,647.83 a year in 2026/27, about £165 a month over ten instalments. Band A is charged at 6/9 of the Band D figure of £2,472.
How much is council tax band B in Bedford?
Band B in Bedford is £1,922.46 a year in 2026/27, about £192 a month over ten instalments. Band B is charged at 7/9 of the Band D figure of £2,472.
How much is council tax band C in Bedford?
Band C in Bedford is £2,197.10 a year in 2026/27, about £220 a month over ten instalments. Band C is charged at 8/9 of the Band D figure of £2,472.
Who receives the council tax paid in Bedford?
Bedford (billing authority) £2,011, Bedfordshire PCC £298, Bedfordshire Fire £123, Parish precept (average) £40 at Band D. Bedford is a unitary authority and keeps the largest share itself.
Is council tax in Bedford high compared with the rest of England?
Bedford ranks 118 of 296 billing authorities on Band D (1 is the most expensive), in the middle third. Its Band D of £2,472 is £80 above the England average of £2,392.
Sources
- Council Tax levels set by local authorities in England 2026 to 2027 (MHCLG statistical release, 25 March 2026) (accessed 2026-09-12) ✓ checked
- Council Tax levels 2026 to 2027: Tables 1 to 9 (Table 9: area council tax for a dwelling occupied by two adults by band) (accessed 2026-09-12) ✓ checked
- Council Tax levels 2026 to 2027: Table 10, local authority level data (precept elements, adult social care, parishes) (accessed 2026-09-12) ✓ checked
- Live tables on Council Tax: Band D council tax figures 1993-94 onwards (revised 22 April 2026) (accessed 2026-09-12) ✓ checked
- Local Government Finance Act 1992, section 5: different categories of dwellings (band proportions 6:7:8:9:11:13:15:18) (accessed 2026-09-12) ✓ checked
Figures for 2026/27 as published by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government on 2026-03-25 (Band D live table revised 22 April 2026). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. How we calculate · Which band am I?
Council Tax Ledger shows the average area council tax for 2026/27 for a dwelling occupied by two adults with no discounts, as published by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. Parish precepts vary within a district, so your bill may differ. Not financial advice.