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Council tax in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole 2026/27

£2,436a year for a Band D home in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, 2026/27: £244 a month over ten instalments

A Band D home in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole pays £2,435.58 in council tax for 2026/27, up £171 (7.5%) on 2025/26. Band A pays £1,624 and Band H £4,871. Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole is in the middle third of England's 296 billing authorities (rank 154), £44 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 (8 parish and town councils in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole set a precept, so bills differ between parishes). Figures as published by MHCLG on 2026-03-25.

All eight bands in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole

ABournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (billing authority): £1,320Dorset PCC: £215Dorset and Wiltshire Fire: £65Parish precept (average): £24£1,624BBournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (billing authority): £1,540Dorset PCC: £251Dorset and Wiltshire Fire: £75Parish precept (average): £28£1,894CBournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (billing authority): £1,760Dorset PCC: £287Dorset and Wiltshire Fire: £86Parish precept (average): £32£2,165DBournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (billing authority): £1,980Dorset PCC: £323Dorset and Wiltshire Fire: £97Parish precept (average): £36£2,436reference bandEBournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (billing authority): £2,421Dorset PCC: £394Dorset and Wiltshire Fire: £118Parish precept (average): £43£2,977FBournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (billing authority): £2,861Dorset PCC: £466Dorset and Wiltshire Fire: £140Parish precept (average): £51£3,518GBournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (billing authority): £3,301Dorset PCC: £538Dorset and Wiltshire Fire: £162Parish precept (average): £59£4,059HBournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (billing authority): £3,961Dorset PCC: £645Dorset and Wiltshire Fire: £194Parish precept (average): £71£4,871
  • Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (billing authority)
  • Dorset PCC
  • Dorset and Wiltshire 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.

Band1991 valueA yearA month (10)A month (12)Change on 2025/26
Aup to £40,000£1,623.72£162.37£135.31+£113.87
B£40,001 to £52,000£1,894.34£189.43£157.86+£132.84
C£52,001 to £68,000£2,164.96£216.50£180.41+£151.82
Dreference band£68,001 to £88,000£2,435.58£243.56£202.97+£170.80
E£88,001 to £120,000£2,976.82£297.68£248.07+£208.76
F£120,001 to £160,000£3,518.06£351.81£293.17+£246.71
G£160,001 to £320,000£4,059.30£405.93£338.28+£284.67
Hmore than £320,000£4,871.16£487.12£405.93+£341.60

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 £2,436 Band D bill, £1,980 (81%) is Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole's own council tax, of which £37 is this year's adult social care precept increase. The rest is collected on behalf of other bodies:

Band D in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, five years

£1,9552022/23+3.9%
£2,0552023/24+5.1%
£2,1572024/25+5.0%
£2,2652025/26+5.0%
£2,4362026/27+7.5%

Between 2022/23 and 2026/27 the Band D bill in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole rose from £1,955 to £2,436, 24.6% in 4 years. England's average went from £1,966 to £2,392 over the same period (21.7%).

Stone and whitewashed houses with slate roofs above Port Isaac harbour
Photo: Sbeech at English Wikipedia, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Nearby councils in the South West

CouncilBand ABand DBand HChange
Bath and North East Somerset£1,589£2,383£4,767+5.2%
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole£1,624£2,436£4,871+7.5%
Cotswold£1,594£2,392£4,783+5.1%
Forest of Dean£1,629£2,443£4,887+5.0%
North Somerset£1,661£2,491£4,982+8.6%
Plymouth£1,628£2,442£4,884+5.0%
Stroud£1,661£2,491£4,983+5.2%
Swindon£1,625£2,438£4,876+5.2%
Torbay£1,647£2,470£4,941+5.1%

All councils in the South West · Rankings for England · Every billing authority.

Questions about council tax in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole

How much is council tax in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole for a Band D home?

£2,435.58 a year in 2026/27 for a Band D dwelling occupied by two adults, or about £244 a month over the usual ten instalments (£203 over twelve). That is +£171 (+7.5%) compared with 2025/26.

How much is council tax band A in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole?

Band A in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole is £1,623.72 a year in 2026/27, about £162 a month over ten instalments. Band A is charged at 6/9 of the Band D figure of £2,436.

How much is council tax band B in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole?

Band B in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole is £1,894.34 a year in 2026/27, about £189 a month over ten instalments. Band B is charged at 7/9 of the Band D figure of £2,436.

How much is council tax band C in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole?

Band C in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole is £2,164.96 a year in 2026/27, about £216 a month over ten instalments. Band C is charged at 8/9 of the Band D figure of £2,436.

Who receives the council tax paid in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole?

Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (billing authority) £1,980, Dorset PCC £323, Dorset and Wiltshire Fire £97, Parish precept (average) £36 at Band D. Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole is a unitary authority and keeps the largest share itself.

Is council tax in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole high compared with the rest of England?

Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole ranks 154 of 296 billing authorities on Band D (1 is the most expensive), in the middle third. Its Band D of £2,436 is £44 above the England average of £2,392.

Sources

  1. Council Tax levels set by local authorities in England 2026 to 2027 (MHCLG statistical release, 25 March 2026) (accessed 2026-09-12) ✓ checked
  2. 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
  3. Council Tax levels 2026 to 2027: Table 10, local authority level data (precept elements, adult social care, parishes) (accessed 2026-09-12) ✓ checked
  4. Live tables on Council Tax: Band D council tax figures 1993-94 onwards (revised 22 April 2026) (accessed 2026-09-12) ✓ checked
  5. 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.