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Council tax in Chelmsford 2026/27

£2,300a year for a Band D home in Chelmsford, 2026/27: £230 a month over ten instalments

A Band D home in Chelmsford pays £2,300.18 in council tax for 2026/27, up £93 (4.2%) on 2025/26. Band A pays £1,533 and Band H £4,600. Chelmsford is among the cheapest third of England's 296 billing authorities (rank 241), £91 below 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 (28 parish and town councils in Chelmsford set a precept, so bills differ between parishes). Figures as published by MHCLG on 2026-03-25.

All eight bands in Chelmsford

AChelmsford (billing authority): £157Essex County Council: £1,095Essex Police: £184Essex PCC-Fire: £62Parish precept (average): £37£1,533BChelmsford (billing authority): £183Essex County Council: £1,277Essex Police: £214Essex PCC-Fire: £72Parish precept (average): £43£1,789CChelmsford (billing authority): £209Essex County Council: £1,460Essex Police: £245Essex PCC-Fire: £82Parish precept (average): £49£2,045DChelmsford (billing authority): £235Essex County Council: £1,642Essex Police: £275Essex PCC-Fire: £93Parish precept (average): £56£2,300reference bandEChelmsford (billing authority): £287Essex County Council: £2,007Essex Police: £336Essex PCC-Fire: £113Parish precept (average): £68£2,811FChelmsford (billing authority): £339Essex County Council: £2,372Essex Police: £398Essex PCC-Fire: £134Parish precept (average): £80£3,322GChelmsford (billing authority): £391Essex County Council: £2,737Essex Police: £459Essex PCC-Fire: £154Parish precept (average): £93£3,834HChelmsford (billing authority): £470Essex County Council: £3,284Essex Police: £551Essex PCC-Fire: £185Parish precept (average): £111£4,600
  • Chelmsford (billing authority)
  • Essex County Council
  • Essex Police
  • Essex PCC-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£1,533.45£153.35£127.79+£62.14
B£40,001 to £52,000£1,789.03£178.90£149.09+£72.50
C£52,001 to £68,000£2,044.60£204.46£170.38+£82.85
Dreference band£68,001 to £88,000£2,300.18£230.02£191.68+£93.21
E£88,001 to £120,000£2,811.33£281.13£234.28+£113.92
F£120,001 to £160,000£3,322.48£332.25£276.87+£134.63
G£160,001 to £320,000£3,833.63£383.36£319.47+£155.35
Hmore than £320,000£4,600.36£460.04£383.36+£186.42

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 £2,300 Band D bill, £235 (10%) is Chelmsford's own council tax. The rest is collected on behalf of other bodies:

Band D in Chelmsford, five years

£1,9462022/23+4.2%
£2,0252023/24+4.1%
£2,1222024/25+4.8%
£2,2072025/26+4.0%
£2,3002026/27+4.2%

Between 2022/23 and 2026/27 the Band D bill in Chelmsford rose from £1,946 to £2,300, 18.2% in 4 years. England's average went from £1,966 to £2,392 over the same period (21.7%).

Brick houses beneath the lighthouse in Southwold
Photo: marcart, Pixabay

Nearby councils in Essex

CouncilBand ABand DBand HChange
Basildon£1,551£2,327£4,654+3.7%
Braintree£1,520£2,280£4,561+3.9%
Castle Point£1,546£2,319£4,637+4.1%
Chelmsford£1,533£2,300£4,600+4.2%
Colchester£1,522£2,283£4,566+4.1%
Epping Forest£1,518£2,277£4,554+4.1%
Harlow£1,532£2,299£4,597+3.7%
Maldon£1,552£2,328£4,657+4.3%
Tendring£1,513£2,270£4,539+4.2%

All councils in the East of England · Rankings for England · Every billing authority.

Questions about council tax in Chelmsford

How much is council tax in Chelmsford for a Band D home?

£2,300.18 a year in 2026/27 for a Band D dwelling occupied by two adults, or about £230 a month over the usual ten instalments (£192 over twelve). That is +£93 (+4.2%) compared with 2025/26.

How much is council tax band A in Chelmsford?

Band A in Chelmsford is £1,533.45 a year in 2026/27, about £153 a month over ten instalments. Band A is charged at 6/9 of the Band D figure of £2,300.

How much is council tax band B in Chelmsford?

Band B in Chelmsford is £1,789.03 a year in 2026/27, about £179 a month over ten instalments. Band B is charged at 7/9 of the Band D figure of £2,300.

How much is council tax band C in Chelmsford?

Band C in Chelmsford is £2,044.60 a year in 2026/27, about £204 a month over ten instalments. Band C is charged at 8/9 of the Band D figure of £2,300.

Who receives the council tax paid in Chelmsford?

Chelmsford (billing authority) £235, Essex County Council £1,642, Essex Police £275, Essex PCC-Fire £93, Parish precept (average) £56 at Band D. Chelmsford is a shire district, so most of the bill goes to the county council.

Is council tax in Chelmsford high compared with the rest of England?

Chelmsford ranks 241 of 296 billing authorities on Band D (1 is the most expensive), among the cheapest third. Its Band D of £2,300 is £91 below 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.