Council Tax Southampton 2026/27 — Band A to H Rates
Council tax rates in Southampton 2026/27
The Band D council tax rate in Southampton for 2026/27 is £2,381 per year (£198 per month). All other bands are a fixed statutory fraction of this rate.
| Band | Annual | Monthly |
|---|---|---|
| Band A | £1,587/yr | £132/mo |
| Band B | £1,852/yr | £154/mo |
| Band C | £2,116/yr | £176/mo |
| Band D | £2,381/yr | £198/mo |
| Band E | £2,910/yr | £243/mo |
| Band F | £3,439/yr | £287/mo |
| Band G | £3,968/yr | £331/mo |
| Band H | £4,762/yr | £397/mo |
The England average Band D for 2026/27 is £2,392. Southampton's Band D rate is below this average.
How to check your Southampton band
Enter any Southampton postcode in our free council tax band checker. You can also check your bill or visit gov.uk/council-tax-bands.
Challenging your Southampton band
A successful challenge saves approximately £529/yr per band — backdated to when you moved in. See our step-by-step guide.
Discounts in Southampton
- Single person discount — 25% off if you live alone
- Student exemption — full-time students are disregarded
- Council Tax Support — means-tested reduction for low incomes
- Disabled Band Reduction — pay at one band below your actual band
How Southampton compares in 2026/27
Of the 28 English cities and boroughs we track, Southampton has the 13th lowest Band D rate (1st is cheapest), placing it mid-table. At £2,381 a year, Band D here is £11 a year (0.5%) below the England average of £2,392 — £1 a month less than the average household pays — and the tracked range runs from £1,028 in Wandsworth to £2,755 in Nottingham.
Spread over the year, Band D in Southampton costs about £198 a month over 12 instalments, or £238 a month if your council collects over the standard 10 months (April to January). That is roughly £46 a week, or £6.52 a day.
| Band | Annual | With 25% single person discount | Extra vs one band lower |
|---|---|---|---|
| Band A | £1,587/yr | £1,190/yr | — |
| Band B | £1,852/yr | £1,389/yr | +£265/yr |
| Band C | £2,116/yr | £1,587/yr | +£264/yr |
| Band D | £2,381/yr | £1,786/yr | +£265/yr |
| Band E | £2,910/yr | £2,183/yr | +£529/yr |
| Band F | £3,439/yr | £2,579/yr | +£529/yr |
| Band G | £3,968/yr | £2,976/yr | +£529/yr |
| Band H | £4,762/yr | £3,572/yr | +£794/yr |
The table shows what each step up the bands costs in Southampton: moving from Band D to Band E adds £529 a year, while a successful challenge that drops a property one band saves between £265 (Band B to A) and £794 (Band H to G) a year. Figures are based on the Band D rate including average parish and precept charges; your bill can differ slightly by parish.
Cities with similar Band D rates: Sutton (£2,379) and Birmingham (£2,363). See the full council tax rates league table for every council.
Southampton: local factors that affect your bill
Southampton is a unitary authority, so one council collects council tax and provides most local services. The city has two universities and a large student population, which matters for council tax: a household where every adult is a full-time student is exempt, and a household with one non-student adult living with students can claim the 25% single person discount. Landlords of student houses should check which exemption or discount applies in each tenancy period, because the liability can move between the landlord and the tenants.
Southampton is also a port city with a mix of Victorian terraces, post-war estates and newer waterside flats. The bands depend on 1991 values, so a modern flat and an older terrace of similar size can sit in different bands. If your bill looks high, compare your property with similar homes on the same street using the GOV.UK band checker.
A property in Band D here costs £2,381 a year, or about £198 a month over 12 instalments. See the council tax rates league table for how that compares with other councils, and our council tax support guide if you are on a low income.