# Where your council tax goes in Dacorum

url: https://whereyourmoneygoes.co.uk/council-tax/england/dacorum/where-it-goes/
updated: 29 September 2026
licence: Our words, analysis, charts and derived calculations: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), credit [Tekstak Ltd](https://tek-stak.co.uk). Figures: each source's own licence, listed under Sources.
publisher: [Tekstak Ltd](https://tek-stak.co.uk)

# Where your council tax goes in Dacorum



Last updated 29 September 2026.
Figures refresh every night. [How each figure is worked out](/methodology/).





A Band D council tax bill in **Dacorum** is **£2,408.51** for 2026-27, split between Dacorum £243.21, Hertfordshire County Council £1,822.79, Hertfordshire County Council: adult social care precept, this year's increase £35.40, Hertfordshire Police and Crime Commissioner and Chief Constable £280.00, Parish and town councils (average for the area) £27.11. Shared out in proportion to what each body spends, the largest single line is adult social care at Hertfordshire County Council: **£767.95** of the bill. Council tax pays for 12% of the council's own spending; the rest is government grant, business rates and fees.



Figures for the 2026–27 financial year. Source:
[Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government](https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/council-tax-statistics).





## Key figures



- £2,408.51Band D bill, 2026-27


As of 6 April 2026
- £243.21Goes to Dacorum itself (10%)


As of 6 April 2026
- £767.95Largest line: adult social care


As of 28 September 2026
- 12.2%Of the council's money that comes from council tax, 2025-26


As of 28 September 2026




Source: [Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government](https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/council-tax-statistics).






## Who gets your bill


Your council tax band
A B C D E F G H



Figures are for a **Band D** home. Bands A to H pay a fixed fraction of this, set in law.



243.21

1822.79

35.40

280.00

27.11



Dacorum 10%Hertfordshire County Council 76%Hertfordshire County Council: adult social care precept, this year's increase 1%Hertfordshire Police and Crime Commissioner and Chief Constable 12%Parish and town councils (average for the area) 1%



Parish precepts differ from parish to parish; this is the average across the area, and a home outside any parish pays none.





## And where does that bit go?



Choose any part of the bill to see how it divides, then keep going as far as the published returns allow. Every level has its own link you can share.





### Where the rest comes from




**Council tax pays for 12.2%** of the money
Dacorum had to spend in 2025-26.


**********



- Council tax 12.2% £14.2m
- Business rates 8.5% £9.9m
- General government grant 0.2% £186k
- Government grants for specific services 28.1% £32.6m
- Fees, charges and other income 51.0% £59.3m




It also put £10.8m into its reserves that year.




**Council tax pays for 32.1%** of the money
Hertfordshire County Council had to spend in 2025-26.


************



- Council tax 32.1% £830.5m
- Business rates 6.5% £168.8m
- General government grant 0.2% £5.4m
- Government grants for specific services 47.2% £1.22bn
- Fees, charges and other income 13.2% £342.9m
- Taken from reserves 0.8% £20.9m






Council tax is pooled with the council's other money, not ring-fenced for any service. The split on this page
shares your bill out in proportion to what each body spends; it does not say what any one pound paid for.







- Your bill





### Your bill: £2,408.51


- [Dacorum](#d-council)
£243.21

**
Your council · 10.1% of the bill
- [Hertfordshire County Council](#d-county)
£1,822.79

**
County council · 75.7% of the bill
- [Hertfordshire County Council: adult social care precept, this year's increase](#d-county-adult-social-care)
£35.40

**
County adult social care precept · 1.5% of the bill
- [Hertfordshire Police and Crime Commissioner and Chief Constable](#d-police)
£280.00

**
Police · 11.6% of the bill
- Parish and town councils (average for the area)
£27.11

**
Parish or town council · 1.1% of the bill. Parish, town and community councils do not file spending returns with the government, so there is no national breakdown. Each publishes its own annual accounts.






- [Your bill](#d-bill)
- Dacorum





### Dacorum



£243.21 of your bill goes to Dacorum. It is shared out below in proportion to how
Dacorum spent its money in 2025-26, its latest published return.


- [Running the council](#d-council~central)
£73.86

**
30.4% of this part · £8.9m in 2025-26 · £55 per resident; similar councils £40 · up 98.4% on 2024-25
- [Environment and regulation](#d-council~environment)
£73.47

**
30.2% of this part · £8.9m in 2025-26 · £55 per resident; similar councils £58 · up 1.1% on 2024-25
- [Planning and development](#d-council~planning-development)
£42.19

**
17.3% of this part · £5.1m in 2025-26 · £31 per resident; similar councils £28 · up 8.4% on 2024-25
- [Parks, leisure, libraries and culture](#d-council~culture-leisure)
£32.57

**
13.4% of this part · £3.9m in 2025-26 · £24 per resident; similar councils £28 · up 8.7% on 2024-25
- [Housing (not council homes)](#d-council~housing)
£21.12

**
8.7% of this part · £2.6m in 2025-26 · £16 per resident; similar councils £25 · up 12.4% on 2024-25
Not council homes: [see the note](#d-council~housing).




Roads and transport brought in £1.1m more than it cost in 2025-26, so
it takes no share of your bill.







**Which councils count as similar**



Medians are across the 10 district councils in England closest in population: Canterbury, Mid Sussex, Swale, Preston, East Devon, Reigate and Banstead, Tendring, Oxford, Braintree, South Oxfordshire. Per-resident figures use ONS mid-year population estimates.






- [Your bill](#d-bill)
- [Dacorum](#d-council)
- Running the council





### Running the council



£73.86 of your bill goes to running the council at Dacorum. Here is how its £8.9m of net spending on it divides in the return.


- Other central services
£31.69

**
42.9% of this · £3.8m in 2025-26 · £24 per resident; similar councils £0.59
- Corporate and democratic core
£20.93

**
28.3% of this · £2.5m in 2025-26 · £16 per resident; similar councils £16 · up 0.4% on 2024-25
- Collecting council tax and business rates
£9.38

**
12.7% of this · £1.1m in 2025-26 · £6.99 per resident; similar councils £8.86 · up 9.1% on 2024-25
- Non-distributed costs (past pensions, unused assets)
£7.78

**
10.5% of this · £942k in 2025-26 · £5.80 per resident; similar councils £4.28 · up 3.3% on 2024-25
- Elections and electoral registration
£3.72

**
5.0% of this · £450k in 2025-26 · £2.77 per resident; similar councils £2.66 · up 11.1% on 2024-25
- Emergency planning
£0.37

**
0.5% of this · £45k in 2025-26 · £0.28 per resident; similar councils £0.36 · down 2.2% on 2024-25











- [Your bill](#d-bill)
- [Dacorum](#d-council)
- Environment and regulation





### Environment and regulation



£73.47 of your bill goes to environment and regulation at Dacorum. Here is how its £8.9m of net spending on it divides in the return.


- Waste collection
£40.03

**
54.5% of this · £4.9m in 2025-26 · £30 per resident; similar councils £18 · down 0.8% on 2024-25
- Environmental health, food safety, pest control and licensing
£14.69

**
20.0% of this · £1.8m in 2025-26 · £11 per resident; similar councils £8.83 · up 4.6% on 2024-25
- Street cleaning
£14.27

**
19.4% of this · £1.7m in 2025-26 · £11 per resident; similar councils £15 · down 2.5% on 2024-25
- Cemeteries and crematoria
£2.74

**
3.7% of this · £332k in 2025-26 · £2.05 per resident; similar councils £0.07 · up 50.9% on 2024-25
- Public toilets
£1.33

**
1.8% of this · £162k in 2025-26 · £1.00 per resident; similar councils £1.68 · down 4.7% on 2024-25
- Trade waste
£0.40

**
0.5% of this · £49k in 2025-26 · £0.30 per resident; similar councils £0.00 · down 10.9% on 2024-25











- [Your bill](#d-bill)
- [Dacorum](#d-council)
- Planning and development





### Planning and development



£42.19 of your bill goes to planning and development at Dacorum. Here is how its £5.1m of net spending on it divides in the return.


- Economic development and business support
£16.36

**
38.8% of this · £2.0m in 2025-26 · £12 per resident; similar councils £2.85 · up 88.6% on 2024-25
- Planning policy
£15.71

**
37.2% of this · £1.9m in 2025-26 · £12 per resident; similar councils £4.69 · down 2.9% on 2024-25
- Community development
£5.58

**
13.2% of this · £675k in 2025-26 · £4.16 per resident; similar councils £2.86 · up 3.4% on 2024-25
- Planning applications (development management)
£3.72

**
8.8% of this · £450k in 2025-26 · £2.77 per resident; similar councils £5.60 · down 53.8% on 2024-25
- Building control
£0.75

**
1.8% of this · £91k in 2025-26 · £0.56 per resident; similar councils £1.69 · up 35.8% on 2024-25
- Environmental initiatives
£0.07

**
0.2% of this · £9k in 2025-26 · £0.06 per resident; similar councils £0.05 · up 12.5% on 2024-25











- [Your bill](#d-bill)
- [Dacorum](#d-council)
- Parks, leisure, libraries and culture





### Parks, leisure, libraries and culture



£32.57 of your bill goes to parks, leisure, libraries and culture at Dacorum. Here is how its £3.9m of net spending on it divides in the return.


- Parks and open spaces (including play areas)
£20.42

**
62.7% of this · £2.5m in 2025-26 · £15 per resident; similar councils £15 · up 6.9% on 2024-25
- Community centres and public halls
£5.40

**
16.6% of this · £654k in 2025-26 · £4.03 per resident; similar councils £0.41 · up 0.2% on 2024-25
- Museums, arts, heritage and archives
£5.01

**
15.4% of this · £606k in 2025-26 · £3.73 per resident; similar councils £2.70 · up 7.3% on 2024-25
- Sport and leisure
£1.74

**
5.4% of this · £211k in 2025-26 · £1.30 per resident; similar councils £3.95 · up 117.5% on 2024-25











- [Your bill](#d-bill)
- [Dacorum](#d-council)
- Housing (not council homes)





### Housing (not council homes)



£21.12 of your bill goes to housing (not council homes) at Dacorum. Here is how its £2.6m of net spending on it divides in the return.


- Homelessness and temporary accommodation
£8.99

**
42.6% of this · £2.3m in 2025-26 · £14 per resident; similar councils £13 · up 30.5% on 2024-25
- Housing benefit administration and discretionary payments
£7.53

**
35.6% of this · £1.9m in 2025-26 · £12 per resident; similar councils £7.40 · up 1.4% on 2024-25
- Private sector housing renewal
£2.05

**
9.7% of this · £527k in 2025-26 · £3.25 per resident; similar councils £0.58 · up 8.0% on 2024-25
- Supporting People and welfare services
£1.81

**
8.6% of this · £466k in 2025-26 · £2.87 per resident; similar councils £0.00 · up 7.9% on 2024-25
- Housing strategy, advice and enabling
£0.74

**
3.5% of this · £189k in 2025-26 · £1.16 per resident; similar councils £2.20 · down 7.4% on 2024-25







**Council homes are not in this.** Council housing is paid for through the Housing Revenue Account,
from tenants' rents, and the law keeps it separate from the General Fund that council tax goes into.
Dacorum's Housing Revenue Account took in £74.5m and spent £70.8m in 2025-26.
[What council tax does and doesn't pay for](/what-council-tax-pays-for/#ring-fence).








- [Your bill](#d-bill)
- Hertfordshire County Council





### Hertfordshire County Council



£1,822.79 of your bill goes to Hertfordshire County Council. It is shared out below in proportion to how
Hertfordshire County Council spent its money in 2025-26, its latest published return.


- [Adult social care](#d-county~adult-social-care)
£767.95

**
42.1% of this part · £562.5m in 2025-26 · £454 per resident; similar councils £471 · up 3.3% on 2024-25
- [Children's social care](#d-county~childrens-social-care)
£381.89

**
21.0% of this part · £279.7m in 2025-26 · £226 per resident; similar councils £245 · up 13.3% on 2024-25
- [Education](#d-county~education)
£324.10

**
17.8% of this part · £1.10bn in 2025-26 · £885 per resident; similar councils £721 · up 13.3% on 2024-25
- [Roads and transport](#d-county~highways-transport)
£128.82

**
7.1% of this part · £94.4m in 2025-26 · £76 per resident; similar councils £63 · down 1.5% on 2024-25
- [Environment and regulation](#d-county~environment)
£79.56

**
4.4% of this part · £58.3m in 2025-26 · £47 per resident; similar councils £59 · down 1.8% on 2024-25
- [Fire and rescue](#d-county~fire)
£72.67

**
4.0% of this part · £53.2m in 2025-26 · £43 per resident; similar councils £0.00 · up 2.3% on 2024-25
- [Parks, leisure, libraries and culture](#d-county~culture-leisure)
£27.19

**
1.5% of this part · £19.9m in 2025-26 · £16 per resident; similar councils £17 · down 3.1% on 2024-25
- [Running the council](#d-county~central)
£18.45

**
1.0% of this part · £13.5m in 2025-26 · £11 per resident; similar councils £19 · up 38.6% on 2024-25
- [Public health](#d-county~public-health)
£10.92

**
0.6% of this part · £66.4m in 2025-26 · £54 per resident; similar councils £52 · up 7.0% on 2024-25
- [Planning and development](#d-county~planning-development)
£5.88

**
0.3% of this part · £4.3m in 2025-26 · £3.47 per resident; similar councils £7.53 · down 54.1% on 2024-25
- [Housing (not council homes)](#d-county~housing)
£4.87

**
0.3% of this part · £3.6m in 2025-26 · £2.88 per resident; similar councils £0.68 · down 51.9% on 2024-25
Not council homes: [see the note](#d-county~housing).
- Other services
£0.49

**
under 0.1% of this part · £359k in 2025-26 · £0.29 per resident; similar councils £0.00





Before sharing out your bill, the part of education paid for by the Dedicated Schools Grant (£858.9m) and public health paid for by the public health grant (£58.4m) is taken off, because council tax does not pay for it.






**Which councils count as similar**



Medians are across the 10 county councils closest in population: Surrey County Council, Lancashire County Council, Hampshire County Council, Essex County Council, Norfolk County Council, Kent County Council, West Sussex County Council, Staffordshire County Council, Nottinghamshire County Council, Devon County Council. Per-resident figures use ONS mid-year population estimates.






- [Your bill](#d-bill)
- [Hertfordshire County Council](#d-county)
- Adult social care





### Adult social care



£767.95 of your bill goes to adult social care at Hertfordshire County Council. Here is how its £562.5m of net spending on it divides in the return.


- [Learning disability support](#d-county~adult-social-care.learning-disability)
£325.00

**
42.3% of this · £238.1m in 2025-26 · £192 per resident; similar councils £141 · up 5.9% on 2024-25
- [Physical support](#d-county~adult-social-care.physical)
£222.10

**
28.9% of this · £162.7m in 2025-26 · £131 per resident; similar councils £150 · up 12.5% on 2024-25
- Commissioning, strategy and administration
£55.95

**
7.3% of this · £41.0m in 2025-26 · £33 per resident; similar councils £32 · down 7.3% on 2024-25
- Care assessment and safeguarding
£51.79

**
6.7% of this · £37.9m in 2025-26 · £31 per resident; similar councils £40 · down 17.2% on 2024-25
- [Mental health support](#d-county~adult-social-care.mental-health)
£47.24

**
6.2% of this · £34.6m in 2025-26 · £28 per resident; similar councils £32 · up 2.9% on 2024-25
- [Support with memory and cognition](#d-county~adult-social-care.memory)
£28.10

**
3.7% of this · £20.6m in 2025-26 · £17 per resident; similar councils £33 · down 4.6% on 2024-25
- Information and early intervention
£17.11

**
2.2% of this · £12.5m in 2025-26 · £10 per resident; similar councils £1.87 · down 18.3% on 2024-25
- Assistive equipment and technology
£9.71

**
1.3% of this · £7.1m in 2025-26 · £5.74 per resident; similar councils £4.54 · up 57.5% on 2024-25
- Social support (carers, substance misuse, isolation, asylum)
£8.58

**
1.1% of this · £6.3m in 2025-26 · £5.07 per resident; similar councils £6.47 · down 26.9% on 2024-25
- [Sensory support](#d-county~adult-social-care.sensory)
£2.37

**
0.3% of this · £1.7m in 2025-26 · £1.40 per resident; similar councils £3.62 · down 3.4% on 2024-25











- [Your bill](#d-bill)
- [Hertfordshire County Council](#d-county)
- [Adult social care](#d-county~adult-social-care)
- Learning disability support





### Learning disability support



£325.00 of your bill goes to learning disability support at Hertfordshire County Council. Here is how its £238.1m of net spending on it divides in the return.


- Aged 18 to 64
£288.06

**
88.6% of this · £211.0m in 2025-26 · £170 per resident; similar councils £121 · up 3.5% on 2024-25
- Aged 65 and over
£36.94

**
11.4% of this · £27.1m in 2025-26 · £22 per resident; similar councils £16 · up 29.3% on 2024-25











- [Your bill](#d-bill)
- [Hertfordshire County Council](#d-county)
- [Adult social care](#d-county~adult-social-care)
- Physical support





### Physical support



£222.10 of your bill goes to physical support at Hertfordshire County Council. Here is how its £162.7m of net spending on it divides in the return.


- Aged 65 and over
£160.91

**
72.4% of this · £117.9m in 2025-26 · £95 per resident; similar councils £112 · up 14.1% on 2024-25
- Aged 18 to 64
£61.19

**
27.6% of this · £44.8m in 2025-26 · £36 per resident; similar councils £35 · up 8.4% on 2024-25











- [Your bill](#d-bill)
- [Hertfordshire County Council](#d-county)
- [Adult social care](#d-county~adult-social-care)
- Mental health support





### Mental health support



£47.24 of your bill goes to mental health support at Hertfordshire County Council. Here is how its £34.6m of net spending on it divides in the return.


- Aged 18 to 64
£28.47

**
60.3% of this · £20.9m in 2025-26 · £17 per resident; similar councils £21 · up 2.1% on 2024-25
- Aged 65 and over
£18.77

**
39.7% of this · £13.7m in 2025-26 · £11 per resident; similar councils £12 · up 4.3% on 2024-25











- [Your bill](#d-bill)
- [Hertfordshire County Council](#d-county)
- [Adult social care](#d-county~adult-social-care)
- Support with memory and cognition





### Support with memory and cognition



£28.10 of your bill goes to support with memory and cognition at Hertfordshire County Council. Here is how its £20.6m of net spending on it divides in the return.


- Aged 65 and over
£24.34

**
86.6% of this · £17.8m in 2025-26 · £14 per resident; similar councils £32 · down 4.2% on 2024-25
- Aged 18 to 64
£3.76

**
13.4% of this · £2.8m in 2025-26 · £2.22 per resident; similar councils £1.99 · down 7.1% on 2024-25











- [Your bill](#d-bill)
- [Hertfordshire County Council](#d-county)
- [Adult social care](#d-county~adult-social-care)
- Sensory support





### Sensory support



£2.37 of your bill goes to sensory support at Hertfordshire County Council. Here is how its £1.7m of net spending on it divides in the return.


- Aged 65 and over
£1.65

**
69.6% of this · £1.2m in 2025-26 · £0.97 per resident; similar councils £1.64 · up 15.9% on 2024-25
- Aged 18 to 64
£0.72

**
30.4% of this · £527k in 2025-26 · £0.43 per resident; similar councils £1.63 · down 30.1% on 2024-25











- [Your bill](#d-bill)
- [Hertfordshire County Council](#d-county)
- Children's social care





### Children's social care



£381.89 of your bill goes to children's social care at Hertfordshire County Council. Here is how its £279.7m of net spending on it divides in the return.


- Children looked after
£196.49

**
51.5% of this · £143.9m in 2025-26 · £116 per resident; similar councils £152 · up 19.1% on 2024-25
- Safeguarding and social work
£81.43

**
21.3% of this · £59.6m in 2025-26 · £48 per resident; similar councils £43 · down 0.4% on 2024-25
- Family support
£70.48

**
18.5% of this · £51.6m in 2025-26 · £42 per resident; similar councils £34 · up 28.4% on 2024-25
- Services for young people
£16.09

**
4.2% of this · £11.8m in 2025-26 · £9.51 per resident; similar councils £2.39 · down 18.1% on 2024-25
- Children's centres and early years
£9.89

**
2.6% of this · £7.2m in 2025-26 · £5.84 per resident; similar councils £3.24 · up 21.0% on 2024-25
- Youth justice
£6.15

**
1.6% of this · £4.5m in 2025-26 · £3.63 per resident; similar councils £2.58 · down 5.6% on 2024-25
- Other children's and families' services
£1.37

**
0.4% of this · £1.0m in 2025-26 · £0.81 per resident; similar councils £0.14 · up 18.2% on 2024-25











- [Your bill](#d-bill)
- [Hertfordshire County Council](#d-county)
- Education





### Education



£324.10 of your bill goes to education at Hertfordshire County Council. Here is how its £1.10bn of net spending on it divides in the return.


- Primary schools
£138.46

**
42.7% of this · £468.3m in 2025-26 · £378 per resident; similar councils £226 · up 3.9% on 2024-25
- Early years and nursery
£63.07

**
19.5% of this · £213.3m in 2025-26 · £172 per resident; similar councils £147 · up 36.3% on 2024-25
- Special schools and alternative provision
£51.43

**
15.9% of this · £174.0m in 2025-26 · £140 per resident; similar councils £164 · up 25.7% on 2024-25
- Secondary schools
£33.24

**
10.3% of this · £112.4m in 2025-26 · £91 per resident; similar councils £65 · up 7.4% on 2024-25
- Other education
£31.38

**
9.7% of this · £106.1m in 2025-26 · £86 per resident; similar councils £89 · up 4.3% on 2024-25
- Post-16
£6.52

**
2.0% of this · £22.1m in 2025-26 · £18 per resident; similar councils £12 · up 45.3% on 2024-25











- [Your bill](#d-bill)
- [Hertfordshire County Council](#d-county)
- Roads and transport





### Roads and transport



£128.82 of your bill goes to roads and transport at Hertfordshire County Council. Here is how its £94.4m of net spending on it divides in the return.


- [Road and bridge maintenance](#d-county~highways-transport.maintenance)
£46.00

**
35.7% of this · £33.7m in 2025-26 · £27 per resident; similar councils £25 · down 2.4% on 2024-25
- Support for bus, rail and other public transport
£25.03

**
19.4% of this · £18.3m in 2025-26 · £15 per resident; similar councils £17 · up 12.7% on 2024-25
- Concessionary bus fares
£16.63

**
12.9% of this · £12.2m in 2025-26 · £9.83 per resident; similar councils £10 · up 2.8% on 2024-25
- Street lighting (including energy)
£12.93

**
10.0% of this · £9.5m in 2025-26 · £7.64 per resident; similar councils £7.00 · down 6.1% on 2024-25
- Traffic management and road safety
£12.30

**
9.5% of this · £9.0m in 2025-26 · £7.27 per resident; similar councils £1.87 · down 0.7% on 2024-25
- Winter service (gritting)
£8.38

**
6.5% of this · £6.1m in 2025-26 · £4.95 per resident; similar councils £2.65 · up 1.9% on 2024-25
- Transport planning and policy
£7.54

**
5.9% of this · £5.5m in 2025-26 · £4.46 per resident; similar councils £1.31 · down 30.4% on 2024-25











- [Your bill](#d-bill)
- [Hertfordshire County Council](#d-county)
- [Roads and transport](#d-county~highways-transport)
- Road and bridge maintenance





### Road and bridge maintenance



£46.00 of your bill goes to road and bridge maintenance at Hertfordshire County Council. Here is how its £33.7m of net spending on it divides in the return.


- Environmental, safety and routine maintenance
£39.20

**
85.2% of this · £28.7m in 2025-26 · £23 per resident; similar councils £21 · down 2.3% on 2024-25
- Structural maintenance (resurfacing, bridges)
£6.80

**
14.8% of this · £5.0m in 2025-26 · £4.02 per resident; similar councils £2.51 · down 2.8% on 2024-25











- [Your bill](#d-bill)
- [Hertfordshire County Council](#d-county)
- Environment and regulation





### Environment and regulation



£79.56 of your bill goes to environment and regulation at Hertfordshire County Council. Here is how its £58.3m of net spending on it divides in the return.


- Waste disposal
£45.83

**
57.6% of this · £33.6m in 2025-26 · £27 per resident; similar councils £44 · down 14.5% on 2024-25
- Recycling and waste minimisation
£23.26

**
29.2% of this · £17.0m in 2025-26 · £14 per resident; similar councils £10 · up 17.3% on 2024-25
- Trading standards
£4.03

**
5.1% of this · £3.0m in 2025-26 · £2.38 per resident; similar councils £2.31 · down 12.5% on 2024-25
- Other environmental services
£2.18

**
2.7% of this · £1.6m in 2025-26 · £1.29 per resident; similar councils £0.00 · up 78.8% on 2024-25
- Waste collection
£1.71

**
2.1% of this · £1.3m in 2025-26 · £1.01 per resident; similar councils £0.00
- Flood defence, land drainage and coast protection
£1.69

**
2.1% of this · £1.2m in 2025-26 · £1.00 per resident; similar councils £0.55 · up 37.8% on 2024-25
- Community safety and CCTV
£0.86

**
1.1% of this · £631k in 2025-26 · £0.51 per resident; similar councils £0.38 · up 50.6% on 2024-25











- [Your bill](#d-bill)
- [Hertfordshire County Council](#d-county)
- Fire and rescue





### Fire and rescue



£72.67 of your bill goes to fire and rescue at Hertfordshire County Council. Here is how its £53.2m of net spending on it divides in the return.


- Firefighting and rescue
£54.61

**
75.1% of this · £40.0m in 2025-26 · £32 per resident; similar councils £0.00 · up 5.4% on 2024-25
- Community fire safety
£16.87

**
23.2% of this · £12.4m in 2025-26 · £9.97 per resident; similar councils £0.00 · down 8.7% on 2024-25
- Fire emergency planning
£1.19

**
1.6% of this · £875k in 2025-26 · £0.71 per resident; similar councils £0.00 · up 52.7% on 2024-25











- [Your bill](#d-bill)
- [Hertfordshire County Council](#d-county)
- Parks, leisure, libraries and culture





### Parks, leisure, libraries and culture



£27.19 of your bill goes to parks, leisure, libraries and culture at Hertfordshire County Council. Here is how its £19.9m of net spending on it divides in the return.


- Libraries
£23.93

**
88.0% of this · £17.5m in 2025-26 · £14 per resident; similar councils £11 · down 2.4% on 2024-25
- Parks and open spaces (including play areas)
£1.92

**
7.1% of this · £1.4m in 2025-26 · £1.13 per resident; similar councils £3.09 · down 6.0% on 2024-25
- Museums, arts, heritage and archives
£1.34

**
4.9% of this · £985k in 2025-26 · £0.79 per resident; similar councils £1.82 · down 11.5% on 2024-25











- [Your bill](#d-bill)
- [Hertfordshire County Council](#d-county)
- Running the council





### Running the council



£18.45 of your bill goes to running the council at Hertfordshire County Council. Here is how its £13.5m of net spending on it divides in the return.


- Corporate and democratic core
£9.97

**
54.0% of this · £7.3m in 2025-26 · £5.89 per resident; similar councils £5.84 · up 17.5% on 2024-25
- Elections and electoral registration
£3.43

**
18.6% of this · £2.5m in 2025-26 · £2.03 per resident; similar councils £0.23 · up 6190.0% on 2024-25
- Coroners' and other courts
£2.88

**
15.6% of this · £2.1m in 2025-26 · £1.70 per resident; similar councils £2.88 · up 7.1% on 2024-25
- Non-distributed costs (past pensions, unused assets)
£1.26

**
6.8% of this · £921k in 2025-26 · £0.74 per resident; similar councils £2.08 · down 26.4% on 2024-25
- Registering births, deaths and marriages
£0.88

**
4.7% of this · £641k in 2025-26 · £0.52 per resident; similar councils £-0.51 · up 266.3% on 2024-25
- Other central services
£0.03

**
0.2% of this · £22k in 2025-26 · £0.02 per resident; similar councils £0.16











- [Your bill](#d-bill)
- [Hertfordshire County Council](#d-county)
- Public health





### Public health



£10.92 of your bill goes to public health at Hertfordshire County Council. Here is how its £66.4m of net spending on it divides in the return.


- Health visiting and children's 0-5 services
£3.31

**
30.3% of this · £20.1m in 2025-26 · £16 per resident; similar councils £14 · down 6.1% on 2024-25
- Other public health
£2.10

**
19.2% of this · £12.8m in 2025-26 · £10 per resident; similar councils £7.30 · up 6.7% on 2024-25
- Drug and alcohol services
£1.96

**
17.9% of this · £11.9m in 2025-26 · £9.61 per resident; similar councils £10 · up 45.6% on 2024-25
- Sexual health
£1.76

**
16.1% of this · £10.7m in 2025-26 · £8.65 per resident; similar councils £7.12 · down 2.4% on 2024-25
- Children's 5-19 programmes
£0.87

**
7.9% of this · £5.3m in 2025-26 · £4.25 per resident; similar councils £4.09 · down 6.6% on 2024-25
- Stop smoking and tobacco control
£0.38

**
3.5% of this · £2.3m in 2025-26 · £1.89 per resident; similar councils £2.46 · up 126.0% on 2024-25
- NHS health checks and health protection
£0.31

**
2.8% of this · £1.9m in 2025-26 · £1.52 per resident; similar councils £2.83 · up 25.9% on 2024-25
- Obesity and physical activity
£0.18

**
1.7% of this · £1.1m in 2025-26 · £0.88 per resident; similar councils £1.78 · up 5.3% on 2024-25
- Public mental health
£0.05

**
0.5% of this · £302k in 2025-26 · £0.24 per resident; similar councils £1.14 · up 3.4% on 2024-25











- [Your bill](#d-bill)
- [Hertfordshire County Council](#d-county)
- Planning and development





### Planning and development



£5.88 of your bill goes to planning and development at Hertfordshire County Council. Here is how its £4.3m of net spending on it divides in the return.


- Planning policy
£3.76

**
64.1% of this · £3.4m in 2025-26 · £2.71 per resident; similar councils £0.51 · down 7.1% on 2024-25
- Environmental initiatives
£1.26

**
21.4% of this · £1.1m in 2025-26 · £0.90 per resident; similar councils £0.78 · up 6.9% on 2024-25
- Community development
£0.55

**
9.3% of this · £488k in 2025-26 · £0.39 per resident; similar councils £0.52 · down 3.4% on 2024-25
- Planning applications (development management)
£0.31

**
5.3% of this · £275k in 2025-26 · £0.22 per resident; similar councils £0.43 · down 49.4% on 2024-25











- [Your bill](#d-bill)
- [Hertfordshire County Council](#d-county)
- Housing (not council homes)





### Housing (not council homes)



£4.87 of your bill goes to housing (not council homes) at Hertfordshire County Council. Here is how its £3.6m of net spending on it divides in the return.


- Supporting People and welfare services
£3.79

**
77.8% of this · £2.8m in 2025-26 · £2.24 per resident; similar councils £0.00 · down 24.3% on 2024-25
- Other General Fund housing
£1.08

**
22.2% of this · £792k in 2025-26 · £0.64 per resident; similar councils £0.03







**Council homes are not in this.** Council housing is paid for through the Housing Revenue Account,
from tenants' rents, and the law keeps it separate from the General Fund that council tax goes into.
Hertfordshire County Council reported no Housing Revenue Account for 2025-26: it has no council homes of its own, or they were transferred to a housing association.
[What council tax does and doesn't pay for](/what-council-tax-pays-for/#ring-fence).








- [Your bill](#d-bill)
- Hertfordshire County Council: adult social care precept, this year's increase





### Hertfordshire County Council: adult social care precept, this year's increase



£35.40 of your bill is this year's adult social care precept, which councils may raise on top of
the usual limit for adult social care. It is shown against how Hertfordshire County Council's adult social care spending of
£562.5m divided in 2025-26. MHCLG publishes only this year's increase; the running
total since 2016-17 printed on your bill is in the council part above.


- [Learning disability support](#d-county-adult-social-care~adult-social-care.learning-disability)
£14.98

**
42.3% of this precept · £238.1m in 2025-26 · £192 per resident; similar councils £141 · up 5.9% on 2024-25
- [Physical support](#d-county-adult-social-care~adult-social-care.physical)
£10.24

**
28.9% of this precept · £162.7m in 2025-26 · £131 per resident; similar councils £150 · up 12.5% on 2024-25
- Commissioning, strategy and administration
£2.58

**
7.3% of this precept · £41.0m in 2025-26 · £33 per resident; similar councils £32 · down 7.3% on 2024-25
- Care assessment and safeguarding
£2.39

**
6.7% of this precept · £37.9m in 2025-26 · £31 per resident; similar councils £40 · down 17.2% on 2024-25
- [Mental health support](#d-county-adult-social-care~adult-social-care.mental-health)
£2.18

**
6.2% of this precept · £34.6m in 2025-26 · £28 per resident; similar councils £32 · up 2.9% on 2024-25
- [Support with memory and cognition](#d-county-adult-social-care~adult-social-care.memory)
£1.30

**
3.7% of this precept · £20.6m in 2025-26 · £17 per resident; similar councils £33 · down 4.6% on 2024-25
- Information and early intervention
£0.79

**
2.2% of this precept · £12.5m in 2025-26 · £10 per resident; similar councils £1.87 · down 18.3% on 2024-25
- Assistive equipment and technology
£0.45

**
1.3% of this precept · £7.1m in 2025-26 · £5.74 per resident; similar councils £4.54 · up 57.5% on 2024-25
- Social support (carers, substance misuse, isolation, asylum)
£0.40

**
1.1% of this precept · £6.3m in 2025-26 · £5.07 per resident; similar councils £6.47 · down 26.9% on 2024-25
- [Sensory support](#d-county-adult-social-care~adult-social-care.sensory)
£0.11

**
0.3% of this precept · £1.7m in 2025-26 · £1.40 per resident; similar councils £3.62 · down 3.4% on 2024-25





- [Your bill](#d-bill)
- [Hertfordshire County Council: adult social care precept, this year's increase](#d-county-adult-social-care)
- Learning disability support





### Learning disability support



£14.98 of your bill goes to learning disability support at Hertfordshire County Council. Here is how its £238.1m of net spending on it divides in the return.


- Aged 18 to 64
£13.28

**
88.6% of this · £211.0m in 2025-26 · £170 per resident; similar councils £121 · up 3.5% on 2024-25
- Aged 65 and over
£1.70

**
11.4% of this · £27.1m in 2025-26 · £22 per resident; similar councils £16 · up 29.3% on 2024-25











- [Your bill](#d-bill)
- [Hertfordshire County Council: adult social care precept, this year's increase](#d-county-adult-social-care)
- Physical support





### Physical support



£10.24 of your bill goes to physical support at Hertfordshire County Council. Here is how its £162.7m of net spending on it divides in the return.


- Aged 65 and over
£7.42

**
72.4% of this · £117.9m in 2025-26 · £95 per resident; similar councils £112 · up 14.1% on 2024-25
- Aged 18 to 64
£2.82

**
27.6% of this · £44.8m in 2025-26 · £36 per resident; similar councils £35 · up 8.4% on 2024-25











- [Your bill](#d-bill)
- [Hertfordshire County Council: adult social care precept, this year's increase](#d-county-adult-social-care)
- Mental health support





### Mental health support



£2.18 of your bill goes to mental health support at Hertfordshire County Council. Here is how its £34.6m of net spending on it divides in the return.


- Aged 18 to 64
£1.31

**
60.3% of this · £20.9m in 2025-26 · £17 per resident; similar councils £21 · up 2.1% on 2024-25
- Aged 65 and over
£0.87

**
39.7% of this · £13.7m in 2025-26 · £11 per resident; similar councils £12 · up 4.3% on 2024-25











- [Your bill](#d-bill)
- [Hertfordshire County Council: adult social care precept, this year's increase](#d-county-adult-social-care)
- Support with memory and cognition





### Support with memory and cognition



£1.30 of your bill goes to support with memory and cognition at Hertfordshire County Council. Here is how its £20.6m of net spending on it divides in the return.


- Aged 65 and over
£1.12

**
86.6% of this · £17.8m in 2025-26 · £14 per resident; similar councils £32 · down 4.2% on 2024-25
- Aged 18 to 64
£0.17

**
13.4% of this · £2.8m in 2025-26 · £2.22 per resident; similar councils £1.99 · down 7.1% on 2024-25











- [Your bill](#d-bill)
- [Hertfordshire County Council: adult social care precept, this year's increase](#d-county-adult-social-care)
- Sensory support





### Sensory support



£0.11 of your bill goes to sensory support at Hertfordshire County Council. Here is how its £1.7m of net spending on it divides in the return.


- Aged 65 and over
£0.08

**
69.6% of this · £1.2m in 2025-26 · £0.97 per resident; similar councils £1.64 · up 15.9% on 2024-25
- Aged 18 to 64
£0.03

**
30.4% of this · £527k in 2025-26 · £0.43 per resident; similar councils £1.63 · down 30.1% on 2024-25











- [Your bill](#d-bill)
- Hertfordshire Police and Crime Commissioner and Chief Constable





### Hertfordshire Police and Crime Commissioner and Chief Constable



£280.00 of your bill is this year's adult social care precept, which councils may raise on top of
the usual limit for adult social care. It is shown against how Hertfordshire Police and Crime Commissioner and Chief Constable's adult social care spending of
£307.8m divided in 2025-26. MHCLG publishes only this year's increase; the running
total since 2016-17 printed on your bill is in the council part above.
















## Parks, street cleaning and roads here



What Dacorum and Hertfordshire County Council spent, net of income, on the lines readers ask about most. Roads and
street cleaning are also shown per mile of road the council looks after, where it is the highway authority. Gully
cleaning and verge cutting are inside routine maintenance; no return splits them out.





| Line | Net spending | Per resident | Similar councils, per resident | Per mile of road | Change |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Parks and open spaces (including play areas)Details | £2.5m | £15 | £15 | — | up 6.9% on 2024-25 |
| Per resident£15Similar councils, per resident£15Per mile of road—Changeup 6.9% on 2024-25 | | | | | |
| Street cleaningDetails | £1.7m | £11 | £15 | — | down 2.5% on 2024-25 |
| Per resident£11Similar councils, per resident£15Per mile of road—Changedown 2.5% on 2024-25 | | | | | |






| Line | Net spending | Per resident | Similar councils, per resident | Per mile of road | Change |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Parks and open spaces (including play areas)Details | £1.4m | £1.13 | £3.09 | — | down 6.0% on 2024-25 |
| Per resident£1.13Similar councils, per resident£3.09Per mile of road—Changedown 6.0% on 2024-25 | | | | | |
| Road and bridge maintenanceDetails | £33.7m | £27 | £25 | £11,011 (similar: £6,251) | down 2.4% on 2024-25 |
| Per resident£27Similar councils, per resident£25Per mile of road£11,011 (similar: £6,251)Changedown 2.4% on 2024-25 | | | | | |
| Environmental, safety and routine maintenanceDetails | £28.7m | £23 | £21 | £9,385 (similar: £3,956) | down 2.3% on 2024-25 |
| Per resident£23Similar councils, per resident£21Per mile of road£9,385 (similar: £3,956)Changedown 2.3% on 2024-25 | | | | | |
| Structural maintenance (resurfacing, bridges)Details | £5.0m | £4.02 | £2.51 | £1,627 (similar: £739) | down 2.8% on 2024-25 |
| Per resident£4.02Similar councils, per resident£2.51Per mile of road£1,627 (similar: £739)Changedown 2.8% on 2024-25 | | | | | |
| Winter service (gritting)Details | £6.1m | £4.95 | £2.65 | £2,007 (similar: £781) | up 1.9% on 2024-25 |
| Per resident£4.95Similar councils, per resident£2.65Per mile of road£2,007 (similar: £781)Changeup 1.9% on 2024-25 | | | | | |
| Street lighting (including energy)Details | £9.5m | £7.64 | £7.00 | £3,096 (similar: £1,704) | down 6.1% on 2024-25 |
| Per resident£7.64Similar councils, per resident£7.00Per mile of road£3,096 (similar: £1,704)Changedown 6.1% on 2024-25 | | | | | |





Miles of road: Department for Transport road lengths, 2025; locally managed major roads and all minor roads. More on [what council tax does and doesn't pay for](/what-council-tax-pays-for/#local-environment).





## What it adds up to






| Service | Per resident | Median |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Running the councilDetails | £55 | £41 |
| Median£41 | | |
| Environment and regulationDetails | £55 | £56 |
| Median£56 | | |
| Planning and developmentDetails | £31 | £22 |
| Median£22 | | |
| Parks, leisure, libraries and cultureDetails | £24 | £23 |
| Median£23 | | |
| Housing (not council homes)Details | £16 | £24 |
| Median£24 | | |
| Roads and transportDetails | £-7.00 | £-4.18 |
| Median£-4.18 | | |





- Dacorum spent **37.5%** of its gross service spending on its own staff in 2025-26 (median for district councils in England: 39.3%); the rest went on suppliers, contractors, grants, benefits and other running costs.








| Service | Per resident | Median |
| --- | --- | --- |
| EducationDetails | £885 | £714 |
| Median£714 | | |
| Adult social careDetails | £454 | £450 |
| Median£450 | | |
| Children's social careDetails | £226 | £242 |
| Median£242 | | |
| Roads and transportDetails | £76 | £65 |
| Median£65 | | |
| Public healthDetails | £54 | £52 |
| Median£52 | | |
| Environment and regulationDetails | £47 | £58 |
| Median£58 | | |
| Fire and rescueDetails | £43 | £48 |
| Median£48 | | |
| Parks, leisure, libraries and cultureDetails | £16 | £17 |
| Median£17 | | |
| Running the councilDetails | £11 | £23 |
| Median£23 | | |
| Planning and developmentDetails | £3.47 | £5.56 |
| Median£5.56 | | |
| Housing (not council homes)Details | £2.88 | £3.07 |
| Median£3.07 | | |
| Other servicesDetails | £0.29 | £0.63 |
| Median£0.63 | | |





- Hertfordshire County Council spent **34.8%** of its gross service spending on its own staff in 2025-26 (median for county councils: 28.1%); the rest went on suppliers, contractors, grants, benefits and other running costs.








## What this data does and doesn't show



- These are each body's own figures, as reported to government in its revenue outturn return. Net spending is after the fees, charges and grants a service brings in.

- Your bill is for 2026-27; it is shared out using the latest published return, which covers an earlier year. The mix of spending changes little from one year to the next, but it does change.

- Council tax is not ring-fenced: this shows your bill in proportion to spending, not what your money bought. Where a precept is set aside for adult social care, it is shown against adult social care.

- No council publishes spending at street or property level, so nothing here says what was spent near you.

- Sub-service lines are the ones the national returns itemise. Councils describe their own budgets differently; their budget books and statements of accounts have more detail.






## Sources



- Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, [Council Tax levels set by local authorities in England: Table 10, local authority level data](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6a02eeeccd2e0e8b5b20b449/Table_10_2026-27.ods), published 25 March 2026. Open Government Licence v3.0.
- Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, [Local authority revenue expenditure and financing: Revenue Outturn multi-year data set](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6ab26ffffe72ed1e2b02ee74/Revenue_Outturn_time_series_data_v4.csv), published 28 September 2026. Open Government Licence v3.0.




How the split is worked out, and how the three nations' returns are matched to one list of services, is on the
[methodology page](/methodology/#council-spending). The dataset is on the [data page](/data/#council-spending).
See also [council tax in Dacorum](/council-tax/england/dacorum/) and [everything else about Dacorum](/your-area/dacorum/).





## Common questions


What does council tax pay for in Dacorum?
A Band D bill of £2,408.51 is split between Dacorum, Hertfordshire County Council, Hertfordshire County Council: adult social care precept, this year's increase, Hertfordshire Police and Crime Commissioner and Chief Constable, Parish and town councils (average for the area). In proportion to spending, the largest line is adult social care, £767.95.Is council tax ring-fenced for particular services?
No. Council tax is pooled with grants, business rates and fees. The adult social care precept is the exception: councils raise it for adult social care.





## Sources for this page





| Source | Publisher | Figures as of | Updated | Licence |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Council Tax levels set by local authorities in England](https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/council-tax-statistics) | Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government | the 2026–27 financial year | annual | [Open Government Licence v3.0](https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/) |
| [Local authority revenue expenditure and financing: Revenue Outturn multi-year data set](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6ab26ffffe72ed1e2b02ee74/Revenue_Outturn_time_series_data_v4.csv) | Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government | 28 September 2026 | annual | [Open Government Licence v3.0](https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/) |





Each source's figures are used under the licence shown. Our own words, analysis, charts and derived calculations
are ours, under [CC BY 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

## Related pages

- [Next in this section: Parking income in Dacorum](https://whereyourmoneygoes.co.uk/parking/dacorum/)
- [Back to Dacorum: your area](https://whereyourmoneygoes.co.uk/your-area/dacorum/)
- [How much is council tax and what does it pay for?](https://whereyourmoneygoes.co.uk/council-tax/)
- [Who is my MP, and what does their office cost?](https://whereyourmoneygoes.co.uk/mps/)
- [Where does my tax money actually go?](https://whereyourmoneygoes.co.uk/for-every-100-pounds-of-tax/)

## More from this publisher

- [UK tax calculators](https://howlongisit.co.uk)

Published by [Tekstak Ltd](https://tek-stak.co.uk). Our words, analysis, charts and derived calculations: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), credit [Tekstak Ltd](https://tek-stak.co.uk). The figures belong to the publishers listed under Sources and are used under their licences. Figures last updated 29 September 2026.