# Council tax in Exeter url: https://whereyourmoneygoes.co.uk/council-tax/england/exeter/ 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) # Council tax in Exeter Last updated 29 September 2026. Figures refresh every night. [How each figure is worked out](/methodology/). Council tax in **Exeter** for 2026-27 is **£2,495 a year for a Band D home**, £1,664 for Band A and £4,991 for the top band. That is £84 above the England average of £2,411. It ranks 98 of 296 billing areas in England. Figures are the council's own set rates. 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 - £2,495Band D a year, 2026-27 ▲ As of 6 April 2026 - £1,664Band A, the lowest As of 6 April 2026 - +£84Band D against the England average of £2,411 Above average As of 6 April 2026 - 98 of 296Rank in England, highest first As of 6 April 2026 Source: [Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government](https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/council-tax-statistics). ## What is the bill for each band? £2,495 Band D, Exeter, 2026-27 | Band | A year | A month | | --- | --- | --- | | Band ADetails | £1,663.57 | £138.63 | | A month£138.63 | | | | Band BDetails | £1,940.84 | £161.74 | | A month£161.74 | | | | Band CDetails | £2,218.10 | £184.84 | | A month£184.84 | | | | Band DDetails | £2,495.36 | £207.95 | | A month£207.95 | | | | Band EDetails | £3,049.88 | £254.16 | | A month£254.16 | | | | Band FDetails | £3,604.41 | £300.37 | | A month£300.37 | | | | Band GDetails | £4,158.93 | £346.58 | | A month£346.58 | | | | Band HDetails | £4,990.72 | £415.89 | | A month£415.89 | | | ### What does this mean for you? Choose your band to see your bill in Exeter for 2026-27. Your band is on your bill, or on the Valuation Office Agency’s search. Your band Band ABand BBand CBand DBand EBand FBand GBand H Band D in Exeter: **£2,495 a year**, or £249.54 a month over the usual ten instalments. Living alone as the only adult, it would be £1,872 after the 25% discount. The council’s set rates, before any council tax reduction or other discount. You can ask to pay over twelve months instead of ten. Figures for the 2026–27 financial year. Source: [Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government](https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/council-tax-statistics). ## Who gets the money? 191 2304 Exeter 8%Other precepting bodies 92% | Who receives it | Band D | Share | | --- | --- | --- | | ExeterDetails | £191 | 8% | | Share8% | | | | Other precepting bodiesDetails | £2,304 | 92% | | Share92% | | | Each body sets its own precept and the council simply collects them together. The council that sends the bill keeps only its own share. [Where your council tax goes: from your bill to each service](/council-tax/england/exeter/where-it-goes/) ## How does it compare? Band D here is **£84 above** the England average, 98 of 296 councils from the highest. **Exeter among the England councils nearest it, Band D 2026-27** - 94. Maidstone £2,503 - 95. Nuneaton and Bedworth £2,502 - 96. Wirral £2,501 - 97. Wokingham £2,498 - ◆98. Exeter £2,495 - 99. Darlington £2,494 - 100. Runnymede £2,493 - 101. Stroud £2,491 - 102. North Somerset £2,491 England average: £2,411 ◆ Exeter Ranked highest first. [Every council](/councils/) is in the full table. **Show as a table** | Name | Band D | | --- | --- | | 94. Maidstone | £2,503 | | 95. Nuneaton and Bedworth | £2,502 | | 96. Wirral | £2,501 | | 97. Wokingham | £2,498 | | 98. Exeter (Exeter) | £2,495 | | 99. Darlington | £2,494 | | 100. Runnymede | £2,493 | | 101. Stroud | £2,491 | | 102. North Somerset | £2,491 | Figures for the 2026–27 financial year. Source: [Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government](https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/council-tax-statistics). ## How does Exeter compare? The report card Official figures on complaints, finances, audit, pay and services for Exeter, each from the body that published it and set against the figure for England. See every council on the [council map](/councils/map/?council=E07000041). - Council tax rise this year4.9%The same as the England figure of 4.9% - Council tax per head£727Lower than the England figure of £796 - Ombudsman uphold rate33% (1 of 3)Lower than the England figure of 86% - Reserves as a share of net spending70%Higher than the England figure of 50% - Borrowing per home£2,791Lower than the England figure of £3,474 - Accounts, 2024-25Delivered by backstop92% of bodies had an opinion delivered by the backstop date - Ofsted, children's services (county)Inadequate73% of English councils are good or outstanding - CQC, adult social care (county)Requires improvement62% of assessed councils are good or outstanding - A roads needing maintenance considered (county)3%Lower than the England figure of 5% - Recycling rate29.0%Lower than the England figure of 42.0% - Major planning decisions on time88.9%Lower than the England figure of 91.0% Each figure is set against the figure for England as a whole. They are plain comparisons, one measure at a time: there is no overall score and no ranking of councils. Higher is not always better or worse; what each measure does and does not show is on the [methodology page](/methodology/#council-report-cards). ### What do complaints to the ombudsman show? | Measure | Exeter | For comparison | | --- | --- | --- | | Complaints and enquiries receivedDetails | 19 | — | | For comparison— | | | | Complaints and enquiries decidedDetails | 17 | 8 in 2024-25 | | For comparison8 in 2024-25 | | | | Detailed investigationsDetails | 3 | — | | For comparison— | | | | UpheldDetails | 1 | — | | For comparison— | | | | Uphold rateDetails | 33% | 86% for every body the Ombudsman covers; 74% for similar councils | | For comparison86% for every body the Ombudsman covers; 74% for similar councils | | | | Upheld cases where the council had already offered a satisfactory remedyDetails | 0% | 13% for every body the Ombudsman covers | | For comparison13% for every body the Ombudsman covers | | | | Ombudsman’s recommendations the council complied withDetails | 100% | 99.9% for every body the Ombudsman covers | | For comparison99.9% for every body the Ombudsman covers | | | | Uphold rate in 2024-25Details | 100% | — | | For comparison— | | | An uphold rate depends on how many complaints reach a detailed investigation. With few investigations, one decision moves it a long way. Source: [Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman, Annual review of local government complaints](https://www.lgo.org.uk/information-centre/reports/annual-review-reports/local-government-complaint-reviews), 2025-26. The Housing Ombudsman, which handles complaints from council tenants, made **0** findings of severe maladministration against Exeter City Council in 2025-26, out of 12 findings in 5 determinations. Its maladministration rate for this landlord was 42%. Source: [Housing Ombudsman Service, Annual complaints review: landlord tables](https://www.housing-ombudsman.org.uk/annual-complaint-review-reports/), 2025-26. ### How healthy are its finances? | Measure | Exeter | For comparison | | --- | --- | --- | | Net revenue spending, 2025-26Details | £20.3m | — | | For comparison— | | | | Reserves at the end of 2025-26Details | £14.2m | — | | For comparison— | | | | Reserves as a share of net spendingDetails | 70% | 50% for England; 96% in 2024-25 | | For comparison50% for England; 96% in 2024-25 | | | | Outstanding borrowing at 30 June 2026Details | £171.3m | — | | For comparison— | | | | Borrowing per home on the valuation listDetails | £2,791 | £3,474 across English billing authorities | | For comparison£3,474 across English billing authorities | | | Earmarked and unallocated revenue reserves at the end of the year, excluding schools and public health, as a share of net revenue expenditure. Much of any council’s reserves is set aside for particular purposes. Borrowing is total outstanding loans of every kind; councils borrow mainly to pay for buildings, roads and housing, and the figure does not show what the borrowing was for. Source: [Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Local authority revenue expenditure and financing: revenue outturn time series](https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/local-authority-revenue-expenditure-and-financing), 2025-26; [Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Local authority borrowing and investment live table](https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-local-government-finance), 30 June 2026; [Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Council Taxbase statistics](https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/council-taxbase-statistics), 2025. ### What have the auditors said? | Accounts year | Status recorded by PSAA | Opinion signed | | --- | --- | --- | | 2024-25 | Delivered by backstop | 12 February 2026 | | 2023-24 | Delivered by backstop | 18 February 2025 | “Delivered by backstop” means the auditor gave an opinion by the statutory backstop date. Many opinions given that way were disclaimed or qualified because the deadline cut the audit short; PSAA publishes which type of opinion each council received only as national totals, so it is not shown here. Auditors’ value-for-money findings are in each auditor’s annual report on the council’s website. Source: [Public Sector Audit Appointments, Monthly audit opinion data](https://www.psaa.co.uk/managing-audit-quality/monthly-audit-opinion-data/), 2024-25. ### What are senior staff and councillors paid? | Measure | 2025-26 | 2024-25 | | --- | --- | --- | | Employees paid £50,000 or moreDetails | 49 | 41 | | 2024-2541 | | | | Councillors’ allowancesDetails | £480,000 | £433,000 | | 2024-25£433,000 | | | The count is up 8 on the year before. 'The authority's other employees receiving more than £50,000 remuneration in the year (excluding employer's normal pension contributions)', following the senior management table. No total row is printed. Dashes recorded as 0. Exeter is a district council and does not employ school staff (includesSchools recorded false on that basis, not from the note). The accounts describe the allowances figure as “Salaries 37 (2024-25 16); Allowances 442 (417); Expenses 1 (-); Total 480 (433) £'000”. These are draft accounts and may change at audit. Thresholds are not adjusted for inflation, so more staff cross them each year as pay rises. Source: [Exeter, Statement of accounts 2025-26 - UNAUDITED](https://exeter.gov.uk/media/b1hb15xd/statement-of-accounts-2025-26-unaudited.pdf), PDF page 88 (printed page 86), Note 32. Checked 24 September 2026. ### How are its services rated? | Measure | Exeter | For comparison | | --- | --- | --- | | Children's services, Ofsted overall effectiveness | [Inadequate](https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/provider/44/878) (Devon County Council) | 13 May 2025. 73% of English councils judged good or outstanding | | Adult social care, CQC assessment | [Requires improvement](https://www.cqc.org.uk/care-services/local-authority-assessment-reports/devon-council) (Devon County Council) | 17 July 2026. 62% of assessed councils rated good or outstanding | | A roads where maintenance should be considered, 2024-25 | 3% (Devon County Council) | 5% in England | | B and C roads where maintenance should be considered, 2024-25 | 11% (Devon County Council) | 7% in England | | Unclassified roads where maintenance should be considered, 2024-25 | 24% (Devon County Council) | 17% in England | | Household waste sent for reuse, recycling or composting, 2024-25 | 29.0% | 42.0% for England | | Major planning decisions on time, 24 months to end of june 2026 | 88.9% | 91.0% for England | | Non-major planning decisions on time, 24 months to end of June 2026 | 86.4% | 90.7% for England | Devon County Council runs children’s services, adult social care and most roads here, so those rows are the county council’s. Inspections happen at different times, so a rating can be several years old; the date is shown with each. Planning figures are measured differently in each nation: share of decisions made within the statutory time (13 weeks for major, 8 for non-major) or an agreed extension, over 24 months. Recycling rates are measured differently in England, Scotland and Wales, so compare within a nation. Source: [Ofsted, Children's social care: local authority inspection outcomes](https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/childrens-social-care-statistics), as at 31 March 2026; [Care Quality Commission, Local authority assessments](https://www.cqc.org.uk/care-services/local-authority-assessment-reports), latest assessment; [Department for Transport, Road condition statistics: data tables (RDC)](https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/road-condition-statistics-data-tables-rdc), 2024-25; [Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Local authority collected waste management: annual results](https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/local-authority-collected-waste-management-annual-results), 2024-25; [Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Live tables on planning application statistics (P151, P153)](https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-planning-application-statistics), 24 months to end of June 2026. ### What about the county council, Devon County Council? Devon County Council sets its own share of the council tax bill here and runs social care, children’s services, most roads and waste disposal. Its own figures: | Measure | Devon County Council | Detail | | --- | --- | --- | | Ombudsman uphold rate | 81% | 201 complaints decided, 2025-26 | | Reserves as a share of net spending | 18% | 2025-26 | | Outstanding borrowing | £528.3m | at 30 June 2026 | | Accounts, 2024-25 | Delivered by backstop | Signed 26 November 2025 | Official events for Devon County Council: - 26 November 2025 Audit [Auditor’s opinion on the 2024-25 accounts signed](https://www.psaa.co.uk/managing-audit-quality/monthly-audit-opinion-data/august-2026-audit-opinion-data/) PSAA records the status as “Delivered by backstop”; auditor Grant Thornton UK LLP. Public Sector Audit Appointments - 8 August 2024 Ombudsman [Ombudsman report: upheld, other](https://www.lgo.org.uk/decisions/children-s-care-services/other/23-001-435) Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman public interest report, case 23-001-435. Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman - 25 January 2024 Ombudsman [Ombudsman report: upheld, friends and family carers](https://www.lgo.org.uk/decisions/children-s-care-services/friends-and-family-carers/23-000-973) Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman public interest report, case 23-000-973. Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman - 4 February 2022 Ombudsman [Ombudsman report: upheld, special educational needs](https://www.lgo.org.uk/decisions/education/special-educational-needs/20-008-832) Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman public interest report, case 20-008-832. Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman - 15 June 2021 Ombudsman [Ombudsman report: upheld, charging](https://www.lgo.org.uk/decisions/adult-care-services/charging/19-011-943) Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman public interest report, case 19-011-943. Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman Source: [Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman, Annual review of local government complaints](https://www.lgo.org.uk/information-centre/reports/annual-review-reports/local-government-complaint-reviews), 2025-26; [Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Local authority revenue expenditure and financing: revenue outturn time series](https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/local-authority-revenue-expenditure-and-financing), 2025-26; [Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Local authority borrowing and investment live table](https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-local-government-finance), 30 June 2026; [Public Sector Audit Appointments, Monthly audit opinion data](https://www.psaa.co.uk/managing-audit-quality/monthly-audit-opinion-data/), 2024-25. ### What has happened recently? Decisions and publications by official bodies about Exeter, newest first. Each links to the body that made or published it. News reports are not included. - 7 May 2026 Election [Local election: 14 seats won](https://whocanivotefor.co.uk/elections/local.exeter.2026-05-07/) Green Party 6, Labour and Co-operative Party 3, Liberal Democrats 2, Reform UK 2, Labour Party 1 Democracy Club - 1 April 2026 Council tax [Council tax for 2026-27: Band D £2,495, up 4.9% on the year before](https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/council-tax-statistics) Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government - 12 February 2026 Audit [Auditor’s opinion on the 2024-25 accounts signed](https://www.psaa.co.uk/managing-audit-quality/monthly-audit-opinion-data/august-2026-audit-opinion-data/) PSAA records the status as “Delivered by backstop”; auditor Grant Thornton UK LLP. Public Sector Audit Appointments - 2 May 2024 Election [Local election: 13 seats won](https://whocanivotefor.co.uk/elections/local.exeter.2024-05-02/) Labour Party 5, Labour and Co-operative Party 3, Green Party 2, Conservative and Unionist Party 1, Independent 1, Liberal Democrats 1 Democracy Club - 4 May 2023 Election [Local election: 13 seats won](https://whocanivotefor.co.uk/elections/local.exeter.2023-05-04/) Labour Party 4, Green Party 3, Labour and Co-operative Party 3, Liberal Democrats 2, Conservative and Unionist Party 1 Democracy Club - 5 May 2022 Election [Local election: 17 seats won](https://whocanivotefor.co.uk/elections/local.exeter.2022-05-05/) Labour Party 9, Green Party 3, Labour and Co-operative Party 3, Conservative and Unionist Party 1, Liberal Democrats 1 Democracy Club ### Does the council think something here is wrong? If you represent Exeter and think a figure here is wrong, out of date or unfairly presented, email [hello@whereyourmoneygoes.co.uk](mailto:hello@whereyourmoneygoes.co.uk?subject=Right%20of%20reply%3A%20Exeter%20report%20card) with this page’s address and the source you would point to. Every correction is logged, with its date, on the [corrections page](/corrections/). ## How much of the council's spending does this cover? Council tax paid for **7.1%** of the money Exeter had to spend in 2025-26. The rest came from government grants (29.3%), business rates (8.1%) and fees, charges and other income (52.0%), with 3.5% taken from reserves. That is why a grant cut can raise your bill even when the council has not changed what it does. [See where it goes](/council-tax/england/exeter/where-it-goes/#d-bill). ## Where can I find out more? [What council tax is and why it works this way](/council-tax/), including why the bands are still based on 1991 property values in England and Scotland, and [how every area compares](/councils/), everything else on [Exeter: parking, roads, your MP and local services](/your-area/exeter/), and [Exeter on the council map](/councils/map/?council=E07000041). ## Common questions How much is council tax in Exeter? Band D is £2,495 a year for 2026-27. Band A is £1,664 and the top band £4,991.Is council tax in Exeter higher than average? Yes. Band D here is £84 above the England average of £2,411. ## 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/) | 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: Where your council tax goes in Exeter](https://whereyourmoneygoes.co.uk/council-tax/england/exeter/where-it-goes/) - [Back to Exeter: your area](https://whereyourmoneygoes.co.uk/your-area/exeter/) - [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.