Eastbourne Council Tax 2026/27
Band D council tax in Eastbourne is £2,654.28 for 2026/27, up 4.8% (£121.79) on last year. That is £262.76 above the England average of £2,391.52 — the 282nd lowest of 296 councils. Most homes here are in Band B (27%), so the average bill per home is about £2,422.
Updated 2026-10-03 · Shire district, South East · Official England government statistics
Eastbourne council tax bands 2026/27
| Band | Property value (1991) | Annual | 10 instalments | 12 instalments | Living alone (−25%) | Homes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | Up to £40,000 | £1,769.52 | £176.95 | £147.46 | £1,327.14 | 8,880 |
| B | £40,001 to £52,000 | £2,064.44 | £206.44 | £172.04 | £1,548.33 | 13,400 |
| C | £52,001 to £68,000 | £2,359.36 | £235.94 | £196.61 | £1,769.52 | 11,020 |
| D | £68,001 to £88,000 | £2,654.28 | £265.43 | £221.19 | £1,990.71 | 8,770 |
| E | £88,001 to £120,000 | £3,244.12 | £324.41 | £270.34 | £2,433.09 | 4,610 |
| F | £120,001 to £160,000 | £3,833.96 | £383.40 | £319.50 | £2,875.47 | 2,070 |
| G | £160,001 to £320,000 | £4,423.80 | £442.38 | £368.65 | £3,317.85 | 1,130 |
| H | More than £320,000 | £5,308.56 | £530.86 | £442.38 | £3,981.42 | 90 |
- Eastbourne
- England average
Your result is ready
Where your Eastbourne council tax goes
Your bill is collected by Eastbourne but shared between 4 bodies. Of the £2,654.28 Band D charge, £294.59 (11%) stays with the council itself; the rest pays for county council, police and crime commissioner, fire and rescue authority.
| Body | Band D | Share | Band B |
|---|---|---|---|
| District council | £294.59 | 11.1% | £229.13 |
| County council (incl. adult social care) | £1,960.29 | 73.9% | £1,524.67 |
| Police and crime commissioner | £281.91 | 10.6% | £219.26 |
| Fire and rescue authority | £117.49 | 4.4% | £91.38 |
- District council £295 11.1%
- County council (incl. adult social care) £1,960 73.9%
- Police and crime commissioner £282 10.6%
- Fire and rescue authority £117 4.4%
Eastbourne council tax history
Band D in Eastbourne has risen from £1,716.04 in 2016/17 to £2,654.28 in 2026/27 — 55% in 10 years. Over the last five years it rose 25.6%, the 122nd biggest increase of 296 councils in England.
- Eastbourne Band D
| Year | Band D | Change | Band B |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026/27 | £2,654.28 | +4.8% | £2,064.44 |
| 2025/26 | £2,532.49 | +4.8% | £1,969.71 |
| 2024/25 | £2,416.45 | +4.7% | £1,879.46 |
| 2023/24 | £2,307.76 | +4.9% | £1,794.92 |
| 2022/23 | £2,199.47 | +4.1% | £1,710.70 |
| 2021/22 | £2,113.12 | +3.6% | £1,643.54 |
| 2020/21 | £2,039.17 | +3.8% | £1,586.02 |
| 2019/20 | £1,965.13 | +4.0% | £1,528.43 |
| 2018/19 | £1,889.69 | +5.6% | £1,469.76 |
| 2017/18 | £1,789.59 | +4.3% | £1,391.90 |
| 2016/17 | £1,716.04 | – | £1,334.70 |
Homes by council tax band in Eastbourne
Eastbourne has 49,970 homes on the valuation list (31 March 2026). 45% are in Bands A or B. The most common band is B, which costs £2,064.44 a year (£206.44 a month over 10 instalments).
Eastbourne compared with South East
Eastbourne is the 59th cheapest of 64 councils in South East, where the average Band D across councils is £2,475.45 (£178.83 less than here). Cheapest: Windsor and Maidenhead (£1,952.62); most expensive: Lewes (£2,756.17).
| Council | Band D 2026/27 | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Waverley | £2,604.87 | +4.9% |
| Reading | £2,612.77 | +5.1% |
| Isle of Wight | £2,625.79 | +5.3% |
| Eastbourne | £2,654.28 | +4.8% |
| Hastings | £2,676.58 | +4.8% |
| Oxford | £2,678.40 | +4.7% |
| Rother | £2,700.95 | +5.5% |
Discounts and reductions
- Living alone: 25% off — a Band B bill in Eastbourne drops from £2,064.44 to £1,548.33.
- Council Tax Reduction: Eastbourne runs its own scheme for people on low incomes or benefits — rules differ from council to council in England.
- Disregards and exemptions: full-time students, student halls, some carers and people with a severe mental impairment are not counted; all-student homes pay nothing.
- Disabled Band Reduction: if your home has been adapted for a disabled person you may be billed one band lower (Band A homes get a reduction of 1/9 of Band D).
Eastbourne's 4.8% rise compares with an England average of 4.9%. Councils responsible for social care can raise their own share by up to 4.99% without a referendum, districts by under 3% or £5, and police and fire bodies by fixed cash amounts — so the area total can move by a different percentage.
Eastbourne's households in numbers
Eastbourne has a high share of one-adult homes. At October 2025, 18,778 of its 48,779 chargeable homes (38.5%) got the 25% single person discount, against 33.9% across England. For someone living alone in a Band B flat, that discount is worth £516.11 a year at 2026/27 rates. Another 384 homes are fully exempt because every resident has a severe mental impairment (Class U), and 388 because the owner has died and probate is pending.
Council Tax Support cost £9.13 million in 2025/26. That was split evenly between pensioners (£4.64 million) and working-age households (£4.49 million), a higher pensioner share than the national average.
Second homes and empty homes
Eastbourne charged the 100% second-homes premium on 843 homes in October 2025, and 97 more were excepted under national rules. A Band D second home pays £5,308.56. The return showed no discounts for empty homes: all 483 empty homes not yet due a premium paid the full charge. Another 208 paid a premium: 97 empty for one to two years and 71 for two to five years at 100%, 27 for five to ten years at 200%, and 13 for over ten years at 300%.
Frequently asked questions
How much is Band D council tax in Eastbourne?
£2,654.28 a year in 2026/27, or £265.43 a month over 10 instalments. This includes police, fire and average parish precepts.
What council tax band are most homes in Eastbourne?
Band B: 13,400 of 49,970 homes (27%). A Band B bill is £2,064.44 in 2026/27.
How much has Eastbourne council tax gone up?
4.8% this year, from £2,532.49 to £2,654.28 at Band D. Since 2016/17 it has risen 55%.
Who gets the council tax I pay in Eastbourne?
District council £294.59; County council (incl. adult social care) £1,960.29; Police and crime commissioner £281.91; Fire and rescue authority £117.49 (Band D, 2026/27).
How do I find my council tax band?
Search your postcode on GOV.UK “Check your Council Tax band”, run by the Valuation Office Agency. You can challenge your band if you think it is wrong.
Is there an empty homes discount in Eastbourne?
No discounts were recorded in Eastbourne’s October 2025 return to MHCLG. Empty homes pay the full charge, plus a premium after a year.
How many Eastbourne homes get the single person discount?
18,778 homes, or 38.5% of chargeable homes, compared with 33.9% across England (October 2025).
Sources
Figures are taken from official government publications and were last reviewed on 2026-10-03.
- MHCLG: Council Tax levels set by local authorities in England 2026 to 2027
- MHCLG: Council Tax levels 2026-27, Tables 1 to 9 (ODS)
- MHCLG: Council Tax levels set by local authorities in England 2026 to 2027, Table 10 local authority level data
- MHCLG: Council Tax levels 2025-26 (revised), Table 10 Local Authority Level Data (ODS), used for England % change
- VOA / GOV.UK: Understand how Council Tax bands are assessed
- GOV.UK: Council Tax – who has to pay (single person discount)
- MHCLG: Band D Council Tax figures 1993 onwards, Table 5 area Band D (live table, 2026-27 revised)
- VOA: Council Tax stock of properties 2026, Table CTSOP1.0 (properties by band at 31 March 2026, England and Wales)
- MHCLG – Council Taxbase 2025 in England (local authority level data)
- legislation.gov.uk – Council Tax (Exempt Dwellings) Order 1992