Exeter Council Tax 2026/27
Band D council tax in Exeter is £2,495.36 for 2026/27, up 4.9% (£115.46) on last year. That is £103.84 above the England average of £2,391.52 — the 199th lowest of 296 councils. Most homes here are in Band B (25%), so the average bill per home is about £2,219.
Updated 2026-10-03 · Shire district, South West · Official England government statistics
Exeter council tax bands 2026/27
| Band | Property value (1991) | Annual | 10 instalments | 12 instalments | Living alone (−25%) | Homes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | Up to £40,000 | £1,663.57 | £166.36 | £138.63 | £1,247.68 | 13,530 |
| B | £40,001 to £52,000 | £1,940.84 | £194.08 | £161.74 | £1,455.63 | 15,550 |
| C | £52,001 to £68,000 | £2,218.10 | £221.81 | £184.84 | £1,663.57 | 14,640 |
| D | £68,001 to £88,000 | £2,495.36 | £249.54 | £207.95 | £1,871.52 | 10,150 |
| E | £88,001 to £120,000 | £3,049.88 | £304.99 | £254.16 | £2,287.41 | 4,610 |
| F | £120,001 to £160,000 | £3,604.41 | £360.44 | £300.37 | £2,703.31 | 2,240 |
| G | £160,001 to £320,000 | £4,158.93 | £415.89 | £346.58 | £3,119.20 | 1,030 |
| H | More than £320,000 | £4,990.72 | £499.07 | £415.89 | £3,743.04 | 50 |
- Exeter
- England average
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Where your Exeter council tax goes
Your bill is collected by Exeter but shared between 4 bodies. Of the £2,495.36 Band D charge, £191.31 (8%) 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 | £191.31 | 7.7% | £148.80 |
| County council (incl. adult social care) | £1,891.17 | 75.8% | £1,470.91 |
| Police and crime commissioner | £303.20 | 12.2% | £235.82 |
| Fire and rescue authority | £109.68 | 4.4% | £85.31 |
- District council £191 7.7%
- County council (incl. adult social care) £1,891 75.8%
- Police and crime commissioner £303 12.2%
- Fire and rescue authority £110 4.4%
Exeter council tax history
Band D in Exeter has risen from £1,600.49 in 2016/17 to £2,495.36 in 2026/27 — 56% in 10 years. Over the last five years it rose 24.6%, the 169th biggest increase of 296 councils in England.
- Exeter Band D
| Year | Band D | Change | Band B |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026/27 | £2,495.36 | +4.9% | £1,940.84 |
| 2025/26 | £2,379.90 | +4.8% | £1,851.03 |
| 2024/25 | £2,270.22 | +4.7% | £1,765.73 |
| 2023/24 | £2,167.61 | +5.0% | £1,685.92 |
| 2022/23 | £2,064.86 | +3.1% | £1,606.00 |
| 2021/22 | £2,002.89 | +4.9% | £1,557.80 |
| 2020/21 | £1,909.39 | +3.9% | £1,485.08 |
| 2019/20 | £1,838.14 | +4.8% | £1,429.66 |
| 2018/19 | £1,753.53 | +5.0% | £1,363.86 |
| 2017/18 | £1,670.82 | +4.4% | £1,299.53 |
| 2016/17 | £1,600.49 | – | £1,244.83 |
Homes by council tax band in Exeter
Exeter has 61,800 homes on the valuation list (31 March 2026). 47% are in Bands A or B. The most common band is B, which costs £1,940.84 a year (£194.08 a month over 10 instalments).
Exeter compared with South West
Exeter is the 14th cheapest of 27 councils in South West, where the average Band D across councils is £2,511.40 (£16.04 more than here). Cheapest: Isles of Scilly (£2,047.96); most expensive: Dorset (£2,765.02).
| Council | Band D 2026/27 | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Torbay | £2,470.25 | +5.1% |
| North Somerset | £2,491.22 | +8.6% |
| Stroud | £2,491.36 | +5.1% |
| Exeter | £2,495.36 | +4.9% |
| South Gloucestershire | £2,550.59 | +5.1% |
| Somerset | £2,560.59 | +5% |
| Wiltshire | £2,571.78 | +5.3% |
Discounts and reductions
- Living alone: 25% off — a Band B bill in Exeter drops from £1,940.84 to £1,455.63.
- Council Tax Reduction: Exeter 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).
Exeter's 4.9% 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.
Exeter's student homes: more than 1 in 9 homes pay nothing
Exeter has the second highest share of exempt homes in England, after Nottingham. At October 2025, 7,517 of the 61,390 homes on the valuation list (12%) were exempt. Across England the figure is about 3%. Almost all of this is students: 5,115 homes were exempt because everyone living there was a full-time student (Class N), and 1,461 were halls of residence (Class M). Landlords of shared student houses should note that the exemption only applies while every adult resident is a student. If one non-student moves in, the home becomes chargeable, though students are still disregarded for discounts. A Band C home with one non-student and three students would pay £1,663.57 at 2026/27 rates after the 25% single-adult discount.
Empty homes, second homes and support
Exeter reported 1,231 empty homes. 353 had a 100% discount and 25 a 50% discount on the snapshot date. 268 were paying a premium: 129 empty for one to two years and 94 for two to five years (100%), 32 for five to ten years and 13 for longer. 392 second homes were paying the 100% second-homes premium.
Council Tax Support cost £8.07 million in 2025/26: £4.58 million (57%) for working-age households and £3.49 million for pensioners.
Frequently asked questions
How much is Band D council tax in Exeter?
£2,495.36 a year in 2026/27, or £249.54 a month over 10 instalments. This includes police, fire and average parish precepts.
What council tax band are most homes in Exeter?
Band B: 15,550 of 61,800 homes (25%). A Band B bill is £1,940.84 in 2026/27.
How much has Exeter council tax gone up?
4.9% this year, from £2,379.90 to £2,495.36 at Band D. Since 2016/17 it has risen 56%.
Who gets the council tax I pay in Exeter?
District council £191.31; County council (incl. adult social care) £1,891.17; Police and crime commissioner £303.20; Fire and rescue authority £109.68 (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.
Do students pay council tax in Exeter?
Not if everyone in the home is a full-time student. 5,115 Exeter homes were exempt on that basis in October 2025, plus 1,461 halls of residence.
Does Exeter give a discount on empty homes?
Exeter’s October 2025 return to MHCLG showed 353 empty homes with a 100% discount and 25 with a 50% discount, usually for a limited period. A premium applies after one year.
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