St Helens
£2,403.38
Band D · rank #48
- Band C
- £2,136.34
- vs Eng avg
- +£11.38
- Single Band D
- £1,802.53
🏴🏴2026/27
St Helens vs Waltham Forest Council Tax
Waltham Forest has the lower area Band D (£2,386.96 vs £2,403.38) — a £16.42 annual gap on Band D (2-adult).
By Sammy S. · Founder · AuthorUpdated for 2026
Lower Band D
Waltham Forest has the lower bill
£2,386.96 vs £2,403.38, a £16.42 annual gap on Band D (2-adult).
Side-by-side scoreboard
Waltham Forest
£2,386.96
Band D · rank #46
- Band C
- £2,121.74
- vs Eng avg
- −£5.04
- Single Band D
- £1,790.22
Key takeaways
- Waltham Forest has the lower area Band D (£2,386.96 vs £2,403.38) — a £16.42 annual gap on Band D (2-adult).
- St Helens Band C ≈ £2,136.34; Waltham Forest Band C ≈ £2,121.74.
- St Helens vs England avg: £11.38 · Waltham Forest: -£5.04.
- St Helens is a metropolitan district; Waltham Forest is a london borough.
- Figures are MHCLG area Band D including major precepts (e.g. GLA in London) — not parish-only bills.
How to read St Helens vs Waltham Forest
Both columns use MHCLG 2026/27 area Band D (2-adult, including major precepts).
Waltham Forest is cheaper by £16.42 on Band D; Band C gap ≈ £14.60; Band H gap ≈ £32.84.
St Helens (Metropolitan district) vs Waltham Forest (London borough) — still the same England band ratios.
Single person discount on this pair
St Helens single Band D ≈ £1,802.53; Waltham Forest ≈ £1,790.22.
Gap after 25% discount ≈ £12.31 — same winner as full Band D.
London vs rest-of-England context
London average ≈ £2,090.08 vs England £2,392.00 — averages can sit below England Band D even when rents are higher.
St Helens vs England avg £11.38; Waltham Forest -£5.04.
How these figures were validated
Locked to MHCLG Table 10 area Band D: St Helens £2,403.38, Waltham Forest £2,386.96.
Band A–H rows match calculateCouncilTaxUk with England statutory ninths. Source published 25 March 2026.
Engine review 2026-08-10. Not advice.
Limitations
Parish precepts, premiums, and exemptions can move your bill off these MHCLG comparators.
Wales/Scotland schedules are outside this England hub.
Calculation layers
1. Start from MHCLG area Band D
Official 2026/27 Table 10 figure for each billing authority (including major precepts).
2. Scale other bands via ninths
England Band A–H = 6–18 ninths of Band D. Band C = 8/9.
3. Apply occupancy discounts
Single adult −25%; all disregarded −50%; exemptions modelled separately in the calculator.
4. Rank lowest Band D first
Hub order is cheapest → dearest among London + metros + key unitaries (not all 296 England LAs).
Worked examples
Lowest on hub — Wandsworth Band D
- MHCLG area Band D = £1,028.21.
- Band C = 8/9 × Band D ≈ £913.96.
- Single adult Band D ≈ £771.16 (25% off).
- Band H = 18/9 × Band D ≈ £2,056.42.
Band D £1,028.21
Matches CT_UK_ENGLAND_AUTHORITIES wandsworth lock (~£1,028.21) in council-tax-uk tests.
England average Band D hand-check
- MHCLG England average Band D = £2,392.00.
- Band C = 8/9 × £2,392.00 ≈ £2,126.22.
- Single adult Band D ≈ £1,794.00.
Band D £2,392.00
Same England average used by calculateCouncilTaxUk vsEnglandAverageAnnual.
Westminster vs Manchester
- Westminster Band D £1,049.55 vs Manchester £2,312.04.
- Gap ≈ £1,262.49 per year on Band D (2-adult).
- Band C gap ≈ £1,122.22 — same winner.
- Classic London vs rest-of-England corridor for relocators.
Band D £1,049.55
Priority corridor — Westminster undercuts Manchester by ~£1,262.
Validation notes
- Wandsworth Band D locks to £1,028.21 (lowest on hub); Band C £913.96; single £771.16.
- Nottingham £2,755.39 is highest among the 81 featured authorities.
- Birmingham £2,362.90; Leeds £2,283.73 — gap £79.17.
- Westminster £1,049.55; Manchester £2,312.04 — gap £1,262.49.
- London extremes: Wandsworth → Kingston upon Thames (span £1,580.99); Kingston £2,609.20, Croydon £2,599.91.
- St Helens £2,403.38 vs Waltham Forest £2,386.96 (Δ £16.42).
Band ladder A–H comparison
Same England ninths from each authority’s MHCLG area Band D — gaps scale with band.
| Band | St Helens | Waltham Forest | Δ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Band A | £1,602.25 | £1,591.31 | £10.94 |
| Band B | £1,869.30 | £1,856.52 | £12.78 |
| Band C | £2,136.34 | £2,121.74 | £14.60 |
| Band D | £2,403.38 | £2,386.96 | £16.42 |
| Band E | £2,937.46 | £2,917.40 | £20.06 |
| Band F | £3,471.55 | £3,447.83 | £23.72 |
| Band G | £4,005.63 | £3,978.27 | £27.36 |
| Band H | £4,806.76 | £4,773.92 | £32.84 |
Decision guides
Relocation shortlist
If council tax is the tie-break, prefer Waltham Forest — then stress-test rent.
Job offer in another city
Model £16.42 Band D gap against any salary difference on the UK paycheck calculator.
London borough hop
Cross-region moves change precept totals and often housing markets together.
What this compare excludes
- Parish / town council precept add-ons beyond the MHCLG area figure
- Wales and Scotland local authority schedules (manual Band D in calculator)
- Student-only and other full exemptions (modelled in calculator)
- Empty-home / second-home premiums
- Disability band reduction edge cases beyond calculator toggle
- Non-domestic rates (business rates)
Myths vs reality
"St Helens and Waltham Forest use different band ratios."
Both use England statutory ninths. Only the Band D base differs.
"The cheaper Band D area always feels cheaper to live."
Rent, transport, and wages dominate monthly budgets — pair this compare with metro paycheck examples.
"Band C flips the winner."
Band C gap is £14.60 — same winner as Band D because of the fixed 8/9 ratio.
"Single discount flips the winner."
After −25%, the gap is £12.31 — same ranking.
How to use this comparison
Step 1
Read the scoreboard
Compare Band D, Band C, and vs England average.
Step 2
Scan the band ladder
Confirm the gap at your valuation band (A–H).
Step 3
Check single discount
Apply 25% if you live alone.
Step 4
Personalize
Open the UK council tax calculator for exemptions and disability reduction.
Compare another pair
Compare any two authorities
Area Band D · 2026/27 · London boroughs + major metros
Related tools
St Helens vs Waltham Forest FAQs
Waltham Forest has the lower Band D by £16.42.
Primary ranking uses area Band D. Band C is 8/9 of Band D under England statutory ninths — same rank order.
Yes — MHCLG area Band D includes local and major precepts. London borough figures include the Greater London Authority precept.
St Helens single Band D ≈ £1,802.53; Waltham Forest ≈ £1,790.22 (25% off the full bill).
Open the UK council tax calculator at /council-tax-calculator/uk.
Glossary
- Area Band D
- MHCLG average Band D council tax for the billing authority including local and major precepts (2-adult equivalent).
- Band C
- England statutory ratio: 8/9 of Band D (LGFA 1992 s.5).
- Band H
- Highest England valuation band — 18/9 (2×) of Band D.
- Major precepts
- Amounts billed for bodies such as the GLA, police, and fire authorities — included in MHCLG area Band D.
- Single person discount
- 25% reduction when only one counted adult lives in the dwelling (gov.uk).
- All disregarded discount
- 50% reduction when every adult in the household is disregarded (gov.uk).
- London borough
- Inner or Outer London billing authority (33 on this hub, including City of London).
- Metropolitan district
- Metropolitan borough / city council in England’s metropolitan counties (36 on this hub).
- England average Band D
- MHCLG England-wide average for 2026/27: £2,392.00.
- Ten-month instalments
- Many councils collect over 10 months (April–January); annual ÷ 10 ≈ monthly instalment shown in the calculator.