Kingston upon Thames compared with all councils in England
Compared with the 130 councils in England.
- Residents
- 172,761 (mid-2025)
- Band D council tax
- £2,609 a year in 2026-27, including police, fire and parish charges. See where it goes
Where Kingston upon Thames sits
8
measures in the bottom quarter
5
measures below the middle
8
measures in the top half
Kingston upon Thames compares worst with all councils in England on:
- families in temporary accommodation for 2 years or more (118th of 123; 1st is lowest)
- relief cases ending with a home secured (114th of 127; 1st is highest)
- complaints to the Ombudsman per 100,000 residents (111th of 130; 1st is lowest)
It compares best on:
- ombudsman remedies delivered on time (1st of 104; 1st is highest)
- council tax collected in the year it was due (2nd of 130; 1st is highest)
- new EHC plans issued within 20 weeks (12th of 126; 1st is highest)
SEND assessments
Education, health and care plans set out support for children with special educational needs. The law says a new plan should be issued within 20 weeks.
| Measure | Kingston upon Thames | Median | Position | Across England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New EHC plans issued within 20 weeks 2025 | 97.2% | 59.0% | Top half 12th of 126 |
Ombudsman complaints
The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman looks at complaints the council's own complaints process has not resolved. Upheld means the Ombudsman found the council at fault.
| Measure | Kingston upon Thames | Median | Position | Across England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Upheld complaints per 100,000 residents 2025-26 | 8.1 | 4.8 | Below the middle 97th of 130 | |
| Complaints to the Ombudsman per 100,000 residents 2025-26 | 75.8 | 41.2 | Bottom quarter 111th of 130 | |
| Upheld complaints about children's services per 100,000 residents | No figure | No figure | No figure | |
| Upheld complaints about special educational needs per 100,000 residents | No figure | No figure | No figure | |
| Upheld complaints about homelessness per 100,000 residents | No figure | No figure | No figure | |
| Upheld cases the council had already put right 2025-26 | 14.3% | 15.2% | Below the middle 59th of 115 | |
| Ombudsman remedies delivered on time 2025-26 | 100.0% | 75.6% | Top half 1st of 104 |
Council housing
From the tenant survey and performance figures every council landlord reports to the Regulator of Social Housing. Only councils that still own council homes are included.
| Measure | Kingston upon Thames | Median | Position | Across England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tenants satisfied with the overall service 2024-25 | 64.0% | 66.5% | Below the middle 53rd of 82 | |
| Tenants satisfied their home is well maintained 2024-25 | 61.0% | 66.5% | Below the middle 60th of 82 | |
| Tenants satisfied their home is safe 2024-25 | 69.7% | 72.2% | Below the middle 50th of 82 | |
| Tenants who say the council listens and acts 2024-25 | 50.1% | 56.2% | Bottom quarter 64th of 82 | |
| Non-emergency repairs done within target time 2024-25 | 95.1% | 83.1% | Top half 11th of 83 | |
| Council homes failing the Decent Homes Standard 2024-25 | 14.0% | 4.1% | Bottom quarter 69th of 83 | |
| Stage 1 housing complaints answered in time 2024-25 | 55.9% | 73.6% | Bottom quarter 65th of 82 |
Council tax
How much of the year's council tax bills the council collected by 31 March.
| Measure | Kingston upon Thames | Median | Position | Across England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Council tax collected in the year it was due 2025-26 | 98.1% | 94.8% | Top half 2nd of 130 |
Streets and waste
Fly-tipping the council recorded, how often it took enforcement action, and how much household waste was recycled.
| Measure | Kingston upon Thames | Median | Position | Across England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fly-tipping incidents per 1,000 residents 2024-25 | 13.8 | 18.1 | Top half 49th of 130 | |
| Enforcement actions per 100 fly-tipping incidents 2024-25 | 57.5 | 37.5 | Top half 52nd of 130 | |
| Household waste reused, recycled or composted 2023-24 | 44.1% | 37.7% | Top half 43rd of 128 |
Homelessness
Temporary accommodation and the outcomes of homelessness cases, from the council's statutory returns.
| Measure | Kingston upon Thames | Median | Position | Across England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Households in temporary accommodation per 1,000 households January to March 2026 | 12.4 | 2.8 | Bottom quarter 99th of 126 | |
| Families in temporary accommodation for 2 years or more January to March 2026 | 72.3% | 13.6% | Bottom quarter 118th of 123 | |
| Prevention cases ending with a home secured January to March 2026 | 60.9% | 51.7% | Top half 34th of 127 | |
| Relief cases ending with a home secured January to March 2026 | 18.7% | 34.9% | Bottom quarter 114th of 127 |
Website
An automated test of the council website's accessibility.
| Measure | Kingston upon Thames | Median | Position | Across England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Website accessibility score October 2026 | 83.6% | 92.5% | Bottom quarter 101st of 130 |
What the council spends
Net spending per resident in 2025-26, after fees, charges and specific grants, not counting schools. Spending more is not better or worse on its own. Negative highways figures come from parking income.
| Service | Kingston upon Thames | Median | Rank, highest first | Across England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Children's social care | £236 | £322 | 113th of 127 | |
| Adult social care | £414 | £472 | 99th of 127 | |
| Public health | £80 | £80 | 63rd of 127 | |
| Housing (general fund) | £121 | £46 | 23rd of 127 | |
| Environmental and regulatory | £104 | £104 | 64th of 127 | |
| Highways and transport | −£3 | £33 | 112th of 127 | |
| Culture and leisure | £41 | £42 | 68th of 127 | |
| Planning and development | £25 | £24 | 58th of 127 | |
| Central services | £84 | £57 | 17th of 127 | |
| All services excluding schools | £1,104 | £1,222 | 91st of 127 |
Where your council tax goes
Choose your band to see what your bill in Kingston upon Thames pays for in 2026-27. Check your council tax band on GOV.UK.
Your bill: £2,609 a year, about £50.18 a week (Band D).
Who your bill goes to
| Goes to | A year | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Kingston upon Thames council | £2,099 | 80% |
| Mayor of London (GLA), including police and fire | £511 | 20% |
What the council's share pays for
The council's part of your bill, £2,099, split in the same proportions as the council's own spending in 2025-26, not counting schools.
| Service | A year | A week | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adult social care | £786 | £15.11 | 37% |
| Children's social care | £448 | £8.61 | 21% |
| Housing and homelessness | £230 | £4.42 | 11% |
| Bins, streets, parks and environment | £198 | £3.80 | 9% |
| Running the council | £160 | £3.07 | 8% |
| Public health | £152 | £2.92 | 7% |
| Libraries, culture and leisure | £78 | £1.49 | 4% |
| Planning and development | £48 | £0.93 | 2% |
Roads and transport brought in more than it cost, mostly from parking, so it is not shown.
Children's services inspection
Ofsted rated Kingston upon Thames’ children's services outstanding at its last full inspection, in December 2024.
- Outstanding
- 39 of the 130 councils in England, including Kingston upon Thames
- Good
- 56 of the 130 councils in England
- Requires improvement
- 24 of the 130 councils in England
- Inadequate
- 11 of the 130 councils in England
Over time
Kingston upon Thames against the median of all councils in England.
EHC plans issued within 20 weeks
By calendar year.
- Kingston upon Thames: 97.2%
- Median (all councils in England): 59.0%
Upheld Ombudsman complaints per 100,000 residents
Using the latest population estimate for every year.
- Kingston upon Thames: 8.1
- Median (all councils in England): 4.8
Household waste recycling rate
Reused, recycled or composted.
- Kingston upon Thames: 44.1%
- Median (all councils in England): 37.7%
Fly-tipping incidents per 1,000 residents
As recorded by the council.
- Kingston upon Thames: 13.8
- Median (all councils in England): 18.1
How to read these figures
Position 1 is the best in the group. The bottom quarter is shown in red, below the middle in yellow and the top half in green. Councils with the same figure share a position.
In each chart, every mark is a council in England and the large dot is Kingston upon Thames. Councils in the group you are comparing with are darker. The dashed line is the group's median.