How much are council rates in Australia?
There is no single Australian figure, and anyone who gives you one has averaged two things that are not the same. What there is, for the two states we hold verified data on, is a median of $1,282 in New South Wales and $1,369 in Queensland, and a spread wide enough that the median is a poor guide to your own bill.
The median residential council rate in New South Wales for 2026-27 is $1,282 a year across 126 councils, and in Queensland the median minimum general rate is $1,369 across 21 councils. New South Wales ranges from $144 to $2,446. Queensland ranges from $950 to $1,771. These are general rates only and exclude waste, stormwater and emergency services levies.
Key statistics
- NSW median
- $1,282
- QLD median
- $1,369
- NSW range
- $144 to $2,446
- QLD range
- $950 to $1,771
- Councils covered
- 146
- Excludes
- Waste and levies
Why there is no national average here. Queensland councils publish a minimum general rate, which is a floor most owner-occupiers pay more than. New South Wales councils report an average residential rate, which is already a typical bill. Averaging a floor with an average produces a number that describes nothing. We publish the two separately and never combine them.
The short answer by state
In New South Wales, half of all councils charge between $967 and $1,541. In Queensland, half fall between $1,284 and $1,436.
| New South Wales | Queensland | |
|---|---|---|
| Councils | 126 | 20 |
| Lowest | $144 | $950 |
| Lower quarter | $967 | $1,284 |
| Median | $1,282 | $1,369 |
| Upper quarter | $1,541 | $1,436 |
| Highest | $2,446 | $1,771 |
| Basis | Average residential rate | Minimum general rate |
Why the average is a weak guide in NSW and a decent one in Queensland
The two states are not just priced differently, they are shaped differently. Queensland's councils cluster: 16 of 21, or 76%, sit within $200 of the median, and the middle half spans just $197. Quote a Queenslander the median and you will usually be close.
New South Wales does not behave that way. Only 45 of 126 councils, 36%, fall within $200 of the median, and the middle half spans $574. The full range runs from $144 to $2,446, roughly 17 times.
So the practical answer to how much council rates are depends on which state is asking. In Queensland the median is a reasonable estimate. In New South Wales it is barely more useful than knowing the country you live in, and you have to look up your own council.
How New South Wales councils are distributed
| Annual rate | Councils | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under $750 | 18 | 14% |
| $750 to $1,000 | 19 | 15% |
| $1,000 to $1,250 | 19 | 15% |
| $1,250 to $1,500 | 35 | 28% |
| $1,500 to $1,750 | 16 | 13% |
| $1,750 to $2,000 | 13 | 10% |
| $2,000 and above | 6 | 5% |
The tail at the bottom is real and it is geographic. The councils under $750 are in the far west and the Riverina, where land values are low and rates are struck against land value. Brewarrina at $144 is not efficient, it is remote.
What the figure does not include
Every number here is the general rate. Your notice will carry more than that. Domestic waste management is charged separately and is usually a flat annual amount. Depending on the council you may also see a stormwater levy, an emergency services levy, and in much of Queensland a water and sewerage charge, because there the council is often the water provider too.
That last one matters more than people expect. Water adds between $1,377 and $2,308 a year depending on the provider, which is comparable to the rates bill itself in some places. We rank those separately in the water rates comparison.
Look up your own council
The median is where to start and not where to stop. Every one of the 146 councils has its own page with its figure, its position against the rest of its state, and the suburbs it covers: compare council rates by council.
If you are weighing up where to live rather than checking a bill, rates are the smallest of the costs that change by address. Across Sydney the middle eighty per cent of suburbs span about $692 on council rates and about $4,867 on the drive to work.
Methodology
New South Wales. The average residential rate each council reports to the NSW Office of Local Government, uplifted by that council's IPART rate peg for 2026-27. Seven councils running an approved special variation reflect the approved rate instead.
Queensland. The minimum residential general rate for an owner-occupied principal place of residence, from each council's adopted 2026-27 budget. A floor, not a typical bill.
Not combined. The two are different statistics. We publish no national average, because one cannot be built honestly from these inputs.
Coverage. Queensland and New South Wales only. Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia, Tasmania, the ACT and the Northern Territory are not covered.
Excluded. Waste, stormwater and emergency services levies, and water where billed separately.
Cite this data
SuburbCost data is free to cite with attribution. Please link to this page as the source.
Rates change every July
One email a year, when the new council budgets land and these figures are rebuilt. Nothing else.
Done. You will hear from us next July.
Frequently asked questions
How much are council rates per year in Australia?
It depends on the state, and the two eastern states are measured differently. The median New South Wales council charges $1,282 a year on an average residential basis. The median Queensland council sets a minimum general rate of $1,369, which is a floor most owner-occupiers pay more than. There is no meaningful national figure combining the two.
What is the average council rate in NSW?
The median across all 126 New South Wales councils is $1,282 for 2026-27, with half falling between $967 and $1,541. The average is a weak guide in NSW: only 36% of councils sit within $200 of it, and the full range runs from $144 to $2,446.
How much are council rates in Queensland?
The median minimum general rate across 21 Queensland councils is $1,369 for 2026-27. Queensland clusters far more tightly than New South Wales, with 76% of councils within $200 of the median, so the median is a reasonable estimate. Most owner-occupiers pay more than the minimum, scaled to their land value.
Are council rates the same across a council area?
Broadly yes for the general rate, which is why these figures are quoted per council rather than per suburb. What differs between suburbs in the same council is everything else: water where separately billed, insurance, and the cost of getting to work, which is usually the largest of the three.