QLD council rates 2026-27: which councils raised residential rates the most
Thirteen Queensland councils are ranked here on a like-for-like basis, and the minimum residential general rate rose between 3.7% and 20.8%, averaging about 8%. Somerset, one of the smallest councils, raised it the most; among the major metros Logan led at 12.4%. Moreton Bay, Brisbane and Cairns held closest to inflation. Here is the full council-by-council comparison, ranked, on a like-for-like minimum-rate basis.
Across 13 Queensland councils that set 2026-27 budgets, the minimum residential general rate rose between 3.7% and 20.8%, averaging about 8%. Somerset Regional Council raised the most (20.8%, one of the state's smallest councils); among the major metros, Logan City led at 12.4%. Moreton Bay raised the least, at 3.7%.
Key statistics
- Increase range
- 3.7% – 20.8%
- Average increase
- ~8%
- Highest riser
- Somerset Regional, +20.8%
- Biggest metro riser
- Logan City, +12.4%
- Councils covered
- 15 QLD (13 ranked)
Methodology
Every figure is the minimum residential general rate for an owner-occupied principal place of residence (the lowest land-value band), sourced directly from each council's 2025-26 and 2026-27 revenue statements and adopted budgets. Waste charges, levies and separate charges are excluded. Lockyer Valley (no 2026-27 budget adopted yet) and Redland City (its published rise applies to a median-valued home, not the minimum) are shown separately rather than ranked.
The short version
- Across 13 councils that have set 2026-27 budgets, the minimum residential rate rose 3.7% to 20.8%, averaging about 8%
- Somerset raised the most, up 20.8% ($1,063 to $1,284), though it is one of the smallest councils. Among the major metros Logan led at 12.4% ($1,616 to $1,816), then Sunshine Coast (11.7%) and Mackay (10.4%)
- Moreton Bay raised the least at 3.7%, with Brisbane City and Cairns both near 3.9%
- The fastest-growing south-east corner councils, Logan and Sunshine Coast, sit at the top; the established metros held rises down
- All 15 Queensland councils are covered. Ipswich now ranks on the corrected owner-occupied minimum basis; Lockyer Valley (a year behind, no 2026-27 budget yet) and Redland City (its published rise is a median-property figure) are shown separately
2026-27 vs 2025-26, ranked by increase
Every figure below is the minimum general rate for an owner-occupied residential property (a principal place of residence in the lowest land-value band). It is the fairest cross-council comparison because it does not depend on each suburb's land values.
| Rank | Council | 2025-26 | 2026-27 | Change | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Somerset Regional | $1,063 | $1,284 | +$221 | +20.8% |
| 2 | Logan City | $1,616 | $1,816 | +$200 | +12.4% |
| 3 | Sunshine Coast | $1,586 | $1,771 | +$185 | +11.7% |
| 4 | Mackay Regional | $1,328 | $1,466 | +$138 | +10.4% |
| 5 | Townsville City | $1,253 | $1,343 | +$90 | +7.2% |
| 6 | Toowoomba Regional | $1,351 | $1,444 | +$93 | +6.9% |
| 7 | Noosa | $1,451 | $1,540 | +$89 | +6.1% |
| 8 | Scenic Rim Regional | $1,300 | $1,376 | +$76 | +5.8% |
| 9 | Ipswich City | $1,231 | $1,298 | +$67 | +5.4% |
| 10 | City of Gold Coast | $1,298 | $1,359 | +$61 | +4.7% |
| 11 | Brisbane City | $1,519 | $1,579 | +$60 | +3.9% |
| 12 | Cairns Regional | $1,121 | $1,165 | +$44 | +3.9% |
| 13 | Moreton Bay | $1,577 | $1,636 | +$59 | +3.7% |
The spread is wider than a single "council rates went up" headline suggests. A Somerset household on the minimum rate pays $221 more this year and a Logan household $200 more, while a Cairns or Moreton Bay household pays under $60 more. Over a decade, a 12%-plus annual base compounding against a 3.7% one adds up to thousands more in rates on the minimum alone.
Rates are only one line in the running cost
Council rates are only one of the running costs of a home. Across Queensland suburbs, the average annual commute costs roughly $7,542 and insurance roughly $3,537, both well above the average minimum rates bill of about $1,439. Rates also move less between suburbs than commute or insurance do, since a single council usually charges the same minimum rate across every suburb it covers, while commute and insurance vary suburb by suburb. See the full annual running cost for any Queensland suburb, not just the rates line.
Who raised the most, and why it clusters
The sharpest single rise was small. Somerset, a rural-fringe council of about 28 suburbs, lifted its minimum 20.8%. Smaller rate bases move in bigger percentage steps, so a modest budget gap can drive a large headline rise; in dollars the increase was $221.
The growth corridors led among the metros. Logan and Sunshine Coast, two of the fastest-growing local government areas in the state, posted the largest metro rises at 12.4% and 11.7%. Rapid population growth pushes up the cost of the services councils fund from rates, and both have leaned on the general rate rather than borrowing to cover it.
The established metros held the line. Brisbane City (3.9%), Moreton Bay (3.7%) and the Gold Coast (4.7%) kept rises close to inflation. Larger, mature rate bases give these councils more room to spread costs without a steep percentage jump.
Regional results split. Mackay (10.4%) and Toowoomba (6.9%) ran higher than Cairns (3.9%) and Townsville (7.2%), so there is no single "regional" number. Local budget pressures, not geography, set the rate.
A note on Lockyer Valley and Redland City
Two councils sit outside the ranking above. Lockyer Valley has not yet adopted a 2026-27 budget, so its current published minimum is the 2025-26 figure of $1,301, up 3.5% from $1,257 the year before (2024-25), matching the council's stated 3.56% average rise. Redland City's 2026-27 owner-occupied minimum is $1,436; the council's own published increase of 5.47% ($85.30 a year) is for a median-valued home, not the minimum, so it is not directly comparable to the minimum-rate rises ranked above. Ipswich, previously set aside, is now ranked (9th, +5.4%) on the corrected owner-occupied residential minimum, consistent with every other council.
Where every Queensland council stands
All 15 Queensland councils in SuburbCost's coverage are current. Thirteen are ranked above on a like-for-like owner-occupied minimum basis. Lockyer Valley is a year behind (its 2025-26 minimum stands, with no 2026-27 budget adopted yet) and Redland City's published rise is a median-property figure, so both are shown separately rather than ranked. We re-verify council rate data every July as budgets land.
Frequently asked questions
How much did Queensland council rates rise in 2026-27?
Across the 13 councils that had adopted 2026-27 budgets by July 2026, the minimum residential general rate rose between 3.7% and 20.8%, averaging about 8%. In dollars that is roughly $44 to $221 a year on the minimum rate.
Which Queensland council raised rates the most?
Somerset, up 20.8% ($1,063 to $1,284), though it is one of the smallest councils. Among the major metros Logan led at 12.4% ($1,616 to $1,816), then Sunshine Coast (11.7%) and Mackay (10.4%).
Which raised the least?
Of the 13 councils that had set 2026-27 budgets, Moreton Bay increased the least, up 3.7% from $1,577 to $1,636. Brisbane City and Cairns Regional were close behind, both rising about 3.9%, meaning the three largest, most established councils held rises closest to inflation.
What is the minimum general rate?
It is the floor a council charges an owner-occupied residential property regardless of land value. Higher-value properties pay more via a rate in the dollar. Comparing the minimum gives a like-for-like baseline across councils because it does not depend on each suburb's land values.
See the rates for your own suburb
SuburbCost shows the council rate for every Queensland and New South Wales suburb, alongside water, commute, insurance and estimated electricity, so you can see the full annual running cost, not just the rates line.
Compare suburbs side by side →Or see your council's full breakdown at Council rates by area, or estimate your total in the cost of living calculator.
Data sources
Council rates: individual Queensland council 2025-26 and 2026-27 revenue statements and adopted budgets. Each figure is the minimum general rate for the standard owner-occupied residential category (principal place of residence, lowest land-value band). Cairns and Gold Coast figures are drawn from the councils' stated general-rate rise and revenue-statement minimums respectively. Ipswich's minimum is confirmed from its 2024-25, 2025-26 and 2026-27 budgets ($1,173, $1,231, $1,298). Lockyer Valley's figures are its 2024-25 and 2025-26 revenue statements ($1,257, $1,301); it has not yet adopted a 2026-27 budget. Redland City's 5.47% figure is the council's own stated increase for a median-valued owner-occupied home, not the minimum. Data period: council rates 2026-27 (Lockyer 2025-26), updated July 2026.
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