Rankings · Metropolitan borough in England
Separate leagues. England, Scotland and Wales are measured differently, so a rank in one is not comparable with another. Why. England is stable; Scotland and Wales are provisional.
Bradford
Bradford council ranks 41st of 130 single-tier councils in England (likely range 22nd to 70th), in the upper middle. Strongest on value for money (12th of 127), weakest on financial health (91st of 127).
Formally the City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council.
Compare Bradford with another council
Data period: Oldest figures 2024-25 (DEFRA and DHSC); newest as at 2026-11 (CQC). Published by CQC, DEFRA, DHSC, DfE, Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman, MHCLG and Ofsted.
Data last updated: · Last checked: . Sources publish on their own schedules, so figures can be older than the last check.
Methodology v2.0 (stable) · to cite: "Bradford council, Council Rankings, 1 November 2026, https://councilrankings.com/council/bradford/"
Likely range 22nd–70th. Stays in the upper middle in 68% of re-runs. How we work this out
How Bradford scores
Bar length shows the share of the 130 councils that Bradford beats. Overall weights: service quality 60%, value for money 20%, financial health 20%. Select any measure below to see how every council compares on it.
Service quality
Allowing for need, Bradford ranks 28th of 130 (likely range 11th–58th), against 42nd unadjusted. That is 14 places higher once need is allowed for, within the likely range.
Adjusted: children's services, adult social care and waste & recycling. Not adjusted, because there is no published measure of need: planning, complaints, special educational needs and homelessness. This view is not part of the overall rank. How we adjust
Planning
| Measure | Bradford | Median of 130 | Rank | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Major planning decisions made in time (24 months) Higher is better | 86.5% | 93.7% | =107 / 130 | 2024 Q3 to 2026 Q2 |
| Non-major planning decisions made in time (24 months) Higher is better | 83.9% | 92.0% | 115 / 130 | 2024 Q3 to 2026 Q2 |
| Planning decisions in the financial year Higher is better · context only | 2,322 | 1,092 | – | 2025-26 |
Source: MHCLG — Planning application statistics (PS2)
Waste & recycling
| Measure | Bradford | Median of 130 | Rank | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Household waste sent for reuse recycling or composting Higher is better | 30.9% | 37.4% | =96 / 130 | 2024-25 |
| Residual household waste per household Lower is better | 587 kg | 516 kg | 105 / 130 | 2024-25 |
Source: DEFRA — Local authority collected waste management
Complaints
| Measure | Bradford | Median of 130 | Rank | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ombudsman upheld decisions per 100k residents Lower is better | 4.7 | 4.8 | 62 / 130 | 2024-25 to 2025-26 |
| Ombudsman investigations upheld Lower is better | 80.3% | 81.9% | =51 / 130 | 2024-25 to 2025-26 |
| Ombudsman recommendations implemented on time Higher is better | 90.5% | 75.0% | 36 / 128 | 2025-26 |
| Ombudsman recommendations implemented Higher is better · context only | 100.0% | 100.0% | – | 2025-26 |
| Upheld complaints already remedied by the council before reaching the Ombudsman Higher is better · context only | 18.5% | 15.2% | – | 2025-26 |
Source: Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman — annual review data
Children's services
| Measure | Bradford | Median of 130 | Rank | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ofsted overall effectiveness (children's services) Higher is better | Requires improvement | Good | =96 / 130 | latest at 2026-03-31 |
| Ofsted sub-judgements (average) Higher is better | 2.50 / 4 | Good | =96 / 130 | latest at 2026-03-31 |
Source: Ofsted — Local authority inspection outcomes
Adult social care
| Measure | Bradford | Median of 130 | Rank | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CQC assessment score for adult social care Higher is better | 72.2%Good assessment published 24 October 2025 | 63.9% | =17 / 126 | latest at 2026-11 |
| Quality of life of people who use services (adjusted) Higher is better | 0.462 | 0.417 | =1 / 129 | 2024-25 |
| People who use services satisfied with their care and support Higher is better | 71.0% | 65.5% | =1 / 129 | 2024-25 |
| Older people still at home 12 weeks after hospital discharge into reablement Higher is better | 62.7% | 62.5% | 59 / 119 | 2024-25 |
| Adults aged 18 to 64 with a learning disability who live in their own home or with family Higher is better | 86.7% | 83.9% | 39 / 129 | 2024-25 |
| People who use services who feel safe Higher is better | 76.7% | 70.7% | 8 / 129 | 2024-25 |
Source: CQC — Local authority assessment reports; DHSC — Adult Social Care Outcomes Framework
Special educational needs
| Measure | Bradford | Median of 130 | Rank | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New EHC plans issued within 20 weeks Higher is better | 88.0% | 58.3% | 19 / 130 | 2024 to 2025 |
Source: DfE — Education, health and care plans
Homelessness
| Measure | Bradford | Median of 130 | Rank | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Homelessness prevented: accommodation secured for 6+ months Higher is better | 68.1% | 51.7% | 17 / 130 | 2025-09 to 2026-03 |
| Homelessness relieved: accommodation secured for 6+ months Higher is better | 42.8% | 33.5% | 31 / 130 | 2025-09 to 2026-03 |
| Households in temporary accommodation per 1000 households Lower is better | 2.6 | 2.8 | 61 / 126 | 2026-03 |
| Families with children in B&B for more than 6 weeks Lower is better · context only | 0 | 0 | – | 2026-03 |
Value for money
Adult social care value for money
Bradford spends £539 per adult on adult social care, against about £597 expected after allowing for older people's poverty, how many residents are over 65 and whether a council is in London (£57 less). Its adult social care results rank 2nd of 125.
Good results, lower cost · value for money rank 17th of 122
Children's services value for money
Bradford spends £1,841 per child on children's services, against about £1,803 expected after allowing for child poverty and whether a council is in London (£38 more). Its children's services results rank 96th of 130.
Weaker results, higher cost · value for money rank 79th of 127
Waste value for money
Bradford spends £151 per home on waste & recycling, against about £192 expected after allowing for deprivation, whether a council is in London and share of census output areas classed rural (£42 less). Its waste & recycling results rank 110th of 130.
Weaker results, lower cost · value for money rank 13th of 127
Planning value for money
Bradford spends £60 per planning decision on planning, against about £702 expected after allowing for whether a council is in London (£642 less). Its planning results rank 115th of 130.
Weaker results, lower cost · value for money rank 27th of 127
Financial health
Bradford needed Exceptional Financial Support from government (2024-25 to 2026-27), so it ranks below every council that did not on financial health.
Reserves
| Measure | Bradford | Median of 130 | Rank | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Usable reserves as a share of net revenue expenditure Higher is better | 35.1% | 33.0% | 59 / 127 | 2025-26 |
| Change in usable reserves over the year as a share of net revenue expenditure Higher is better | 11.1% | 0.4% | 10 / 127 | 2025-26 |
Debt
| Measure | Bradford | Median of 130 | Rank | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Debt servicing costs as a share of net revenue expenditure Lower is better | 8.9% | 9.7% | 59 / 127 | 2025-26 |
| Borrowing need (excluding council housing) as a share of net revenue expenditure Lower is better | 179.2% | 184.6% | 61 / 127 | 2024-25 borrowing, 2025-26 spend |
Schools funding deficit
| Measure | Bradford | Median of 130 | Rank | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| High-needs (DSG) deficit as a share of net revenue expenditure Lower is better | 0.0% | 8.8% | =1 / 127 | 2025-26 |
Government bailouts
| Measure | Bradford | Median of 130 | Rank | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exceptional Financial Support over three years as a share of net revenue expenditure Lower is better | 55.6% | 0.0% | 118 / 127 | 2024-25 to 2026-27 |
Context
Background figures. These don't count towards the score.
| Population | 557,758 | median 277,253 | mid-2025 |
| Net service spend per resident | £1,962.16 | median £2,026.28 | 2025-26 |
| Index of Multiple Deprivation average score | 36.713 | median 24.057 | 2025 |
| Families with children in B&B for more than 6 weeks | 0 | median 0 | 2026-03 |
| Who runs the council | Reform UK minority administration | 16 September 2026 | |
| Seats on the council | Reform UK 29, Conservative 18, Labour 17, Independent and other 16, Green 9, Liberal Democrat 1 (of 90 seats) | 16 September 2026 | |
| Audit opinion on the latest accounts | No audit opinion signed yet. PSAA status: unsigned. | 2025-26 | |
| Years of the last three with no audit opinion signed | 1 | median 1 | 2023-24 to 2025-26 |
| Band D council tax (council element) | £1,965.28 | median £1,969.00 | 2026-27 |
| Band D council tax change on previous year | 5.0% | median 5.0% | 2026-27 |
| Band D council tax total bill (incl. GLA/police/fire/combined authority) | £2,360.73 | median £2,435.01 | 2026-27 |
Also responsible in Bradford
These services are run by other bodies, so they don't count towards Bradford's score.
- West Yorkshire Combined Authority: transport; adult skills; economic development; police & crime
Councils nearby
The closest ranked councils by distance between council centres. Nearness says nothing about how similar they are.
Questions about Bradford
How good is Bradford council?
Bradford ranks 41st of 130 single-tier councils in England overall, in the upper middle, and 19th of 36 metropolitan boroughs. Its likely range is 22nd to 70th. Its highest rank is on value for money (12th of 127) and its lowest on financial health (91st of 127). Ranks are on official data for service quality, value for money and financial health; nearby places are similar, so read it as a position, not a verdict. How we score · Compare Bradford
Is Bradford a single-tier council?
Yes. Bradford is a metropolitan borough (formally the City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council), and runs almost all local services in its area itself, with no county or district council alongside it. A few services are run by other bodies, listed above. Who is ranked
ONS code E08000032 · How we score · Report an error · Changelog