Rankings · London borough in England
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Merton
Merton council ranks 25th of 130 single-tier councils in England (likely range 12th to 37th), in the top quarter. Strongest on value for money (27th of 127), weakest on financial health (38th of 127).
Formally the London Borough of Merton.
Compare Merton 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: "Merton council, Council Rankings, 1 November 2026, https://councilrankings.com/council/merton/"
Likely range 12th–37th. Stays in the top quarter in 86% of re-runs. How we work this out
How Merton scores
Bar length shows the share of the 130 councils that Merton 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, Merton ranks 40th of 130 (likely range 27th–60th), against 37th unadjusted. That is about the same: need explains little of the difference between councils.
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 | Merton | Median of 130 | Rank | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Major planning decisions made in time (24 months) Higher is better | 97.4% | 93.7% | 33 / 130 | 2024 Q3 to 2026 Q2 |
| Non-major planning decisions made in time (24 months) Higher is better | 87.7% | 92.0% | 91 / 130 | 2024 Q3 to 2026 Q2 |
| Planning decisions in the financial year Higher is better · context only | 1,079 | 1,092 | – | 2025-26 |
Source: MHCLG — Planning application statistics (PS2)
Waste & recycling
| Measure | Merton | Median of 130 | Rank | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Household waste sent for reuse recycling or composting Higher is better | 37.5% | 37.4% | 65 / 130 | 2024-25 |
| Residual household waste per household Lower is better | 496 kg | 516 kg | 54 / 130 | 2024-25 |
Source: DEFRA — Local authority collected waste management
Complaints
| Measure | Merton | Median of 130 | Rank | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ombudsman upheld decisions per 100k residents Lower is better | 5.5 | 4.8 | 76 / 130 | 2024-25 to 2025-26 |
| Ombudsman investigations upheld Lower is better | 92.3% | 81.9% | 120 / 130 | 2024-25 to 2025-26 |
| Ombudsman recommendations implemented on time Higher is better | 75.0% | 75.0% | =64 / 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 | 0.0% | 15.2% | – | 2025-26 |
Source: Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman — annual review data
Children's services
| Measure | Merton | Median of 130 | Rank | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ofsted overall effectiveness (children's services) Higher is better | Outstanding | Good | =1 / 130 | latest at 2026-03-31 |
| Ofsted sub-judgements (average) Higher is better | 3.75 / 4 | Good | =15 / 130 | latest at 2026-03-31 |
Source: Ofsted — Local authority inspection outcomes
Adult social care
| Measure | Merton | Median of 130 | Rank | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CQC assessment score for adult social care Higher is better | 66.7%Good assessment published 13 August 2025 | 63.9% | =37 / 126 | latest at 2026-11 |
| Quality of life of people who use services (adjusted) Higher is better | 0.425 | 0.417 | 47 / 129 | 2024-25 |
| People who use services satisfied with their care and support Higher is better | 65.3% | 65.5% | 68 / 129 | 2024-25 |
| Older people still at home 12 weeks after hospital discharge into reablement Higher is better | 62.9% | 62.5% | 56 / 119 | 2024-25 |
| Adults aged 18 to 64 with a learning disability who live in their own home or with family Higher is better | 78.4% | 83.9% | 99 / 129 | 2024-25 |
| People who use services who feel safe Higher is better | 70.5% | 70.7% | =68 / 129 | 2024-25 |
Source: CQC — Local authority assessment reports; DHSC — Adult Social Care Outcomes Framework
Special educational needs
| Measure | Merton | Median of 130 | Rank | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New EHC plans issued within 20 weeks Higher is better | 89.8% | 58.3% | 16 / 130 | 2024 to 2025 |
Source: DfE — Education, health and care plans
Homelessness
| Measure | Merton | Median of 130 | Rank | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Homelessness prevented: accommodation secured for 6+ months Higher is better | 43.5% | 51.7% | 96 / 130 | 2025-09 to 2026-03 |
| Homelessness relieved: accommodation secured for 6+ months Higher is better | 28.4% | 33.5% | 87 / 130 | 2025-09 to 2026-03 |
| Households in temporary accommodation per 1000 households Lower is better | 8.6 | 2.8 | 92 / 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
Merton spends £466 per adult on adult social care, against about £512 expected after allowing for older people's poverty, how many residents are over 65 and London's higher costs (£45 less). Its adult social care results rank 50th of 125.
Good results, lower cost · value for money rank 43rd of 122
Children's services value for money
Merton spends £1,222 per child on children's services, against about £1,384 expected after allowing for child poverty and London's higher costs (£162 less). Its children's services results rank 15th of 130.
Good results, lower cost · value for money rank 48th of 127
Waste value for money
Merton spends £167 per home on waste & recycling, against about £189 expected after allowing for deprivation, London's higher costs and share of census output areas classed rural (£23 less). Its waste & recycling results rank 62nd of 130.
Weaker results, lower cost · value for money rank 36th of 127
Planning value for money
Merton spends £387 per planning decision on planning, against about £402 expected after allowing for London's higher costs (£15 less). Its planning results rank 59th of 130.
Good results, lower cost · value for money rank 71st of 127
Financial health
Reserves
| Measure | Merton | Median of 130 | Rank | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Usable reserves as a share of net revenue expenditure Higher is better | 73.0% | 33.0% | 16 / 127 | 2025-26 |
| Change in usable reserves over the year as a share of net revenue expenditure Higher is better | 0.6% | 0.4% | 60 / 127 | 2025-26 |
Debt
| Measure | Merton | Median of 130 | Rank | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Debt servicing costs as a share of net revenue expenditure Lower is better | 4.0% | 9.7% | 12 / 127 | 2025-26 |
| Borrowing need (excluding council housing) as a share of net revenue expenditure Lower is better | 61.6% | 184.6% | =1 / 127 | 2024-25 borrowing, 2025-26 spend |
Schools funding deficit
| Measure | Merton | Median of 130 | Rank | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| High-needs (DSG) deficit as a share of net revenue expenditure Lower is better | 37.1% | 8.8% | =121 / 127 | 2025-26 |
Government bailouts
| Measure | Merton | Median of 130 | Rank | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exceptional Financial Support over three years as a share of net revenue expenditure Lower is better | 0.0% | 0.0% | =1 / 127 | 2024-25 to 2026-27 |
Context
Background figures. These don't count towards the score.
| Population | 218,891 | median 277,253 | mid-2025 |
| Net service spend per resident | £2,285.24 | median £2,026.28 | 2025-26 |
| Index of Multiple Deprivation average score | 14.384 | median 24.057 | 2025 |
| Families with children in B&B for more than 6 weeks | 0 | median 0 | 2026-03 |
| Who runs the council | Labour majority | 16 September 2026 | |
| Seats on the council | Labour 32, Liberal Democrat 19, Conservative 4, Independent and other 2 (of 57 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) | £1,636.25 | median £1,969.00 | 2026-27 |
| Band D council tax change on previous year | 2.0% | median 5.0% | 2026-27 |
| Band D council tax total bill (incl. GLA/police/fire/combined authority) | £2,146.76 | median £2,435.01 | 2026-27 |
Also responsible in Merton
These services are run by other bodies, so they don't count towards Merton's score.
- Greater London Authority: transport (TfL); strategic planning; police & crime (MOPAC); fire (LFB)
Councils nearby
The closest ranked councils by distance between council centres. Nearness says nothing about how similar they are.
- Sutton: 23rd of 130, top quarter · compare
- Wandsworth: 21st of 130, top quarter · compare
- Kingston upon Thames: 15th of 130, top quarter · compare
- Croydon: 125th of 130, bottom quarter · compare
- Lambeth: 81st of 130, lower middle · compare
Questions about Merton
How good is Merton council?
Merton ranks 25th of 130 single-tier councils in England overall, in the top quarter, and 6th of 32 London boroughs. Its likely range is 12th to 37th. Its highest rank is on value for money (27th of 127) and its lowest on financial health (38th 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 Merton
Is Merton a single-tier council?
Yes. Merton is a London borough (formally the London Borough of Merton), 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 E09000024 · How we score · Report an error · Changelog