Rankings · Unitary council
Stockton-on-Tees
Stockton-on-Tees council ranks 63rd of 130 single-tier councils in England (likely range 35th to 78th), in the upper middle. Strongest on value for money (21st of 127), weakest on service quality (79th of 130).
Compare Stockton-on-Tees with another council
Data as of 13 October 2026 · methodology v2.0 (stable) · to cite: "Stockton-on-Tees council, Council Rankings, 13 October 2026, https://councilrankings.com/council/stockton-on-tees/"
Likely range 35th–78th. Stays in the upper middle in 67% of re-runs. How we work this out
How Stockton-on-Tees scores
Bar length shows the share of the 130 councils that Stockton-on-Tees 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, Stockton-on-Tees ranks 80th of 130 (likely range 58th–100th), against 79th 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 | Stockton-on-Tees | Median of 130 | Rank | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Major planning decisions made in time (24 months) Higher is better | 94.1% | 93.7% | =58 / 130 | 2024 Q3 to 2026 Q2 |
| Non-major planning decisions made in time (24 months) Higher is better | 90.4% | 92.0% | 80 / 130 | 2024 Q3 to 2026 Q2 |
| Planning decisions in the financial year Higher is better · context only | 612 | 1,092 | – | 2025-26 |
Source: MHCLG — Planning application statistics (PS2)
Waste & recycling
| Measure | Stockton-on-Tees | Median of 130 | Rank | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Household waste sent for reuse recycling or composting Higher is better | 24.2% | 37.4% | =124 / 130 | 2024-25 |
| Residual household waste per household Lower is better | 702 kg | 516 kg | =124 / 130 | 2024-25 |
Source: DEFRA — Local authority collected waste management
Complaints
| Measure | Stockton-on-Tees | Median of 130 | Rank | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ombudsman upheld decisions per 100k residents Lower is better | 3.7 | 4.8 | 43 / 130 | 2024-25 to 2025-26 |
| Ombudsman investigations upheld Lower is better | 100.0% | 81.9% | =124 / 130 | 2024-25 to 2025-26 |
| Ombudsman recommendations implemented on time Higher is better | 100.0% | 75.0% | =1 / 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 | 42.9% | 15.2% | – | 2025-26 |
Source: Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman — annual review data
Children's services
| Measure | Stockton-on-Tees | 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 | Requires improvement | Good | =109 / 130 | latest at 2026-03-31 |
Source: Ofsted — Local authority inspection outcomes
Adult social care
| Measure | Stockton-on-Tees | Median of 130 | Rank | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CQC assessment score for adult social care Higher is better | 63.9%Good assessment published 24 October 2025 | 63.9% | =55 / 126 | latest at 2026-10-13 |
| Quality of life of people who use services (adjusted) Higher is better | 0.399 | 0.417 | =106 / 129 | 2024-25 |
| People who use services satisfied with their care and support Higher is better | 68.2% | 65.5% | 27 / 129 | 2024-25 |
| Older people still at home 12 weeks after hospital discharge into reablement Higher is better | 53.1% | 62.5% | 110 / 119 | 2024-25 |
| Adults aged 18 to 64 with a learning disability who live in their own home or with family Higher is better | 80.4% | 83.9% | 90 / 129 | 2024-25 |
| People who use services who feel safe Higher is better | 72.3% | 70.7% | =46 / 129 | 2024-25 |
Source: CQC — Local authority assessment reports; DHSC — Adult Social Care Outcomes Framework
Special educational needs
| Measure | Stockton-on-Tees | Median of 130 | Rank | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New EHC plans issued within 20 weeks Higher is better | 62.6% | 58.3% | 60 / 130 | 2024 to 2025 |
Source: DfE — Education, health and care plans
Homelessness
| Measure | Stockton-on-Tees | Median of 130 | Rank | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Homelessness prevented: accommodation secured for 6+ months Higher is better | 75.3% | 51.7% | 9 / 130 | 2025-09 to 2026-03 |
| Homelessness relieved: accommodation secured for 6+ months Higher is better | 69.3% | 33.5% | =1 / 130 | 2025-09 to 2026-03 |
| Households in temporary accommodation per 1000 households Lower is better | 0.6 | 2.8 | 9 / 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
Stockton-on-Tees spends £528 per adult on adult social care, against about £612 expected after allowing for older people's poverty, how many residents are over 65 and whether a council is in London (£84 less). Its adult social care results rank 81st of 125.
Weaker results, lower cost · value for money rank 4th of 122
Children's services value for money
Stockton-on-Tees spends £1,730 per child on children's services, against about £1,592 expected after allowing for child poverty and whether a council is in London (£137 more). Its children's services results rank 108th of 130.
Weaker results, higher cost · value for money rank 87th of 127
Waste value for money
Stockton-on-Tees spends £168 per home on waste & recycling, against about £181 expected after allowing for deprivation, whether a council is in London and share of census output areas classed rural (£13 less). Its waste & recycling results rank 128th of 130.
Weaker results, lower cost · value for money rank 64th of 127
Planning value for money
Stockton-on-Tees spends £320 per planning decision on planning, against about £702 expected after allowing for whether a council is in London (£382 less). Its planning results rank 63rd of 130.
Good results, lower cost · value for money rank 41st of 127
Financial health
Reserves
| Measure | Stockton-on-Tees | Median of 130 | Rank | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Usable reserves as a share of net revenue expenditure Higher is better | 15.4% | 33.0% | 114 / 127 | 2025-26 |
| Change in usable reserves over the year as a share of net revenue expenditure Higher is better | -0.8% | 0.4% | 77 / 127 | 2025-26 |
Debt
| Measure | Stockton-on-Tees | Median of 130 | Rank | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Debt servicing costs as a share of net revenue expenditure Lower is better | 5.0% | 9.7% | 20 / 127 | 2025-26 |
| Borrowing need (excluding council housing) as a share of net revenue expenditure Lower is better | 98.4% | 184.6% | 15 / 127 | 2024-25 borrowing, 2025-26 spend |
Schools funding deficit
| Measure | Stockton-on-Tees | Median of 130 | Rank | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| High-needs (DSG) deficit as a share of net revenue expenditure Lower is better | 8.7% | 8.8% | 62 / 127 | 2025-26 |
Government bailouts
| Measure | Stockton-on-Tees | 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 | 207,158 | median 277,253 | mid-2025 |
| Net service spend per resident | £1,881.28 | median £2,026.28 | 2025-26 |
| Index of Multiple Deprivation average score | 25.830 | 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 minority administration | 16 September 2026 | |
| Seats on the council | Conservative 26, Labour 22, Independent and other 8 (of 56 seats) | 16 September 2026 | |
| Audit opinion on the latest accounts | Opinion signed 27 February 2026. PSAA status: delivered by backstop. | 2024-25 | |
| Years of the last three with no audit opinion signed | 0 | median 0 | 2022-23 to 2024-25 |
| Band D council tax (council element) | £2,139.91 | 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) | £2,589.83 | median £2,435.01 | 2026-27 |
Also responsible in Stockton-on-Tees
These services are run by other bodies, so they don't count towards Stockton-on-Tees's score.
- Tees Valley Combined Authority: transport; adult skills; economic development
Councils nearby
The closest ranked councils by distance between council centres. Nearness says nothing about how similar they are.
- Middlesbrough: 86th of 130, lower middle · compare
- Hartlepool: 4th of 130, top quarter · compare
- Darlington: 11th of 130, top quarter · compare
- Redcar and Cleveland: 46th of 130, upper middle · compare
- County Durham: 12th of 130, top quarter · compare
ONS code E06000004 · How we score · Report an error · Changelog