Rankings · Unitary council
Stoke-on-Trent
Stoke-on-Trent council ranks 74th of 130 single-tier councils in England (likely range 50th to 99th), in the lower middle. Strongest on service quality (35th of 130), weakest on financial health (119th of 127).
Compare Stoke-on-Trent with another council
Data as of 13 October 2026 · methodology v2.0 (stable) · to cite: "Stoke-on-Trent council, Council Rankings, 13 October 2026, https://councilrankings.com/council/stoke-on-trent/"
Likely range 50th–99th. Stays in the lower middle in 72% of re-runs. How we work this out
How Stoke-on-Trent scores
Bar length shows the share of the 130 councils that Stoke-on-Trent 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, Stoke-on-Trent ranks 27th of 130 (likely range 11th–51st), against 35th unadjusted. That is 8 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 | Stoke-on-Trent | Median of 130 | Rank | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Major planning decisions made in time (24 months) Higher is better | 96.5% | 93.7% | 42 / 130 | 2024 Q3 to 2026 Q2 |
| Non-major planning decisions made in time (24 months) Higher is better | 94.9% | 92.0% | 37 / 130 | 2024 Q3 to 2026 Q2 |
| Planning decisions in the financial year Higher is better · context only | 475 | 1,092 | – | 2025-26 |
Source: MHCLG — Planning application statistics (PS2)
Waste & recycling
| Measure | Stoke-on-Trent | Median of 130 | Rank | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Household waste sent for reuse recycling or composting Higher is better | 34.3% | 37.4% | 78 / 130 | 2024-25 |
| Residual household waste per household Lower is better | 545 kg | 516 kg | 88 / 130 | 2024-25 |
Source: DEFRA — Local authority collected waste management
Complaints
| Measure | Stoke-on-Trent | Median of 130 | Rank | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ombudsman upheld decisions per 100k residents Lower is better | 3.6 | 4.8 | 38 / 130 | 2024-25 to 2025-26 |
| Ombudsman investigations upheld Lower is better | 76.0% | 81.9% | 27 / 130 | 2024-25 to 2025-26 |
| Ombudsman recommendations implemented on time Higher is better | 50.0% | 75.0% | =113 / 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 | 27.3% | 15.2% | – | 2025-26 |
Source: Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman — annual review data
Children's services
| Measure | Stoke-on-Trent | 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 | 2.25 / 4 | Good | =100 / 130 | latest at 2026-03-31 |
Source: Ofsted — Local authority inspection outcomes
Adult social care
| Measure | Stoke-on-Trent | Median of 130 | Rank | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CQC assessment score for adult social care Higher is better | 63.9%Good assessment published 13 June 2025 | 63.9% | =55 / 126 | latest at 2026-10-13 |
| Quality of life of people who use services (adjusted) Higher is better | 0.457 | 0.417 | =1 / 129 | 2024-25 |
| People who use services satisfied with their care and support Higher is better | 66.1% | 65.5% | =57 / 129 | 2024-25 |
| Older people still at home 12 weeks after hospital discharge into reablement Higher is better | 72.7% | 62.5% | 7 / 119 | 2024-25 |
| Adults aged 18 to 64 with a learning disability who live in their own home or with family Higher is better | 69.1% | 83.9% | =123 / 129 | 2024-25 |
| People who use services who feel safe Higher is better | 76.8% | 70.7% | =1 / 129 | 2024-25 |
Source: CQC — Local authority assessment reports; DHSC — Adult Social Care Outcomes Framework
Special educational needs
| Measure | Stoke-on-Trent | Median of 130 | Rank | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New EHC plans issued within 20 weeks Higher is better | 45.6% | 58.3% | 77 / 130 | 2024 to 2025 |
Source: DfE — Education, health and care plans
Homelessness
| Measure | Stoke-on-Trent | Median of 130 | Rank | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Homelessness prevented: accommodation secured for 6+ months Higher is better | 79.9% | 51.7% | =1 / 130 | 2025-09 to 2026-03 |
| Homelessness relieved: accommodation secured for 6+ months Higher is better | 70.4% | 33.5% | =1 / 130 | 2025-09 to 2026-03 |
| Households in temporary accommodation per 1000 households Lower is better | 0.7 | 2.8 | 16 / 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
Stoke-on-Trent spends £664 per adult on adult social care, against about £606 expected after allowing for older people's poverty, how many residents are over 65 and whether a council is in London (£58 more). Its adult social care results rank 22nd of 125.
Good results, higher cost · value for money rank 102nd of 122
Children's services value for money
Stoke-on-Trent spends £2,278 per child on children's services, against about £1,788 expected after allowing for child poverty and whether a council is in London (£490 more). Its children's services results rank 100th of 130.
Weaker results, higher cost · value for money rank 111th of 127
Waste value for money
Stoke-on-Trent spends £65 per home on waste & recycling, against about £183 expected after allowing for deprivation, whether a council is in London and share of census output areas classed rural (£119 less). Its waste & recycling results rank 80th of 130.
Weaker results, lower cost · value for money rank 7th of 127
Planning value for money
Stoke-on-Trent spends £2,800 per planning decision on planning, against about £702 expected after allowing for whether a council is in London (£2,098 more). Its planning results rank 37th of 130.
Good results, higher cost · value for money rank 123rd of 127
Financial health
Stoke-on-Trent 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 | Stoke-on-Trent | Median of 130 | Rank | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Usable reserves as a share of net revenue expenditure Higher is better | 19.6% | 33.0% | 102 / 127 | 2025-26 |
| Change in usable reserves over the year as a share of net revenue expenditure Higher is better | 0.0% | 0.4% | 67 / 127 | 2025-26 |
Debt
| Measure | Stoke-on-Trent | Median of 130 | Rank | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Debt servicing costs as a share of net revenue expenditure Lower is better | 15.3% | 9.7% | 103 / 127 | 2025-26 |
| Borrowing need (excluding council housing) as a share of net revenue expenditure Lower is better | 272.9% | 184.6% | 99 / 127 | 2024-25 borrowing, 2025-26 spend |
Schools funding deficit
| Measure | Stoke-on-Trent | Median of 130 | Rank | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| High-needs (DSG) deficit as a share of net revenue expenditure Lower is better | 13.0% | 8.8% | 85 / 127 | 2025-26 |
Government bailouts
| Measure | Stoke-on-Trent | Median of 130 | Rank | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exceptional Financial Support over three years as a share of net revenue expenditure Lower is better | 19.0% | 0.0% | 103 / 127 | 2024-25 to 2026-27 |
Context
Background figures. These don't count towards the score.
| Population | 272,282 | median 277,253 | mid-2025 |
| Net service spend per resident | £1,975.97 | median £2,026.28 | 2025-26 |
| Index of Multiple Deprivation average score | 33.614 | 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 27, Conservative 8, Reform UK 5, Independent and other 4 (of 44 seats) | 16 September 2026 | |
| Audit opinion on the latest accounts | Opinion signed 26 March 2026. PSAA status: post backstop opinion delivered. | 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) | £1,783.78 | 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) | £2,183.12 | median £2,435.01 | 2026-27 |
Councils nearby
The closest ranked councils by distance between council centres. Nearness says nothing about how similar they are.
- Cheshire East: 78th of 130, lower middle · compare
- Telford and Wrekin: 13th of 130, top quarter · compare
- Stockport: 67th of 130, lower middle · compare
- Cheshire West and Chester: 55th of 130, upper middle · compare
- Trafford: 105th of 130, bottom quarter · compare
ONS code E06000021 · How we score · Report an error · Changelog