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.
Wolverhampton
Wolverhampton council ranks 45th of 130 single-tier councils in England (likely range 27th to 64th), in the upper middle. Strongest on value for money (16th of 127), weakest on service quality (67th of 130).
Formally the City of Wolverhampton Council.
Compare Wolverhampton 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: "Wolverhampton council, Council Rankings, 1 November 2026, https://councilrankings.com/council/wolverhampton/"
Likely range 27th–64th. Stays in the upper middle in 82% of re-runs. How we work this out
How Wolverhampton scores
Bar length shows the share of the 130 councils that Wolverhampton 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, Wolverhampton ranks 57th of 130 (likely range 37th–73rd), against 67th unadjusted. That is 10 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 | Wolverhampton | Median of 130 | Rank | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Major planning decisions made in time (24 months) Higher is better | 97.3% | 93.7% | 35 / 130 | 2024 Q3 to 2026 Q2 |
| Non-major planning decisions made in time (24 months) Higher is better | 98.8% | 92.0% | 14 / 130 | 2024 Q3 to 2026 Q2 |
| Planning decisions in the financial year Higher is better · context only | 817 | 1,092 | – | 2025-26 |
Source: MHCLG — Planning application statistics (PS2)
Waste & recycling
| Measure | Wolverhampton | Median of 130 | Rank | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Household waste sent for reuse recycling or composting Higher is better | 32.7% | 37.4% | 87 / 130 | 2024-25 |
| Residual household waste per household Lower is better | 591 kg | 516 kg | 108 / 130 | 2024-25 |
Source: DEFRA — Local authority collected waste management
Complaints
| Measure | Wolverhampton | Median of 130 | Rank | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ombudsman upheld decisions per 100k residents Lower is better | 2.9 | 4.8 | 18 / 130 | 2024-25 to 2025-26 |
| Ombudsman investigations upheld Lower is better | 80.0% | 81.9% | =43 / 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 | 0.0% | 15.2% | – | 2025-26 |
Source: Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman — annual review data
Children's services
| Measure | Wolverhampton | Median of 130 | Rank | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ofsted overall effectiveness (children's services) Higher is better | Good | Good | =40 / 130 | latest at 2026-03-31 |
| Ofsted sub-judgements (average) Higher is better | 3.25 / 4 | Good | =43 / 130 | latest at 2026-03-31 |
Source: Ofsted — Local authority inspection outcomes
Adult social care
| Measure | Wolverhampton | Median of 130 | Rank | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CQC assessment score for adult social care Higher is better | 63.9%Good assessment published 26 June 2026 | 63.9% | =55 / 126 | latest at 2026-11 |
| Quality of life of people who use services (adjusted) Higher is better | 0.436 | 0.417 | =22 / 129 | 2024-25 |
| People who use services satisfied with their care and support Higher is better | 63.3% | 65.5% | 82 / 129 | 2024-25 |
| Older people still at home 12 weeks after hospital discharge into reablement Higher is better | 57.7% | 62.5% | 92 / 119 | 2024-25 |
| Adults aged 18 to 64 with a learning disability who live in their own home or with family Higher is better | 86.2% | 83.9% | =43 / 129 | 2024-25 |
| People who use services who feel safe Higher is better | 70.9% | 70.7% | 64 / 129 | 2024-25 |
Source: CQC — Local authority assessment reports; DHSC — Adult Social Care Outcomes Framework
Special educational needs
| Measure | Wolverhampton | Median of 130 | Rank | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New EHC plans issued within 20 weeks Higher is better | 39.3% | 58.3% | 86 / 130 | 2024 to 2025 |
Source: DfE — Education, health and care plans
Homelessness
| Measure | Wolverhampton | Median of 130 | Rank | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Homelessness prevented: accommodation secured for 6+ months Higher is better | 42.3% | 51.7% | 102 / 130 | 2025-09 to 2026-03 |
| Homelessness relieved: accommodation secured for 6+ months Higher is better | 18.9% | 33.5% | 118 / 130 | 2025-09 to 2026-03 |
| Households in temporary accommodation per 1000 households Lower is better | 2.2 | 2.8 | 57 / 126 | 2026-03 |
| Families with children in B&B for more than 6 weeks Lower is better · context only | 1 | 0 | – | 2026-03 |
Value for money
Adult social care value for money
Wolverhampton spends £633 per adult on adult social care, against about £620 expected after allowing for older people's poverty, how many residents are over 65 and whether a council is in London (£13 more). Its adult social care results rank 52nd of 125.
Good results, higher cost · value for money rank 75th of 122
Children's services value for money
Wolverhampton spends £1,461 per child on children's services, against about £1,821 expected after allowing for child poverty and whether a council is in London (£360 less). Its children's services results rank 43rd of 130.
Good results, lower cost · value for money rank 23rd of 127
Waste value for money
Wolverhampton spends £134 per home on waste & recycling, against about £182 expected after allowing for deprivation, whether a council is in London and share of census output areas classed rural (£48 less). Its waste & recycling results rank 104th of 130.
Weaker results, lower cost · value for money rank 8th of 127
Planning value for money
Wolverhampton spends £378 per planning decision on planning, against about £702 expected after allowing for whether a council is in London (£324 less). Its planning results rank 16th of 130.
Good results, lower cost · value for money rank 47th of 127
Financial health
Reserves
| Measure | Wolverhampton | Median of 130 | Rank | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Usable reserves as a share of net revenue expenditure Higher is better | 32.4% | 33.0% | 68 / 127 | 2025-26 |
| Change in usable reserves over the year as a share of net revenue expenditure Higher is better | 5.4% | 0.4% | 26 / 127 | 2025-26 |
Debt
| Measure | Wolverhampton | Median of 130 | Rank | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Debt servicing costs as a share of net revenue expenditure Lower is better | 14.4% | 9.7% | 99 / 127 | 2025-26 |
| Borrowing need (excluding council housing) as a share of net revenue expenditure Lower is better | 248.1% | 184.6% | 94 / 127 | 2024-25 borrowing, 2025-26 spend |
Schools funding deficit
| Measure | Wolverhampton | Median of 130 | Rank | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| High-needs (DSG) deficit as a share of net revenue expenditure Lower is better | 5.3% | 8.8% | 38 / 127 | 2025-26 |
Government bailouts
| Measure | Wolverhampton | 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 | 281,434 | median 277,253 | mid-2025 |
| Net service spend per resident | £1,958.98 | median £2,026.28 | 2025-26 |
| Index of Multiple Deprivation average score | 32.552 | median 24.057 | 2025 |
| Families with children in B&B for more than 6 weeks | 1 | median 0 | 2026-03 |
| Who runs the council | Labour majority | 16 September 2026 | |
| Seats on the council | Labour 35, Reform UK 13, Conservative 10, Independent and other 2 (of 60 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) | £2,209.30 | 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) | £2,538.99 | median £2,435.01 | 2026-27 |
Also responsible in Wolverhampton
These services are run by other bodies, so they don't count towards Wolverhampton's score.
- West Midlands 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.
- Dudley: 42nd of 130, upper middle · compare
- Walsall: 39th of 130, upper middle · compare
- Sandwell: 52nd of 130, upper middle · compare
- Birmingham: 123rd of 130, bottom quarter · compare
- Telford and Wrekin: 13th of 130, top quarter · compare
Questions about Wolverhampton
How good is Wolverhampton council?
Wolverhampton ranks 45th of 130 single-tier councils in England overall, in the upper middle, and 14th of 36 metropolitan boroughs. Its likely range is 27th to 64th. Its highest rank is on value for money (16th of 127) and its lowest on service quality (67th of 130). 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 Wolverhampton
Is Wolverhampton a single-tier council?
Yes. Wolverhampton is a metropolitan borough (formally the City of Wolverhampton 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 E08000031 · How we score · Report an error · Changelog