Reading compared with all councils in England
Compared with the 130 councils in England.
- Residents
- 183,762 (mid-2025)
- Band D council tax
- £2,613 a year in 2026-27, including police, fire and parish charges
Where Reading sits
1
measures in the bottom quarter
9
measures below the middle
11
measures in the top half
Reading compares worst with all councils in England on:
- stage 1 housing complaints answered in time (72nd of 82; 1st is highest)
It compares best on:
- tenants who say the council listens and acts (12th of 82; 1st is highest)
- tenants satisfied their home is safe (13th of 82; 1st is highest)
- household waste reused, recycled or composted (24th of 128; 1st is highest)
SEND assessments
Education, health and care plans set out support for children with special educational needs. The law says a new plan should be issued within 20 weeks.
| Measure | Reading | Median | Position | Across England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New EHC plans issued within 20 weeks 2025 | 62.5% | 59.0% | Top half 59th of 126 |
Ombudsman complaints
The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman looks at complaints the council's own complaints process has not resolved. Upheld means the Ombudsman found the council at fault.
| Measure | Reading | Median | Position | Across England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Upheld complaints per 100,000 residents 2025-26 | 3.8 | 4.8 | Top half 43rd of 130 | |
| Complaints to the Ombudsman per 100,000 residents 2025-26 | 38.6 | 41.2 | Top half 56th of 130 | |
| Upheld complaints about children's services per 100,000 residents | No figure | No figure | No figure | |
| Upheld complaints about special educational needs per 100,000 residents | No figure | No figure | No figure | |
| Upheld complaints about homelessness per 100,000 residents | No figure | No figure | No figure | |
| Upheld cases the council had already put right 2025-26 | 14.3% | 15.2% | Below the middle 59th of 115 | |
| Ombudsman remedies delivered on time 2025-26 | 75.0% | 75.6% | Below the middle 53rd of 104 |
Council housing
From the tenant survey and performance figures every council landlord reports to the Regulator of Social Housing. Only councils that still own council homes are included.
| Measure | Reading | Median | Position | Across England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tenants satisfied with the overall service 2024-25 | 71.2% | 66.5% | Top half 19th of 82 | |
| Tenants satisfied their home is well maintained 2024-25 | 71.9% | 66.5% | Top half 21st of 82 | |
| Tenants satisfied their home is safe 2024-25 | 80.7% | 72.2% | Top half 13th of 82 | |
| Tenants who say the council listens and acts 2024-25 | 68.3% | 56.2% | Top half 12th of 82 | |
| Non-emergency repairs done within target time 2024-25 | 82.1% | 83.1% | Below the middle 47th of 83 | |
| Council homes failing the Decent Homes Standard 2024-25 | 7.8% | 4.1% | Below the middle 60th of 83 | |
| Stage 1 housing complaints answered in time 2024-25 | 47.9% | 73.6% | Bottom quarter 72nd of 82 |
Council tax
How much of the year's council tax bills the council collected by 31 March.
| Measure | Reading | Median | Position | Across England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Council tax collected in the year it was due 2025-26 | 94.8% | 94.8% | Top half 63rd of 130 |
Streets and waste
Fly-tipping the council recorded, how often it took enforcement action, and how much household waste was recycled.
| Measure | Reading | Median | Position | Across England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fly-tipping incidents per 1,000 residents 2024-25 | 12.1 | 18.1 | Top half 43rd of 130 | |
| Enforcement actions per 100 fly-tipping incidents 2024-25 | 67.5 | 37.5 | Top half 43rd of 130 | |
| Household waste reused, recycled or composted 2023-24 | 49.8% | 37.7% | Top half 24th of 128 |
Homelessness
Temporary accommodation and the outcomes of homelessness cases, from the council's statutory returns.
| Measure | Reading | Median | Position | Across England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Households in temporary accommodation per 1,000 households January to March 2026 | 6.2 | 2.8 | Below the middle 84th of 126 | |
| Families in temporary accommodation for 2 years or more January to March 2026 | 18.8% | 13.6% | Below the middle 74th of 123 | |
| Prevention cases ending with a home secured January to March 2026 | 46.4% | 51.7% | Below the middle 92nd of 127 | |
| Relief cases ending with a home secured January to March 2026 | 34.9% | 34.9% | Below the middle 64th of 127 |
Website
An automated test of the council website's accessibility.
| Measure | Reading | Median | Position | Across England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Website accessibility score October 2026 | 90.1% | 92.5% | Below the middle 76th of 130 |
What the council spends
Net spending per resident in 2025-26, after fees, charges and specific grants, not counting schools. Spending more is not better or worse on its own. Negative highways figures come from parking income.
| Service | Reading | Median | Rank, highest first | Across England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Children's social care | £387 | £322 | 25th of 127 | |
| Adult social care | £424 | £472 | 94th of 127 | |
| Public health | £70 | £80 | 76th of 127 | |
| Housing (general fund) | £65 | £46 | 41st of 127 | |
| Environmental and regulatory | £120 | £104 | 32nd of 127 | |
| Highways and transport | £33 | £33 | 62nd of 127 | |
| Culture and leisure | £35 | £42 | 88th of 127 | |
| Planning and development | £13 | £24 | 98th of 127 | |
| Central services | £51 | £57 | 74th of 127 | |
| All services excluding schools | £1,199 | £1,222 | 66th of 127 |
Children's services inspection
Ofsted rated Reading’s children's services requires improvement at its last full inspection, in April 2024.
- Outstanding
- 39 of the 130 councils in England
- Good
- 56 of the 130 councils in England
- Requires improvement
- 24 of the 130 councils in England, including Reading
- Inadequate
- 11 of the 130 councils in England
Over time
Reading against the median of all councils in England.
EHC plans issued within 20 weeks
By calendar year.
- Reading: 62.5%
- Median (all councils in England): 59.0%
Upheld Ombudsman complaints per 100,000 residents
Using the latest population estimate for every year.
- Reading: 3.8
- Median (all councils in England): 4.8
Household waste recycling rate
Reused, recycled or composted.
- Reading: 49.8%
- Median (all councils in England): 37.7%
Fly-tipping incidents per 1,000 residents
As recorded by the council.
- Reading: 12.1
- Median (all councils in England): 18.1
How to read these figures
Position 1 is the best in the group. The bottom quarter is shown in red, below the middle in yellow and the top half in green. Councils with the same figure share a position.
In each chart, every mark is a council in England and the large dot is Reading. Councils in the group you are comparing with are darker. The dashed line is the group's median.