North West · 2025-26
Business Rates in Cumberland
Businesses in Cumberland paid £114.6m in net business rates during 2025-26, above the average English council's £93.2m.
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Relief granted in Cumberland
Share of £33.5m total relief, 2025-26.
Cumberland at a glance
Cumberland granted £33.5m in relief overall, higher than the national council average of £26.3m. This included £13.9m in Small Business Rate Relief and £6.2m in retail, hospitality and leisure relief.
A further £7.9m went to charity relief and £2.6m to empty property relief, reflecting the mix of ratepayers across the local authority.
Cumberland has an estimated 10,550 active businesses, according to the latest ONS Business Counts (2025).
Cumberland ranks 95 out of 296 local authorities in England on the 2025 Index of Multiple Deprivation, where 1 is most deprived and 296 is least deprived.
Following the 2026 revaluation, the total rateable value of industrial property in Cumberland rose by 17.9% — if this pushed your assessment too high, an appeal may be worth considering.
Frequently asked questions
How much are business rates in Cumberland?
Cumberland's local authority collected £114.6m in net business rates income during 2025-26, based on the national multiplier applied to each property's rateable value, less any relief granted.
What reliefs are available in Cumberland?
Cumberland granted £33.5m in business rates relief in 2025-26, including £13.9m in Small Business Rate Relief, £6.2m in retail, hospitality and leisure relief, £7.9m in charity relief, and £2.6m in empty property relief.
How do I know if I'm overpaying?
If your rateable value looks high compared to similar properties nearby, or you're not currently receiving relief you may be entitled to, it's worth checking your assessment. Use our free checker to compare your rateable value and see if you may be eligible for a reduction or backdated refund.
Cumberland compared with the North West and England
- Average rateable value
- £22,613£2,716 below the North West average (£25,329)£11,377 below the England average (£33,990)
- Largest sector by value
- Industrial property, 40.3%10.1 percentage points above its 30.2% share in the North West
- Total rateable value, 2023 to 2026 list
- +15.2%North West: +19.3%England: +19.6%
Counts and rateable values are from the stock of properties at March 2026, on the 2023 rating list. Changes are from the 2026 revaluation, comparing the 2023 rating list with the 2026 rating list.
Property mix
Cumberland comes 221st of 296 English councils on average rateable value (£22,613) and 18th of 35 in the North West. Other commercial property makes up the largest share of Cumberland's rateable properties (41.8%), but industrial property carries the most rateable value (40.3%).
Shops and other retail property account for 20.3% of Cumberland's rateable properties and 19.3% of its value, lower than the 25.1% and 22.4% across the North West. High-value property is limited in Cumberland: around 40 properties were rated at £500,000 or more at March 2026, rising to around 60 on the 2026 list.
Change at the 2026 revaluation
Only 3 of the 34 other councils in the North West saw a weaker change in total rateable value at the 2026 revaluation than Cumberland's +15.2%. Other commercial property saw the biggest rise in Cumberland: total rateable value up 23.8% between the 2023 and 2026 lists, against +25.6% for other commercial property across the North West. At the other end, retail property in Cumberland fell 2.9% in total rateable value between the 2023 and 2026 lists, compared with +6.2% for retail property across the North West.
Reliefs
Total relief granted in Cumberland equalled 21.9% of gross rates payable in 2025-26, close to the 21.2% across English councils taken together. Of the four main reliefs, Small Business Rate Relief accounted for the most in Cumberland: 41.4% of the total, above the England figure of 28.0%.
Source: HM Revenue & Customs, using Valuation Office Agency data, and MHCLG relief returns. Open Government Licence v3.0. Method and rounding: /methodology.
See how Cumberland compares with the rest of the region: Business rates in North West, State of Business Rates in England 2026 →
Nearby areas
Compare with other councils in the North West
Other North West councils with their average rateable value, listed from the closest to Cumberland's £22,613.
- Business rates in Bolton£22,688 average rateable value, £75 higher than Cumberland
- Business rates in Wirral£22,714 average rateable value, £101 higher than Cumberland
- Business rates in Wigan£22,499 average rateable value, £114 lower than Cumberland
- Business rates in Fylde£22,285 average rateable value, £328 lower than Cumberland
- Business rates in Rochdale£22,068 average rateable value, £545 lower than Cumberland
- Business rates in Preston£23,466 average rateable value, £853 higher than Cumberland
Figures from MHCLG National Non-Domestic Rates statistics (2025-26), ONS UK Business Counts (2025), and English Indices of Deprivation (2025).
Updates for Cumberland
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