North East · 2025-26
Business Rates in Darlington UA
Businesses in Darlington UA paid £35.6m in net business rates during 2025-26, below the average English council's £93.2m.
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Relief granted in Darlington UA
Share of £12.1m total relief, 2025-26.
Darlington UA at a glance
Darlington UA granted £12.1m in relief overall, lower than the national council average of £26.3m. This included £5.2m in Small Business Rate Relief and £2.2m in retail, hospitality and leisure relief.
A further £3.3m went to charity relief and £1.2m to empty property relief, reflecting the mix of ratepayers across the local authority.
Darlington UA has an estimated 3,390 active businesses, according to the latest ONS Business Counts (2025).
Darlington UA ranks 72 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 Darlington UA rose by 32.7% — if this pushed your assessment too high, an appeal may be worth considering.
Frequently asked questions
How much are business rates in Darlington UA?
Darlington UA's local authority collected £35.6m 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 Darlington UA?
Darlington UA granted £12.1m in business rates relief in 2025-26, including £5.2m in Small Business Rate Relief, £2.2m in retail, hospitality and leisure relief, £3.3m in charity relief, and £1.2m 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.
Darlington UA compared with the North East and England
- Average rateable value
- £22,954£1,557 below the North East average (£24,511)£11,036 below the England average (£33,990)
- Largest sector by value
- Industrial property, 31.7%2.0 percentage points above its 29.7% share in the North East
- Total rateable value, 2023 to 2026 list
- +18.9%North East: +17.8%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
Darlington UA comes 215th of 296 English councils on average rateable value (£22,954) and 8th of 12 in the North East. Industrial property also accounts for the most properties in Darlington UA, at 29.2% of its rateable properties.
In Darlington UA, retail is 26.9% of rateable properties and 24.6% of rateable value; across the North East the figures are 25.6% and 24.3%. High-value property is limited in Darlington UA: around 20 properties were rated at £500,000 or more at March 2026, rising to around 30 on the 2026 list.
Change at the 2026 revaluation
Of the 11 other councils in the North East, 8 saw a weaker change in total rateable value at the 2026 revaluation than Darlington UA's +18.9% and 3 saw a stronger one. Industrial property saw the biggest rise in Darlington UA: total rateable value up 32.7% between the 2023 and 2026 lists, against +24.7% for industrial property across the North East. Even the weakest sector in Darlington UA, retail property, rose 1.0% in total rateable value at the 2026 revaluation, against +3.1% for retail property across the North East.
Reliefs
Total relief granted in Darlington UA equalled 24.9% of gross rates payable in 2025-26, above the 21.2% across English councils taken together. Of the four main reliefs, Small Business Rate Relief accounted for the most in Darlington UA: 42.5% 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 Darlington UA compares with the rest of the region: Business rates in North East, State of Business Rates in England 2026 →
Nearby areas
Compare with other councils in the North East
Other North East councils with their average rateable value, listed from the closest to Darlington UA's £22,954.
- Business rates in Middlesbrough UA£22,214 average rateable value, £740 lower than Darlington UA
- Business rates in Redcar & Cleveland UA£24,238 average rateable value, £1,284 higher than Darlington UA
- Business rates in Durham UA£21,423 average rateable value, £1,531 lower than Darlington UA
- Business rates in South Tyneside£20,500 average rateable value, £2,454 lower than Darlington UA
- Business rates in Hartlepool UA£26,548 average rateable value, £3,594 higher than Darlington UA
- Business rates in Northumberland UA£18,066 average rateable value, £4,888 lower than Darlington UA
Figures from MHCLG National Non-Domestic Rates statistics (2025-26), ONS UK Business Counts (2025), and English Indices of Deprivation (2025).
Updates for Darlington
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