State of Business Rates in England 2026 · 12 councils
Business rates in North East
The North East has the second-lowest average business rateable value of any English region at £24,511 at March 2026, after the South West, and by far the smallest total commercial rateable value, at £2.21 billion — a reflection of the region having just 12 councils, the fewest of any English region, and 90,020 rateable properties, the smallest regional property base in the country.
Stockton-on-Tees leads the region at £35,476, followed by Gateshead at £30,038 and Sunderland at £27,791 — all Tyne and Tees industrial and port-adjacent authorities. At the lower end, Durham (£21,423), South Tyneside (£20,500) and Northumberland (£18,066) — England's most northerly county, covering large rural areas — sit at close to half Stockton-on-Tees' average.
The 2026 revaluation lifted the North East's total rateable value by 17.8%, behind England's 19.6%. Within the region, Hartlepool saw the largest rise, up 31.3%, and Stockton-on-Tees the smallest, up 12.8%; no council's total fell.
The region holds just 460 properties valued at £500,000 or more at March 2026 — 2.7% of the national total, the smallest share of any region, consistent with its having the smallest total rateable value of any English region.
For businesses in the North East, the revaluation's headline was in retail and industry: retail rose just 3.1%, the smallest retail rise of any region, while industrial property rose 24.7%, level with the North West for the largest industrial rise.
Sector mix
The North East's sector mix mirrors the North of England pattern generally: other uses lead at 34.0% of value at March 2026, the joint-highest share of any region alongside the South West, followed by industrial at 29.7% and retail at 24.3% — the highest retail share of any English region.
At the 2026 revaluation retail rose just 3.1%, well behind England's 10.0%. Industrial property rose 24.7%, ahead of England's 21.4%, and offices 17.3%, ahead of England's 14.6%, while other uses rose 22.4%, behind England's 28.5%.
All 12 councils in North East
| Council | Average rateable value, March 2026Average RV | Change in total rateable value at the 2026 revaluationChange | Rank in EnglandRank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stockton-on-Tees UA | £35,476 | +12.8% | 92 of 296 |
| Gateshead | £30,038 | +13.2% | 136 of 296 |
| Sunderland | £27,791 | +16.5% | 151 of 296 |
| Newcastle-upon-Tyne | £27,325 | +20.7% | 159 of 296 |
| Hartlepool UA | £26,548 | +31.3% | 173 of 296 |
| North Tyneside | £25,570 | +15.7% | 183 of 296 |
| Redcar & Cleveland UA | £24,238 | +15.9% | 198 of 296 |
| Darlington UA | £22,954 | +18.9% | 215 of 296 |
| Middlesbrough UA | £22,214 | +14.4% | 230 of 296 |
| Durham UA | £21,423 | +20.4% | 237 of 296 |
| South Tyneside | £20,500 | +18.8% | 242 of 296 |
| Northumberland UA | £18,066 | +18.0% | 265 of 296 |
Averages are means: total rateable value divided by the number of properties, so a small number of very high-value properties can pull them up. Ranks are by average rateable value.
Source: HM Revenue & Customs, using Valuation Office Agency data: 'Non-domestic rating: stock of properties, March 2026' and 'Non-domestic rating: change in rateable value of rating lists, England and Wales, 2026 Revaluation (compiled list)' — Open Government Licence v3.0
Other regions
- London£64,921
- South East£35,296
- East of England£32,135
- East Midlands£28,602
- West Midlands£28,222
- North West£25,329
- Yorkshire and The Humber£24,643
- South West£23,944
Read the national report: State of Business Rates in England 2026 →
Latest: Business rates at the 2026 revaluation: what the official figures show (17 October 2026)
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