Who won the local elections in Croydon?

Tony GrewLondon
Getty Images A red Victorian brick clocktower rises above buildings in Croydon town centre. It is a sunny with a blue sky. Getty Images
Croydon Clocktower is a prominent local landmark

What happened in Croydon in the 2026 council election, and who won?

Croydon Council continues to have no parties with overall control in the 7 May election.

The results were:

Labour: 30 seats (-4)

Conservative: 28 seats (-5)

Green: 8 seats (+6)

Liberal Democrat: 2 seats (+1)

Reform UK: 2 seats (+2)

When were the 2026 local elections in London?

More than six million Londoners were eligible to vote in the council elections on Thursday 7 May 2026.

All 32 London boroughs were up for election.

There were also elections for the mayor in five boroughs: Croydon, Hackney, Lewisham, Newham and Tower Hamlets.

Getty Images A green tram on the street in a built up area of London. There are pedestrians on either side of the street. Tower blocks are visible in the background. Getty Images
Croydon is one of the areas of south London that has a tram network

Where is Croydon and who lives there?

The London Borough of Croydon is in south London and is bordered by Sutton, Merton, Lambeth, Bromley and Surrey.

What's it like? Croydon has become a centre of high-rise living and a commercial hub with a tram system. The south of the borough is part of a national nature reserve including rare flower-rich chalk downland, that looks as rural as Croydon town is urban.

Neighbourhoods: Central Croydon, South Croydon, East Croydon, West Croydon, Norbury, Thornton Heath, Shirley, Sanderstead, Coulsdon, Purley and South Norwood.

Places of interest: Museum of Croydon, Croydon Minster, Croydon Airport Visitor Centre (limited opening times) Fairfield Halls, Addington Hills, Sanderstead Plantation, Whitgift Centre, Surrey Street Market and the South London Downs National Nature Reserve.

Pub quiz fact: Mayday! The emergency word was invented at Croydon Airport by radio operator Frederick Stanley Mockford and was approved for cross-Channel flights in February 1923.

Population (2024 estimate): 409,342 - Croydon is the most populous borough in London.

Demographics: According to the 2021 census, 48.4% identify as white, 17.5% as Asian, 22.6% as black, 7.6% as mixed race and 3.7% as another ethnic group.

Average property price: According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the average house price in Croydon in December 2025 was £402,106.

Average monthly rent: The ONS reported that the average monthly rent in Croydon was £1,556 in February 2026.

Council tax: Band D council tax in the borough for 2026-27 is £2,600.

Transport: According to Transport for London there are two London Overground stations, 24 tram stops and about 990 bus stops in Croydon. There are also more than 20 railway stations in the borough.

Getty Images A rural scene with rolling hills, mature trees and grassland, taken on the edge of London in the borough of Croydon. Getty Images
Farthing Downs is part of the South London Downs National Nature Reserve

What is Croydon's local history?

Croydon existed before the Norman Conquest as a Surrey parish. The Domesday Book records more than 300 people living there in 1086. By the Middle Ages it was a market town and in 1803 a horse-drawn iron railway opened, linking it to Wandsworth.

The expansion of the railways made Croydon a major commuting town and industrial area - it used to be known for car manufacturing. It was also the site of London's main international airport for both cargo and passengers during the 1920s and 1930s.

Croydon was transferred from Surrey to Greater London as part of the reorganisation of local government in 1965.

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