Before (end of 1985) (60 seats, Elections Centre)
Conservative 36 · Other 14 · SDP-Liberal Alliance 8 · Labour 2
After (end of 1986) (60 seats, Elections Centre)
Conservative 31 · SDP-Liberal Alliance 20 · Other 5 · Labour 4
Ward results
Bilton1 seat
| G. Foxall | Labour | 1,165 |
| A. Hall-Jackson | Conservative | 679 |
| J. Clark | Lib/Sdp | 563 |
Bishop Monkton1 seat
| D. Lambert | Conservative | 568 |
| J. Byrney | Lib/Sdp | 463 |
| M. Henderson | Labour | 51 |
Duchy1 seat
| E. Kettlewell | Conservative | 912 |
| T. Hurren | Lib/Sdp | 864 |
| P. Sutcliffe | Labour | 241 |
East Central1 seat
| B. Hillier | Lib/Sdp | 871 |
| R. Lockwood | Conservative | 577 |
| C. Dixon | Labour | 413 |
Granby1 seat
| M. De Courcey Bailey | Lib/Sdp | 905 |
| L. Wassell | Conservative | 408 |
| A. Peters | Labour | 385 |
Harlow1 seat
| B. Foster | Lib/Sdp | 1,212 |
| M. McCrindle | Conservative | 1,073 |
| N. Knott | Labour | 186 |
Kirkby Malzeard1 seat
| N. Nicol | Conservative | 533 |
| P. Wellings | Lib/Sdp | 439 |
| B. Elias | Labour | 18 |
Knaresborough East1 seat
| M. Ferguson | Lib/Sdp | 991 |
| G. Cook | Conservative | 626 |
| P. Gray | Labour | 401 |
Knaresborough West1 seat
| A. Wright | Labour | 762 |
| J. Dunn | Lib/Sdp | 737 |
| M. Dilworth | Conservative | 557 |
Marston Moor1 seat
| D. Muscroft | Conservative | 534 |
| W. Bowyer | Lib/Sdp | 326 |
| M. Rafferty | Labour | 55 |
New Park1 seat
| P. Armitage | Lib/Sdp | 562 |
| F. Cooper | Conservative | 305 |
| B. Tylee | Labour | 197 |
Pannal1 seat
| E. Waight | Lib/Sdp | 1,592 |
| B. Towler | Conservative | 1,324 |
| G. Anderson | Labour | 73 |
Ripon East1 seat
| J. Stockdale | Lib/Sdp | 659 |
| J. Simpson | Conservative | 642 |
| J. Flanagan | Labour | 411 |
Ripon West1 seat
| J. Baslington | Conservative | 825 |
| J. Cooper | Lib/Sdp | 772 |
| D. Hewison | Labour | 156 |
Spofforth1 seat
| W. Kitson | Conservative | 563 |
| W. Armitage | Lib/Sdp | 375 |
| R. Swithinbank | Labour | 46 |
Starbeck1 seat
| J. Blakey | Independent | 709 ✓ |
| B. Haxby | Lib/Sdp | 544 |
| J. Fletcher | Conservative | 506 |
| H. Brinton | Labour | 388 |
Wathvale1 seat
| C. Brown | Conservative | 544 |
| B. Cooper | Lib/Sdp | 108 |
| D. Williams | Labour | 71 |
Wedderburn1 seat
| D. Rimmington | Lib/Sdp | 1,522 |
| L. Tennant | Conservative | 835 |
| F. Buck | Labour | 152 |
West Central1 seat
| A. Baker | Lib/Sdp | 1,195 |
| R. Fearn | Conservative | 960 |
| T. Moseley | Labour | 163 |