Before (end of 1986) (60 seats, Elections Centre)
Conservative 31 · SDP-Liberal Alliance 20 · Other 5 · Labour 4
After (end of 1987) (60 seats, Elections Centre)
Conservative 32 · SDP-Liberal Alliance 23 · Labour 3 · Other 2
Ward results
Bilton1 seat
| J. Barnwell | Independent | 924 |
| T. Moseley | Labour | 877 |
| M. Knight | Lib/Sdp | 808 |
Duchy1 seat
| P. Meyrick | Conservative | 1,252 |
| B. Hobbs | Lib/Sdp | 1,069 |
| P. Sutcliffe | Labour | 136 |
East Central1 seat
| R. O'Neill | Lib/Sdp | 1,103 |
| R. Hunt | Conservative | 916 |
| N. Knott | Labour | 351 |
Harlow1 seat
| M. McCrindle | Conservative | 1,063 ✓ |
| R. Timmis | Lib/Sdp | 1,031 |
| C. Margolis | Whig | 700 |
| J. Dixon | Labour | 107 |
Knaresborough East1 seat
| I. Macpherson | Conservative | 1,137 |
| K. Gregson | Lib/Sdp | 1,125 |
| E. Farmer | Labour | 306 |
Knaresborough West1 seat
| L. Taff | Conservative | 905 |
| G. Clough | Independent | 889 |
| J. Gowing | Labour | 651 |
Pannal1 seat
| D. Mackenzie | Conservative | 1,692 |
| W. Davies | Lib/Sdp | 1,542 |
| A. Currie | Labour | 59 |
Ripon East1 seat
| J. Simpson | Conservative | 1,022 ✓ |
| S. Sharp | Lib/Sdp | 616 |
| R. Britton | Independent | 537 |
| A. Barley | Labour | 217 |
Ripon West1 seat
| B. Price | Conservative | 1,139 |
| J. Cooper | Lib/Sdp | 877 |
| D. Hewison | Labour | 155 |
Starbeck1 seat
| P. Broadbank | Lib/Sdp | 1,101 |
| J. Fletcher | Conservative | 881 |
| H. Brinton | Labour | 420 |
Wedderburn1 seat
| C. Dinsdale | Lib/Sdp | 1,638 |
| M. Laycock | Conservative | 1,378 |
| G. Anderson | Labour | 128 |
West Central1 seat
| R. Brooks | Conservative | 1,371 |
| K. Dransfield | Lib/Sdp | 1,220 |
| B. Elias | Labour | 145 |
