An election to the Neath Rural District Council in West Glamorgan, Wales was held in May 1949. It was preceded by the 1946 election, and followed by the 1952 election.^[1]

The election resulted in relatively few changes in personnel as Labour comfortably upheld its majority.^[1]

Seven Labour candidates were returned unopposed, including the father of the council, William Jones, who had represented Baglan Higher since 1919. Once again the party contested nearly all the seats on the authority.^[1]

The main opposition came from various Independent candidates and there were also a small number of Communist candidates in addition to David Davies who defended the seat he had won at the previous election.

The main focus of interest was in the Coedffranc (Skewen) ward where two sitting councillors were defeated, namely the outgoing Labour chairman William Davies and long-serving Independent Mary Elizabeth (Bessie) Davies. Bessie Davies had originally been elected as a Labour councillor, before being elected as Independent Labour in 1937. In 1946 she stood as an Independent and a few weeks earlier had unsuccessfully sought election to Glamorgan County Council.