UK Crime Statistics 2026: Every Major Town Ranked

Crime statistics are one of the most important factors when choosing where to live, yet most people only see national headlines that hide enormous variation between towns. A town with a moderate crime rate overall can have pockets of very low crime alongside areas with rates three times the national average.

This guide ranks every major town in the UK by total reported crimes per 1,000 residents, breaks down crime by type, and tracks 12-month trends so you can see which areas are getting safer and which are heading in the wrong direction.

For street-level crime data for any location, check crime rates by postcode on PostcodeCheck to see monthly counts, category splits, and trend charts for your exact area.

Methodology: How We Rank Crime Rates

All data comes from the Police.uk open data API, which publishes monthly crime records for every police force in England and Wales. We aggregate 12 months of data (March 2025 to February 2026) and calculate rates per 1,000 residents using ONS Census 2021 population estimates.

Only towns with a resident population above 50,000 are included, ensuring the comparisons are statistically meaningful. Crime rates per capita are the fairest measure because they account for population size. A city of 500,000 will naturally have more total crimes than a town of 50,000, but the rate tells you the likelihood of crime affecting any given resident.

We exclude fraud and online crime, which are recorded centrally by Action Fraud rather than by local police forces, and would distort the geographic picture.

Full Rankings: 50 UK Towns by Crime Rate (2026)

The table below ranks every major town by total recorded crimes per 1,000 residents per year. Towns highlighted in green sit well below the national average of 79 per 1,000. Towns in amber are near the average, and those at the bottom are significantly above it.

Source: Police.uk (Mar 2025 to Feb 2026), ONS Census 2021 population estimates. London figure is a borough-weighted average.

Crime Type Breakdown: What Gets Reported Most

Total crime rates tell part of the story, but the mix of crime types matters just as much. An area with higher shoplifting but very low violent crime may feel safer in practice than one with moderate totals but a high proportion of violence. Here is how crime breaks down nationally across England and Wales:

Source: Police.uk national crime data, 12-month aggregate.

Violence and sexual offences form the single largest category at 34% of all recorded crime. This broad category includes everything from common assault with no injury through to serious violence. The majority of recorded offences fall at the lower end. Nonetheless, towns with above-average rates for this category warrant careful investigation.

Anti-social behaviour has been declining nationally for several years, partly due to changes in recording practices. It now accounts for roughly 16% of all Police.uk reports and includes noise complaints, littering, and minor public order offences.

12-Month Trends: Which Towns Are Getting Safer?

Current crime rates are important, but the direction of travel matters just as much. A town with a moderate rate that is falling consistently may be a better long-term bet than one with a low rate that is rising. Based on 12-month rolling year-on-year comparisons:

Source: Police.uk, 12-month rolling comparison (Feb 2025 vs Feb 2026).

Sheffield stands out with the biggest improvement: an 8.2% reduction in total recorded crime, driven by significant falls in anti-social behaviour and vehicle crime. Several former industrial cities in the north are showing sustained improvements after years of targeted policing and regeneration investment.

On the other side, several towns in the South East and East of England are seeing increases, with shoplifting and vehicle crime rising most sharply. These increases may partly reflect the cost of living crisis, which has driven up acquisitive crime nationally.

Regional Crime Rate Comparison

Crime rates vary significantly by region. The table below shows the average crime rate for each English region plus Wales and Scotland:

Source: Police.uk and Police Scotland, weighted by population. Regional boundaries follow ONS definitions.

The South West has the lowest average crime rate at 62 per 1,000, benefiting from relatively affluent demographics and large rural areas. London has the highest at 97 per 1,000, though this varies enormously between boroughs. Richmond upon Thames records around 55 per 1,000 while Westminster exceeds 200 per 1,000, inflated by its large daytime population of workers and tourists.

How to Use This Data

Town-level averages are a useful starting point, but crime rates can vary dramatically within a single town. The safest street in Manchester may have a lower crime rate than the least safe street in Harrogate. To get accurate data for a specific location:

1. Enter your postcode on PostcodeCheck to see crime rates for your exact neighbourhood
2. Check the trend chart to see whether crime is rising or falling over the past 12 months
3. Look at the category breakdown to understand what types of crime are most common locally
4. Compare with alternatives using the Compare tool to see how two postcodes stack up side by side
5. Check adjacent postcodes because crime can vary significantly even between neighbouring streets

Data Sources

Crime data: Police.uk open data API (England and Wales) and Police Scotland. Population figures: ONS Census 2021. Regional boundaries follow ONS statistical geography definitions. All data was last updated in March 2026.