How to Check Crime Rates by Postcode in the UK

Where the data comes from

UK police forces publish crime data on police.uk under the Open Government Licence. The data is updated monthly and includes:

• Crime type (anti-social behaviour, burglary, theft, drugs, violence, etc.)
• Approximate location (snapped to the nearest street, not the exact address, for privacy)
• Outcome (where known)
• Date (month, not exact date)

The data covers crimes reported to and recorded by the police. It does not include unreported crime, which is significant for some offence types (sexual offences, low-value theft, anti-social behaviour).

How to check a postcode

1. Go to police.uk/find-your-neighbourhood

2. Enter the postcode

3. View the crime map for the most recent month

4. Use the controls to view different months and crime categories

5. Click individual incidents for outcome data

For a property purchase, look at:

• The total volume of recorded crime in the area
• The crime types: anti-social behaviour and bicycle theft are common in cities, but high rates of violent crime or burglary are more concerning
• The trend: is it rising, falling, or stable
• Comparison with neighbouring areas

How to interpret the numbers

Cities have more crime than villages

Raw crime counts are higher in densely populated areas. A city centre street with 100 incidents per month is not necessarily more dangerous than a rural village with 5, because the city centre has thousands of people passing through. Always think in terms of crime per resident, not absolute counts.

Anti-social behaviour dominates

In most urban areas, anti-social behaviour (ASB) is the largest single category. ASB is broad and includes noisy neighbours, public drinking, low-level harassment, and similar nuisances. High ASB does not automatically mean an unsafe area.

Violent crime is the meaningful indicator

For most buyers, the meaningful question is whether the area has unusually high rates of violent crime, robbery, or burglary. These are more directly comparable to a sense of personal safety.

Bicycle theft and bicycle reporting

Some inner-city postcodes have very high rates of bicycle theft. This is a real cost but not a safety issue.

Recorded vs actual

Many crimes go unreported. Areas with low recorded crime may genuinely have low crime, or may have low reporting rates because residents do not engage with the police. The figures are an indicator, not a perfect measure.

What to look for

1. Unusually high violent crime compared to neighbouring areas

2. Burglary clusters affecting specific streets

3. Drug-related crimes concentrated in particular spots

4. Anti-social behaviour at problematic levels (especially around licensed premises)

5. Trends: a rising crime rate is more concerning than a stable high rate

Walk the area

Crime statistics tell you what has been recorded. Walking the area at different times of day tells you what it feels like. Both matter:

• Visit during the morning rush hour, midday, school pick-up time, evening rush hour, and late evening
• Look for street lighting at night
• Note the condition of front gardens, walls, and street furniture
• Talk to local residents if you get the chance

Combine with other data

Crime is one input among many. Combine it with:

• Sold price history from Property Passport UK at [/sold-prices](/sold-prices) to see how the market values the area
• EPC ratings of nearby properties (a street with mostly upgraded homes is a street where owners are investing)
• Flood risk from Property Passport UK at [/search](/search)
• School catchment data from the local authority
• Visual inspection in person

Property Passport UK and crime data

Property Passport UK does not currently surface police.uk crime data inline on the property page, but it shows the postcode, local authority, and surrounding sold prices for every property in England and Wales at [/search](/search). Use these as the starting point and cross-reference police.uk for the crime layer.

Research any UK area on Property Passport UK

Property Passport UK shows verified data for every one of the 19.35 million properties in England and Wales, including EPC, flood risk, listed status, sold prices, and the local authority. Search any address or postcode at [/search](/search), or browse sold prices by district at [/sold-prices](/sold-prices).

Related guides

• How to research an area before buying
• How to check flood risk on a property
• How to find council tax band UK
• How to challenge council tax band