Crime in Hertfordshire: statistics, rates and trends
106,430 crimes were recorded in Hertfordshire in the 12 months to August 2026, 86.1 per 1,000 residents. That is close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and almost unchanged on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Hertfordshire at a glance
- Crime trends in Hertfordshire
- Types of crime in Hertfordshire
- Hertfordshire compared with nearby counties
- Areas within Hertfordshire
- What happened after crimes were reported in Hertfordshire
- Demographics of Hertfordshire
- Questions about crime in Hertfordshire
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (35,974), anti-social behaviour (22,301) and shoplifting (8,538) made up 63% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 5th of the 20 counties covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest quarter.
| Measure | Hertfordshire | East of England | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 106,430 | 530,364 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 86.1 | 80.6 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +1% | +2% | -1% |
| Population | 1,236,191 | 6,576,306 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Hertfordshire peaked in the year to August 2019 (113,063 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2021 (98,682). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 6%, in line with England and Wales.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 106,430 | 86.1 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 105,647 | 85.5 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 100,997 | 81.7 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 100,970 | 81.7 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 99,646 | 80.6 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 98,682 | 79.8 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 105,045 | 85.0 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 113,063 | 91.5 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 112,985 | 91.4 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 9,913 |
| July 2026 | 10,307 |
| June 2026 | 9,484 |
| May 2026 | 9,410 |
| April 2026 | 8,852 |
| March 2026 | 8,945 |
| February 2026 | 7,640 |
| January 2026 | 7,931 |
| December 2025 | 8,192 |
| November 2025 | 8,237 |
| October 2025 | 8,994 |
| September 2025 | 8,525 |
No category with at least 20 crimes was notably above the England and Wales rate, and theft from the person (59% below) and robbery (42% below) were well below it. On the year before, drugs rose from 2,396 to 3,800.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 35,974 | 29.1 | 34.2 | +2% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 22,301 | 18.0 | 15.4 | +2% |
| Shoplifting | 8,538 | 6.9 | 8.5 | -9% |
| Other theft | 8,456 | 6.8 | 6.4 | +1% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 6,797 | 5.5 | 6.7 | -1% |
| Vehicle crime | 5,778 | 4.7 | 5.0 | -8% |
| Public order | 5,641 | 4.6 | 6.7 | +3% |
| Drugs | 3,800 | 3.1 | 3.3 | +59% |
| Burglary | 3,543 | 2.9 | 3.6 | -9% |
| Other crime | 2,008 | 1.6 | 2.1 | -1% |
| Robbery | 978 | 0.8 | 1.4 | -11% |
| Possession of weapons | 895 | 0.7 | 1.0 | +7% |
| Bicycle theft | 867 | 0.7 | 0.8 | +1% |
| Theft from the person | 854 | 0.7 | 1.7 | -15% |
What each category covers: crime categories.
1 of the 8 nearest counties have a higher crime rate than Hertfordshire; the highest is Kent (88.9 per 1,000) and the lowest Suffolk (61.9).
| County | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Hertfordshire |
|---|---|---|---|
| Surrey | 87,794 | 70.3 | -18% |
| Essex | 125,970 | 80.6 | -6% |
| Cambridgeshire | 54,865 | 77.2 | -10% |
| Oxfordshire | 51,303 | 67.2 | -22% |
| Kent | 145,778 | 88.9 | +3% |
| West Sussex | 76,272 | 83.4 | -3% |
| Suffolk | 48,655 | 61.9 | -28% |
| Hampshire | 93,650 | 64.7 | -25% |
Of the 10 areas within Hertfordshire, Stevenage had the highest crime rate (118.8 per 1,000) and North Hertfordshire the lowest (66.7).
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stevenage | District | 91,774 | 10,907 | 118.8 |
| Watford | District | 107,171 | 11,878 | 110.8 |
| Welwyn Hatfield | District | 122,819 | 12,131 | 98.8 |
| Broxbourne | District | 101,900 | 9,638 | 94.6 |
| Hertsmere | District | 110,212 | 9,819 | 89.1 |
| Dacorum | District | 161,420 | 13,768 | 85.3 |
| St Albans | District | 151,012 | 11,943 | 79.1 |
| East Hertfordshire | District | 156,875 | 10,712 | 68.3 |
| Three Rivers | District | 95,807 | 6,482 | 67.7 |
| North Hertfordshire | District | 137,201 | 9,152 | 66.7 |
Of the 84,129 crimes in Hertfordshire with a recorded outcome, 38% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 4.8% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 22,301 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 31,823 | 37.8% | 35.3% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 28,148 | 33.5% | 34.5% |
| Under investigation | 9,007 | 10.7% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 4,039 | 4.8% | 5.2% |
| Local resolution | 3,948 | 4.7% | 3.1% |
| Status update unavailable | 3,074 | 3.7% | 4.7% |
| Court result unavailable | 1,584 | 1.9% | 2.5% |
| Offender given a caution | 1,070 | 1.3% | 0.6% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 558 | 0.7% | 1.3% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 439 | 0.5% | 0.3% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 233 | 0.3% | 0.5% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 161 | 0.2% | 0.3% |
Hertfordshire has an estimated population of 1,236,191 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has fewer households without a car (16%, against 23%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Hertfordshire average decile 7.1 (1 = most deprived), less deprived than average.
| Measure | Hertfordshire | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 19.8% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 17.5% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 62.4% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 3.1% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 19.9% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 6.9% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 39.4% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 14.7% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 15.6% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 65.6% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 17.7% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 16.6% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 7.1 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 0.1% | 10.1% (England) |
Is Hertfordshire a safe place to live?
Hertfordshire recorded 86.1 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 5th of the 20 counties on this site by crime rate (1 = highest).
What is the most common crime in Hertfordshire?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 35,974 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (22,301).
Is crime in Hertfordshire going up or down?
Recorded crime in Hertfordshire was almost unchanged on the year before: 106,430 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 105,647 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Hertfordshire?
About 1,236,191 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 17% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Hertfordshire?
Hertfordshire is policed by Hertfordshire.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.