Crime in East Devon: statistics, rates and trends
7,455 crimes were recorded in East Devon in the 12 months to August 2026, 47.1 per 1,000 residents. That is lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and down 4% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in East Devon at a glance
- Crime trends in East Devon
- Types of crime in East Devon
- East Devon compared with nearby districts
- Areas within East Devon
- Streets with the most crime in East Devon
- What happened after crimes were reported in East Devon
- Demographics of East Devon
- Fly-tipping in East Devon
- Questions about crime in East Devon
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (3,622), criminal damage and arson (752) and anti-social behaviour (741) made up 69% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 293rd of the 302 districts covered by this site (1 = highest), in the lowest tenth.
| Measure | East Devon | Devon | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 7,455 | 53,502 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 47.1 | 63.5 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -4% | -4% | -1% |
| Population | 158,239 | 842,313 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in East Devon peaked in the year to August 2018 (7,916 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2022 (6,682). 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 | 7,455 | 47.1 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 7,726 | 48.8 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 7,197 | 45.5 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2022 | 6,682 | 42.2 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 6,896 | 43.6 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 7,311 | 46.2 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 7,746 | 49.0 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 7,916 | 50.0 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 700 |
| July 2026 | 745 |
| June 2026 | 646 |
| May 2026 | 639 |
| April 2026 | 596 |
| March 2026 | 702 |
| February 2026 | 542 |
| January 2026 | 529 |
| December 2025 | 605 |
| November 2025 | 568 |
| October 2025 | 634 |
| September 2025 | 549 |
No category with at least 20 crimes was notably above the England and Wales rate, and theft from the person (88% below) and robbery (87% below) were well below it. On the year before, vehicle crime rose from 133 to 229 and robbery rose from 21 to 28, while anti-social behaviour fell from 1,199 to 741 and burglary fell from 264 to 209.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 3,622 | 22.9 | 34.2 | +3% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 752 | 4.8 | 6.7 | +1% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 741 | 4.7 | 15.4 | -38% |
| Other theft | 544 | 3.4 | 6.4 | +6% |
| Public order | 470 | 3.0 | 6.7 | +3% |
| Shoplifting | 320 | 2.0 | 8.5 | +2% |
| Vehicle crime | 229 | 1.4 | 5.0 | +72% |
| Burglary | 209 | 1.3 | 3.6 | -21% |
| Drugs | 188 | 1.2 | 3.3 | -10% |
| Other crime | 183 | 1.2 | 2.1 | -5% |
| Possession of weapons | 96 | 0.6 | 1.0 | +13% |
| Bicycle theft | 40 | 0.3 | 0.8 | +8% |
| Theft from the person | 33 | 0.2 | 1.7 | -18% |
| Robbery | 28 | 0.2 | 1.4 | +33% |
What each category covers: crime categories.
7 of the 8 nearest districts have a higher crime rate than East Devon; the highest is Torbay (108.9 per 1,000) and the lowest West Devon (44.5).
| District | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs East Devon |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exeter | 15,017 | 108.5 | +130% |
| Mid Devon | 4,941 | 58.1 | +23% |
| Teignbridge | 8,148 | 58.8 | +25% |
| Torbay | 15,261 | 108.9 | +131% |
| Somerset | 53,421 | 90.8 | +93% |
| South Hams | 4,357 | 47.3 | 0% |
| West Devon | 2,623 | 44.5 | -6% |
| North Devon | 7,112 | 70.3 | +49% |
Of the 52 areas within East Devon, Exmouth Town had the highest crime rate (135.7 per 1,000) and Exton (East Devon) the lowest (16.6), 8 times apart.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exmouth Town | Neighbourhood | 7,154 | 971 | 135.7 |
| Honiton St Paul's | Neighbourhood | 5,189 | 369 | 71.1 |
| Axminster | Town | 7,190 | 486 | 67.6 |
| Exmouth Littleham | Neighbourhood | 8,178 | 545 | 66.6 |
| Exmouth | Town | 36,204 | 2,291 | 63.3 |
| Axminster | Neighbourhood | 9,173 | 578 | 63.0 |
| Sidmouth Sidford | Neighbourhood | 7,015 | 427 | 60.9 |
| Honiton | Town | 12,190 | 685 | 56.2 |
| Cranbrook | Neighbourhood | 7,788 | 420 | 53.9 |
| Clyst St Mary | Town | 2,846 | 149 | 52.4 |
| Clyst Valley | Neighbourhood | 2,846 | 149 | 52.4 |
| Woodbury | Town | 1,735 | 87 | 50.1 |
| Whimple & Rockbeare | Neighbourhood | 4,956 | 248 | 50.0 |
| Sidmouth | Town | 14,498 | 722 | 49.8 |
| Cranbrook (East Devon) | Town | 6,068 | 296 | 48.8 |
| Broadclyst | Neighbourhood | 8,991 | 415 | 46.2 |
| Exmouth Withycombe Raleigh | Neighbourhood | 4,940 | 223 | 45.1 |
| Honiton St Michael's | Neighbourhood | 7,001 | 316 | 45.1 |
| Seaton | Neighbourhood | 6,431 | 284 | 44.2 |
| Sidmouth Town | Neighbourhood | 5,385 | 235 | 43.6 |
| Colaton Raleigh | Town | 2,252 | 98 | 43.5 |
| Seaton (East Devon) | Town | 7,783 | 337 | 43.3 |
| Beer | Town | 1,808 | 75 | 41.5 |
| West Clyst | Town | 2,162 | 89 | 41.2 |
| Ottery St Mary | Town | 6,116 | 251 | 41.0 |
| Beer & Branscombe | Neighbourhood | 3,160 | 128 | 40.5 |
| Newton Poppleford | Town | 2,328 | 90 | 38.7 |
| Newton Poppleford & Harpford | Neighbourhood | 2,328 | 90 | 38.7 |
| Ottery St Mary | Neighbourhood | 10,717 | 388 | 36.2 |
| Exmouth Halsdon | Neighbourhood | 8,354 | 300 | 35.9 |
| Broadclyst | Town | 1,812 | 65 | 35.9 |
| Exmouth Brixington | Neighbourhood | 7,578 | 252 | 33.3 |
| Exe Valley | Neighbourhood | 2,226 | 73 | 32.8 |
| Coly Valley | Neighbourhood | 4,680 | 148 | 31.6 |
| Budleigh & Raleigh | Neighbourhood | 8,350 | 256 | 30.7 |
| Budleigh Salterton | Town | 4,511 | 138 | 30.6 |
| Newbridges | Neighbourhood | 2,579 | 77 | 29.9 |
| Sidmouth Rural | Neighbourhood | 2,098 | 60 | 28.6 |
| Feniton | Neighbourhood | 2,537 | 72 | 28.4 |
| Woodbury & Lympstone | Neighbourhood | 5,749 | 161 | 28.0 |
| Feniton | Town | 1,309 | 35 | 26.7 |
| Colyton | Town | 1,450 | 38 | 26.2 |
| Yarty | Neighbourhood | 2,401 | 52 | 21.7 |
| Dunkeswell | Town | 2,334 | 50 | 21.4 |
| Dunkeswell & Otterhead | Neighbourhood | 4,751 | 101 | 21.3 |
| West Hill (East Devon) | Town | 1,706 | 36 | 21.1 |
| West Hill & Aylesbeare | Neighbourhood | 1,706 | 36 | 21.1 |
| Uplyme | Town | 2,566 | 54 | 21.0 |
| Trinity | Neighbourhood | 2,566 | 54 | 21.0 |
| Lympstone | Town | 1,847 | 38 | 20.6 |
| Tale Vale | Neighbourhood | 1,412 | 27 | 19.1 |
| Exton (East Devon) | Town | 2,167 | 36 | 16.6 |
The 10 locations below account for 15% of the crime recorded in East Devon over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Parking Area” (312).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Parking Area | 312 |
| On or near Supermarket | 133 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 123 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 105 |
| On or near Sports/Recreation Area | 92 |
| On or near The Strand | 76 |
| On or near Meadow Crescent | 75 |
| On or near Park/Open Space | 75 |
| On or near Fair Oak Road | 71 |
| On or near Market Street | 65 |
Of the 6,714 crimes in East Devon with a recorded outcome, 24% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 2.3% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 741 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 3,124 | 46.5% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 1,586 | 23.6% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 966 | 14.4% | 11.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 280 | 4.2% | 4.7% |
| Local resolution | 194 | 2.9% | 3.1% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 152 | 2.3% | 5.2% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 150 | 2.2% | 0.5% |
| Offender given a caution | 81 | 1.2% | 0.6% |
| Court result unavailable | 59 | 0.9% | 2.5% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 51 | 0.8% | 0.3% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 35 | 0.5% | 0.3% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 34 | 0.5% | 1.3% |
East Devon has an estimated population of 158,239 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has an older population (30%, against 19%), more retired residents (34%, against 22%) and fewer students (4.1%, against 7.9%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up East Devon average decile 6.5 (1 = most deprived), less deprived than average.
| Measure | East Devon | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 15.5% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 30.2% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 52.4% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 1.9% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 34.2% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 4.1% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 33.8% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 15.1% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 13.6% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 73.6% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 10.3% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 16.0% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 6.5 | 5.5 (England) |
395 fly-tipping incidents were recorded in East Devon in 2024/25 (2.5 per 1,000 residents, against 21.1 across the councils in England that count all incidents), according to the council's return to Defra. Fly-tipping is not in the police figures on this page: fly-tipping in East Devon has the council's figures by place, type of waste and size, and its enforcement actions and fines.
Is East Devon a safe place to live?
East Devon recorded 47.1 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 293rd of the 302 districts on this site by crime rate (1 = highest).
What is the most common crime in East Devon?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 3,622 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by criminal damage and arson (752).
Is crime in East Devon going up or down?
Recorded crime in East Devon was down 4% on the year before: 7,455 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 7,726 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of East Devon?
About 158,239 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 30% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers East Devon?
East Devon is policed by Devon & Cornwall.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.