Crime in Maidstone district: statistics, rates and trends
16,356 crimes were recorded in Maidstone district in the 12 months to August 2026, 87.1 per 1,000 residents. That is close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and down 2% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Maidstone district at a glance
- Crime trends in Maidstone district
- Types of crime in Maidstone district
- Maidstone district compared with nearby districts
- Areas within Maidstone district
- Streets with the most crime in Maidstone district
- What happened after crimes were reported in Maidstone district
- Demographics of Maidstone district
- Fly-tipping in Maidstone
- Questions about crime in Maidstone district
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (5,854), anti-social behaviour (3,428) and criminal damage and arson (1,473) made up 66% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 147th of the 302 districts covered by this site (1 = highest), in the upper half.
| Measure | Maidstone district | Kent | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 16,356 | 145,778 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 87.1 | 88.9 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -2% | -2% | -1% |
| Population | 187,767 | 1,639,029 | 58,127,638 |
The year to August 2026 had the least recorded crime in Maidstone district of any year here (16,356 crimes). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 15%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 16,356 | 87.1 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 16,767 | 89.3 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 18,065 | 96.2 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 17,322 | 92.3 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 18,326 | 97.6 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 19,084 | 101.6 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 19,667 | 104.7 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 18,707 | 99.6 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 19,153 | 102.0 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 1,558 |
| July 2026 | 1,477 |
| June 2026 | 1,407 |
| May 2026 | 1,392 |
| April 2026 | 1,437 |
| March 2026 | 1,326 |
| February 2026 | 1,141 |
| January 2026 | 1,370 |
| December 2025 | 1,328 |
| November 2025 | 1,342 |
| October 2025 | 1,313 |
| September 2025 | 1,265 |
No category with at least 20 crimes was notably above the England and Wales rate, and theft from the person (75% below) and robbery (64% below) were well below it. On the year before, anti-social behaviour rose from 2,771 to 3,428, while bicycle theft fell from 79 to 63 and public order fell from 751 to 610.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 5,854 | 31.2 | 34.2 | -7% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 3,428 | 18.3 | 15.4 | +24% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 1,473 | 7.8 | 6.7 | -8% |
| Shoplifting | 1,303 | 6.9 | 8.5 | -12% |
| Other theft | 1,203 | 6.4 | 6.4 | +4% |
| Vehicle crime | 661 | 3.5 | 5.0 | -4% |
| Public order | 610 | 3.2 | 6.7 | -19% |
| Drugs | 587 | 3.1 | 3.3 | -5% |
| Other crime | 494 | 2.6 | 2.1 | -12% |
| Burglary | 369 | 2.0 | 3.6 | -14% |
| Possession of weapons | 142 | 0.8 | 1.0 | -17% |
| Robbery | 91 | 0.5 | 1.4 | -7% |
| Theft from the person | 78 | 0.4 | 1.7 | +1% |
| Bicycle theft | 63 | 0.3 | 0.8 | -20% |
What each category covers: crime categories.
4 of the 8 nearest districts have a higher crime rate than Maidstone district; the highest is Dartford district (107.0 per 1,000) and the lowest Sevenoaks district (62.7).
| District | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Maidstone district |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tonbridge and Malling | 9,281 | 67.8 | -22% |
| Medway | 29,963 | 102.4 | +18% |
| Tunbridge Wells | 8,086 | 67.6 | -22% |
| Swale | 15,704 | 99.2 | +14% |
| Gravesham | 10,265 | 92.8 | +6% |
| Ashford | 10,895 | 77.3 | -11% |
| Sevenoaks | 7,699 | 62.7 | -28% |
| Dartford | 13,370 | 107.0 | +23% |
Of the 33 areas within Maidstone district, High Street had the highest crime rate (278.2 per 1,000) and Palace Wood the lowest (31.6), 9 times apart.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| High Street | Neighbourhood | 11,566 | 3,218 | 278.2 |
| Park Wood & Mangravet | Neighbourhood | 9,498 | 1,115 | 117.4 |
| Barming Heath & Teston | Neighbourhood | 8,557 | 971 | 113.5 |
| Maidstone | Town | 111,543 | 11,735 | 105.2 |
| Fant & Oakwood | Neighbourhood | 12,591 | 1,276 | 101.3 |
| Shepway | Neighbourhood | 12,601 | 1,267 | 100.5 |
| Allington & Bridge | Neighbourhood | 8,404 | 745 | 88.6 |
| Ringlestone | Neighbourhood | 2,001 | 176 | 88.0 |
| Lenham and Harrietsham | Town | 5,496 | 459 | 83.5 |
| Harrietsham, Lenham & North Downs | Neighbourhood | 10,311 | 847 | 82.1 |
| Penenden Heath | Neighbourhood | 15,420 | 1,239 | 80.4 |
| Headcorn | Town | 4,777 | 367 | 76.8 |
| Tovil | Neighbourhood | 6,554 | 459 | 70.0 |
| Headcorn & Sutton Valence | Neighbourhood | 8,158 | 560 | 68.6 |
| Leeds & Langley | Neighbourhood | 9,493 | 638 | 67.2 |
| Ulcombe | Town | 1,848 | 121 | 65.5 |
| Senacre | Neighbourhood | 1,366 | 88 | 64.4 |
| Kingswood (Maidstone) | Town | 2,452 | 157 | 64.0 |
| Loose & Linton | Neighbourhood | 10,450 | 669 | 64.0 |
| Staplehurst | Town | 7,639 | 468 | 61.3 |
| Boxley Downs | Neighbourhood | 7,391 | 450 | 60.9 |
| Marden & Yalding | Neighbourhood | 10,153 | 615 | 60.6 |
| Coxheath & Farleigh | Neighbourhood | 7,337 | 438 | 59.7 |
| Coxheath | Town | 10,563 | 619 | 58.6 |
| Marden (Maidstone) | Town | 4,753 | 268 | 56.4 |
| Yalding | Town | 1,637 | 88 | 53.8 |
| Grove Green & Vinters Park | Neighbourhood | 8,072 | 409 | 50.7 |
| Sutton Valence | Town | 1,533 | 72 | 47.0 |
| Langley Heath | Town | 2,082 | 94 | 45.1 |
| Boughton Monchelsea & Chart Sutton | Neighbourhood | 3,162 | 137 | 43.3 |
| Bearsted & Downswood | Neighbourhood | 9,723 | 340 | 35.0 |
| Bearsted | Town | 8,386 | 289 | 34.5 |
| Palace Wood | Neighbourhood | 7,320 | 231 | 31.6 |
The 10 locations below account for 21% of the crime recorded in Maidstone district over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Parking Area” (1,156).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Parking Area | 1,156 |
| On or near Hospital | 423 |
| On or near Supermarket | 363 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 274 |
| On or near Gabriel'S Hill | 245 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 229 |
| On or near Granada Street | 228 |
| On or near Sports/Recreation Area | 195 |
| On or near Bank Street | 155 |
| On or near Nightclub | 129 |
Of the 12,928 crimes in Maidstone district with a recorded outcome, 36% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 5.7% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 3,428 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 4,746 | 36.7% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 4,696 | 36.3% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 1,153 | 8.9% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 740 | 5.7% | 5.2% |
| Local resolution | 457 | 3.5% | 3.1% |
| Court result unavailable | 333 | 2.6% | 2.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 313 | 2.4% | 4.7% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 256 | 2.0% | 1.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 124 | 1.0% | 0.6% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 77 | 0.6% | 0.3% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 23 | 0.2% | 0.5% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 8 | 0.1% | 0.3% |
Maidstone district has an estimated population of 187,767 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has fewer households without a car (15%, against 23%), fewer students (5.1%, against 7.9%) and less social housing (13%, against 17%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Maidstone district average decile 5.9 (1 = most deprived), close to the middle.
| Measure | Maidstone district | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 19.8% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 19.0% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 60.8% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 2.7% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 22.3% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 5.1% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 29.9% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 17.4% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 14.6% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 69.3% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 13.4% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 17.3% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 5.9 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 2.5% | 10.1% (England) |
2,817 fly-tipping incidents were recorded in Maidstone in 2024/25 (15.0 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 Maidstone has the council's figures by place, type of waste and size, and its enforcement actions and fines.
Is Maidstone district a safe place to live?
Maidstone district recorded 87.1 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 147th of the 302 districts on this site by crime rate (1 = highest).
What is the most common crime in Maidstone district?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 5,854 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (3,428).
Is crime in Maidstone district going up or down?
Recorded crime in Maidstone district was down 2% on the year before: 16,356 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 16,767 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Maidstone district?
About 187,767 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 19% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Maidstone district?
Maidstone district is policed by Kent.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.