Crime in North Devon: statistics, rates and trends
7,112 crimes were recorded in North Devon in the 12 months to August 2026, 70.3 per 1,000 residents. That is lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and down 7% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in North Devon at a glance
- Crime trends in North Devon
- Types of crime in North Devon
- North Devon compared with nearby districts
- Areas within North Devon
- Streets with the most crime in North Devon
- What happened after crimes were reported in North Devon
- Demographics of North Devon
- Fly-tipping in North Devon
- Questions about crime in North Devon
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (3,041), anti-social behaviour (865) and shoplifting (716) made up 65% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 217th of the 302 districts covered by this site (1 = highest), in the lower half.
| Measure | North Devon | Devon | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 7,112 | 53,502 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 70.3 | 63.5 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -7% | -4% | -1% |
| Population | 101,222 | 842,313 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in North Devon peaked in the year to August 2025 (7,678 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2021 (6,390). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 3%, in line with England and Wales.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 7,112 | 70.3 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 7,678 | 75.9 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 6,573 | 64.9 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2022 | 6,519 | 64.4 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 6,390 | 63.1 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 6,445 | 63.7 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 7,289 | 72.0 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 7,342 | 72.5 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 718 |
| July 2026 | 685 |
| June 2026 | 624 |
| May 2026 | 655 |
| April 2026 | 577 |
| March 2026 | 619 |
| February 2026 | 491 |
| January 2026 | 437 |
| December 2025 | 509 |
| November 2025 | 544 |
| October 2025 | 619 |
| September 2025 | 634 |
No category with at least 20 crimes was notably above the England and Wales rate, and theft from the person (77% below) and vehicle crime (70% below) were well below it. On the year before, robbery rose from 23 to 55 and vehicle crime rose from 102 to 150, while anti-social behaviour fell from 1,415 to 865 and drugs fell from 217 to 171.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 3,041 | 30.0 | 34.2 | +2% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 865 | 8.5 | 15.4 | -39% |
| Shoplifting | 716 | 7.1 | 8.5 | -5% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 647 | 6.4 | 6.7 | -3% |
| Public order | 500 | 4.9 | 6.7 | -3% |
| Other theft | 450 | 4.4 | 6.4 | -5% |
| Burglary | 205 | 2.0 | 3.6 | -2% |
| Drugs | 171 | 1.7 | 3.3 | -21% |
| Other crime | 153 | 1.5 | 2.1 | -9% |
| Vehicle crime | 150 | 1.5 | 5.0 | +47% |
| Possession of weapons | 81 | 0.8 | 1.0 | +7% |
| Robbery | 55 | 0.5 | 1.4 | +139% |
| Theft from the person | 40 | 0.4 | 1.7 | +3% |
| Bicycle theft | 38 | 0.4 | 0.8 | -7% |
What each category covers: crime categories.
5 of the 8 nearest districts have a higher crime rate than North Devon; the highest is Exeter district (108.5 per 1,000) and the lowest West Devon (44.5).
| District | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs North Devon |
|---|---|---|---|
| Torridge | 3,849 | 55.1 | -22% |
| Mid Devon | 4,941 | 58.1 | -17% |
| West Devon | 2,623 | 44.5 | -37% |
| Exeter | 15,017 | 108.5 | +54% |
| Bridgend | 12,487 | 84.6 | +20% |
| Swansea | 21,732 | 86.5 | +23% |
| Vale of Glamorgan | 9,926 | 73.1 | +4% |
| Neath Port Talbot | 11,824 | 82.5 | +17% |
Of the 34 areas within North Devon, Barnstaple Central had the highest crime rate (374.6 per 1,000) and Bishop's Nympton the lowest (22.5), 17 times apart.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barnstaple Central | Neighbourhood | 3,657 | 1,370 | 374.6 |
| Ilfracombe East | Neighbourhood | 6,427 | 1,133 | 176.3 |
| Roundswell | Neighbourhood | 2,752 | 361 | 131.2 |
| Ilfracombe | Town | 9,957 | 1,257 | 126.2 |
| Barnstaple | Town | 30,232 | 3,461 | 114.5 |
| Chambercombe | Town | 1,112 | 91 | 81.8 |
| Barnstaple with Pilton | Neighbourhood | 7,594 | 575 | 75.7 |
| Newport | Neighbourhood | 4,189 | 307 | 73.3 |
| Barnstaple with Westacott | Neighbourhood | 7,211 | 509 | 70.6 |
| South Molton | Town | 6,429 | 418 | 65.0 |
| Mortehoe | Neighbourhood | 1,994 | 121 | 60.7 |
| Bickington | Neighbourhood | 7,844 | 441 | 56.2 |
| Combe Martin | Town | 1,368 | 69 | 50.4 |
| Witheridge | Town | 2,627 | 130 | 49.5 |
| Ilfracombe West | Neighbourhood | 4,642 | 215 | 46.3 |
| Combe Martin | Neighbourhood | 2,521 | 116 | 46.0 |
| Instow | Neighbourhood | 4,360 | 184 | 42.2 |
| Bickington | Town | 1,480 | 62 | 41.9 |
| Braunton West & Georgeham | Neighbourhood | 5,259 | 211 | 40.1 |
| Braunton | Town | 8,075 | 307 | 38.0 |
| Chulmleigh | Town | 2,394 | 84 | 35.1 |
| Braunton East | Neighbourhood | 4,146 | 141 | 34.0 |
| Bratton Fleming | Town | 2,071 | 67 | 32.4 |
| Chivenor and Wrafton | Town | 3,295 | 106 | 32.2 |
| Heanton Punchardon | Neighbourhood | 3,295 | 106 | 32.2 |
| Marwood | Neighbourhood | 3,715 | 117 | 31.5 |
| North Molton | Neighbourhood | 2,344 | 72 | 30.7 |
| Landkey | Town | 4,206 | 126 | 30.0 |
| Fremington | Town | 5,374 | 156 | 29.0 |
| Lynton and Lynmouth | Town | 1,629 | 45 | 27.6 |
| Lynton & Lynmouth | Neighbourhood | 1,629 | 45 | 27.6 |
| Westacott | Town | 1,535 | 40 | 26.1 |
| Chittlehampton | Neighbourhood | 2,369 | 58 | 24.5 |
| Bishop's Nympton | Neighbourhood | 2,173 | 49 | 22.5 |
The 10 locations below account for 29% of the crime recorded in North Devon over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Supermarket” (477).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Supermarket | 477 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 394 |
| On or near Parking Area | 331 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 197 |
| On or near Victoria Road | 128 |
| On or near Nightclub | 120 |
| On or near Hospital | 117 |
| On or near Mermaid Walk | 106 |
| On or near Boutport Street | 103 |
| On or near Sports/Recreation Area | 84 |
Of the 6,247 crimes in North Devon with a recorded outcome, 23% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 4.9% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 865 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 2,582 | 41.3% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 1,426 | 22.8% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 1,015 | 16.2% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 305 | 4.9% | 5.2% |
| Status update unavailable | 294 | 4.7% | 4.7% |
| Local resolution | 180 | 2.9% | 3.1% |
| Court result unavailable | 124 | 2.0% | 2.5% |
| Offender given a caution | 92 | 1.5% | 0.6% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 89 | 1.4% | 0.5% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 53 | 0.8% | 0.3% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 39 | 0.6% | 0.3% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 38 | 0.6% | 1.3% |
North Devon has an estimated population of 101,222 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has fewer students (4.4%, against 7.9%), an older population (26%, against 19%) and more retired residents (29%, against 22%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up North Devon average decile 4.9 (1 = most deprived), close to the middle.
| Measure | North Devon | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 16.3% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 26.5% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 54.9% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 2.4% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 29.3% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 4.4% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 28.5% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 17.8% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 17.0% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 68.4% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 11.1% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 20.4% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 4.9 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 4.8% | 10.1% (England) |
574 fly-tipping incidents were recorded in North Devon in 2024/25 (5.7 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 North Devon has the council's figures by place, type of waste and size, and its enforcement actions and fines.
Is North Devon a safe place to live?
North Devon recorded 70.3 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 217th of the 302 districts on this site by crime rate (1 = highest).
What is the most common crime in North Devon?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 3,041 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (865).
Is crime in North Devon going up or down?
Recorded crime in North Devon was down 7% on the year before: 7,112 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 7,678 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of North Devon?
About 101,222 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 26% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers North Devon?
North 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.