Crime in Somerset: statistics, rates and trends
53,421 crimes were recorded in Somerset in the 12 months to August 2026, 90.8 per 1,000 residents. That is close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and up 6% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Somerset at a glance
- Crime trends in Somerset
- Types of crime in Somerset
- Home Office recorded crime in Somerset
- Somerset compared with nearby districts
- Areas within Somerset
- Streets with the most crime in Somerset
- What happened after crimes were reported in Somerset
- Demographics of Somerset
- Fly-tipping in Somerset
- Questions about crime in Somerset
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (22,425), anti-social behaviour (7,737) and shoplifting (5,587) made up 67% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 129th of the 302 districts covered by this site (1 = highest), in the upper half.
| Measure | Somerset | South West | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 53,421 | 437,109 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 90.8 | 83.7 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +6% | +2% | -1% |
| Population | 588,328 | 5,220,315 | 58,127,638 |
The year to August 2026 had the most recorded crime in Somerset of any year here (53,421 crimes). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it rose 22%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 53,421 | 90.8 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 50,164 | 85.3 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 49,297 | 83.8 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 43,011 | 73.1 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 46,728 | 79.4 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 42,168 | 71.7 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 44,639 | 75.9 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 44,886 | 76.3 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 43,936 | 74.7 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 4,342 |
| July 2026 | 4,790 |
| June 2026 | 4,322 |
| May 2026 | 4,510 |
| April 2026 | 4,472 |
| March 2026 | 4,728 |
| February 2026 | 4,294 |
| January 2026 | 4,209 |
| December 2025 | 4,271 |
| November 2025 | 4,508 |
| October 2025 | 4,569 |
| September 2025 | 4,406 |
No category with at least 20 crimes was notably above the England and Wales rate, and theft from the person (92% below) and drugs (67% below) were well below it. On the year before, robbery rose from 432 to 670 and bicycle theft rose from 201 to 309.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 22,425 | 38.1 | 34.2 | +3% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 7,737 | 13.2 | 15.4 | +8% |
| Shoplifting | 5,587 | 9.5 | 8.5 | +29% |
| Public order | 4,404 | 7.5 | 6.7 | -13% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 3,781 | 6.4 | 6.7 | +14% |
| Other theft | 3,127 | 5.3 | 6.4 | -1% |
| Burglary | 1,771 | 3.0 | 3.6 | +12% |
| Vehicle crime | 1,442 | 2.5 | 5.0 | +39% |
| Other crime | 1,103 | 1.9 | 2.1 | +3% |
| Robbery | 670 | 1.1 | 1.4 | +55% |
| Drugs | 641 | 1.1 | 3.3 | -6% |
| Possession of weapons | 342 | 0.6 | 1.0 | +36% |
| Bicycle theft | 309 | 0.5 | 0.8 | +54% |
| Theft from the person | 82 | 0.1 | 1.7 | +17% |
What each category covers: crime categories.
49,467 crimes, excluding fraud, were recorded by the police in Somerset in the year ending March 2026, according to the Home Office's police recorded crime statistics. That is 84.1 per 1,000 residents, close to the England and Wales rate of 83.2. Among the 272 districts of England and Wales with a figure for that year, Somerset had the 100th highest rate (the street-level ranking above is among the 302 districts with street-level pages on this site, over the 12 months to August 2026).
Of the crimes recorded in the Avon and Somerset Police area in the year ending March 2026, 2.5% were not assigned to a district. Those crimes are counted in the force and England and Wales totals but in no district, so the figure for Somerset is an undercount.
No change on the year or longer series is given for Somerset: comparable figures start in the year ending March 2026, because the share of crimes in the Avon and Somerset Police area not assigned to a district moved from 1.4% in the year ending March 2025 to 2.5% in the year ending March 2026, which changes district totals without any change in crime.
Offences recorded in Somerset, the year ending March 2026
The largest category was stalking and harassment and violence without injury, with 8,742 offences each (18% of the total). Relative to England and Wales, rates were highest for stalking and harassment (1.5 times the national rate), public order offences (1.5 times the national rate) and rape (1.3 times the national rate). Rates were lowest relative to the national rate for theft from the person (0.10 times), trafficking of drugs (0.27 times) and arson (0.39 times).
| Offence | Offences | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Index (E&W = 1.00) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stalking and harassment | 8,742 | 14.9 | 10.1 | 1.47 |
| Violence without injury | 8,742 | 14.9 | 13.2 | 1.12 |
| Public order offences | 6,002 | 10.2 | 7.0 | 1.47 |
| Shoplifting | 5,094 | 8.7 | 8.1 | 1.07 |
| Violence with injury | 4,242 | 7.2 | 8.1 | 0.89 |
| Criminal damage | 3,988 | 6.8 | 6.8 | 0.99 |
| Other theft offences | 3,551 | 6.0 | 6.5 | 0.92 |
| Vehicle offences | 1,504 | 2.6 | 5.0 | 0.51 |
| Other sexual offences | 1,473 | 2.5 | 2.3 | 1.10 |
| Miscellaneous crimes against society | 1,196 | 2.0 | 2.1 | 0.97 |
| Residential burglary | 1,141 | 1.9 | 2.5 | 0.78 |
| Rape | 915 | 1.6 | 1.2 | 1.29 |
| Non-residential burglary | 672 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 1.02 |
| Possession of drugs | 631 | 1.1 | 2.5 | 0.43 |
| Robbery of personal property | 308 | 0.52 | 0.91 | 0.57 |
| Possession of weapons | 302 | 0.51 | 1.00 | 0.52 |
| Bicycle theft | 291 | 0.49 | 0.85 | 0.58 |
| Robbery of business property | 287 | 0.49 | 0.47 | 1.03 |
| Trafficking of drugs | 189 | 0.32 | 1.2 | 0.27 |
| Theft from the person | 103 | 0.18 | 1.8 | 0.10 |
| Arson | 88 | 0.15 | 0.38 | 0.39 |
| Homicide | 5 | 0.01 | 0.01 | 1.06 |
| Death or serious injury caused by unlawful driving | 1 | <0.01 | 0.03 | 0.05 |
Districts in the Avon and Somerset Police area, the year ending March 2026
Of the 5 districts in the Avon and Somerset Police area with a figure for the year ending March 2026, Somerset had the 2nd highest rate.
| District | Offences | Per 1,000 | Index (E&W = 1.00) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bristol, City of | 64,759 | 131.0 | 1.57 |
| Somerset | 49,467 | 84.1 | 1.01 |
| North Somerset | 18,369 | 81.8 | 0.98 |
| Bath and North East Somerset | 15,811 | 79.0 | 0.95 |
| South Gloucestershire | 22,595 | 73.8 | 0.89 |
Source: Home Office police recorded crime and outcomes open data tables (released 23 July 2026), gov.uk, Open Government Licence v3.0. Financial years, excluding fraud; how they differ from the street-level figures: methodology.
2 of the 8 nearest districts have a higher crime rate than Somerset; the highest is Bristol, City of (148.8 per 1,000) and the lowest East Devon (47.1).
| District | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Somerset |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Somerset | 19,384 | 86.3 | -5% |
| Bath and North East Somerset | 18,013 | 90.1 | -1% |
| Bristol, City of | 73,581 | 148.8 | +64% |
| Vale of Glamorgan | 9,926 | 73.1 | -19% |
| East Devon | 7,455 | 47.1 | -48% |
| Mid Devon | 4,941 | 58.1 | -36% |
| Cardiff | 42,811 | 111.5 | +23% |
| Dorset | 21,072 | 54.0 | -40% |
Of the 131 areas within Somerset, Taunton East had the highest crime rate (284.2 per 1,000) and Combe St Nicholas the lowest (22.6), 13 times apart.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Taunton East | Neighbourhood | 13,098 | 3,722 | 284.2 |
| Bridgwater South | Neighbourhood | 13,490 | 3,588 | 266.0 |
| Yeovil South | Neighbourhood | 10,776 | 2,525 | 234.3 |
| Bridgwater North & Central | Neighbourhood | 10,499 | 2,352 | 224.0 |
| Highbridge | Town | 4,797 | 838 | 174.7 |
| Bridgwater | Town | 52,053 | 9,040 | 173.7 |
| Glastonbury | Town | 9,141 | 1,502 | 164.3 |
| Highbridge & Burnham South | Neighbourhood | 9,407 | 1,399 | 148.7 |
| Williton | Town | 4,136 | 552 | 133.5 |
| Bridgwater East & Bawdrip | Neighbourhood | 14,447 | 1,857 | 128.5 |
| Taunton | Town | 64,868 | 8,305 | 128.0 |
| Berrow and Brean | Town | 2,289 | 287 | 125.4 |
| Frome West | Neighbourhood | 12,158 | 1,482 | 121.9 |
| South Petherton | Town | 2,002 | 244 | 121.9 |
| Chard | Town | 14,616 | 1,779 | 121.7 |
| Yeovil | Town | 51,903 | 6,211 | 119.7 |
| Bishop's Hull & Taunton West | Neighbourhood | 10,072 | 1,192 | 118.3 |
| Monkton Heathfield | Town | 6,408 | 695 | 108.5 |
| Minehead | Town | 11,882 | 1,255 | 105.6 |
| Yeovil Central | Neighbourhood | 11,056 | 1,150 | 104.0 |
| Yeovil East | Neighbourhood | 11,438 | 1,169 | 102.2 |
| Watchet | Town | 2,873 | 286 | 99.5 |
| Frome | Town | 29,019 | 2,887 | 99.5 |
| Rowbarton & Staplegrove | Neighbourhood | 10,743 | 1,056 | 98.3 |
| Watchet & Stogursey | Neighbourhood | 10,213 | 1,003 | 98.2 |
| Chard South | Neighbourhood | 8,835 | 866 | 98.0 |
| Chard North | Neighbourhood | 10,823 | 1,060 | 97.9 |
| North Petherton | Neighbourhood | 12,005 | 1,163 | 96.9 |
| Norton sub Hamdon | Town | 1,284 | 124 | 96.6 |
| North Petherton | Town | 5,240 | 502 | 95.8 |
| Minehead | Neighbourhood | 8,367 | 796 | 95.1 |
| Yeovil West | Neighbourhood | 10,039 | 954 | 95.0 |
| Langport | Town | 3,549 | 331 | 93.3 |
| Burnham-on-Sea | Town | 16,939 | 1,565 | 92.4 |
| Crewkerne | Town | 6,584 | 604 | 91.7 |
| Barwick and Stoford | Town | 1,151 | 105 | 91.2 |
| Shepton Mallet | Town | 10,568 | 949 | 89.8 |
| Burnham on Sea North | Neighbourhood | 10,793 | 962 | 89.1 |
| Wincanton | Town | 6,548 | 583 | 89.0 |
| Wellington (Somerset West and Taunton) | Town | 14,561 | 1,278 | 87.8 |
| Blackdown & Neroche | Neighbourhood | 9,104 | 798 | 87.7 |
| Wells | Town | 11,283 | 988 | 87.6 |
| Taunton North | Neighbourhood | 11,927 | 1,037 | 86.9 |
| Ilchester | Town | 1,584 | 134 | 84.6 |
| Dunster | Neighbourhood | 9,030 | 751 | 83.2 |
| Crewkerne | Neighbourhood | 8,217 | 661 | 80.4 |
| Cheddar | Town | 5,728 | 457 | 79.8 |
| Norton Fitzwarren | Town | 4,580 | 365 | 79.7 |
| Bruton | Town | 2,697 | 211 | 78.2 |
| Wincanton & Bruton | Neighbourhood | 11,634 | 903 | 77.6 |
| Taunton South | Neighbourhood | 10,687 | 828 | 77.5 |
| Frome East | Neighbourhood | 13,720 | 1,054 | 76.8 |
| Henstridge | Town | 1,941 | 148 | 76.2 |
| Monkton & North Curry | Neighbourhood | 13,192 | 996 | 75.5 |
| Woolavington | Town | 2,321 | 171 | 73.7 |
| Wellington | Neighbourhood | 14,328 | 1,048 | 73.1 |
| Frome North | Neighbourhood | 10,605 | 766 | 72.2 |
| Bridgwater West | Neighbourhood | 11,221 | 788 | 70.2 |
| Dulverton | Town | 1,893 | 131 | 69.2 |
| Cheddar | Neighbourhood | 9,527 | 635 | 66.7 |
| Street | Town | 12,903 | 859 | 66.6 |
| Chilcompton | Town | 2,338 | 155 | 66.3 |
| Burton (South Somerset) | Town | 1,559 | 100 | 64.1 |
| Ilminster | Town | 6,180 | 396 | 64.1 |
| Montacute | Town | 1,128 | 72 | 63.8 |
| Beckington | Town | 1,287 | 82 | 63.7 |
| Castle Cary | Town | 3,775 | 237 | 62.8 |
| Stogursey | Town | 2,173 | 136 | 62.6 |
| Coker | Neighbourhood | 10,430 | 648 | 62.1 |
| Martock | Town | 4,329 | 268 | 61.9 |
| Rode | Town | 1,493 | 90 | 60.3 |
| Brent | Neighbourhood | 10,419 | 615 | 59.0 |
| Templecombe | Town | 2,087 | 123 | 58.9 |
| Cotford St Luke | Town | 2,446 | 144 | 58.9 |
| Somerton | Town | 6,631 | 388 | 58.5 |
| Lydeard | Neighbourhood | 12,098 | 703 | 58.1 |
| Rockwell Green | Town | 3,086 | 177 | 57.4 |
| Puriton | Town | 2,394 | 135 | 56.4 |
| Huntspill | Neighbourhood | 10,191 | 571 | 56.0 |
| Blackmoor Vale | Neighbourhood | 9,114 | 506 | 55.5 |
| Martock | Neighbourhood | 9,866 | 545 | 55.2 |
| Carhampton | Town | 1,268 | 70 | 55.2 |
| Curry Rivel & Langport | Neighbourhood | 11,696 | 634 | 54.2 |
| Ashcott | Town | 2,080 | 112 | 53.8 |
| Creech St Michael | Town | 3,290 | 176 | 53.5 |
| South Petherton & Islemoor | Neighbourhood | 9,580 | 507 | 52.9 |
| Brent Knoll | Town | 1,894 | 99 | 52.3 |
| Comeytrowe & Trull | Neighbourhood | 12,241 | 637 | 52.0 |
| Castle Cary | Neighbourhood | 12,010 | 615 | 51.2 |
| Coleford (Mendip) | Town | 1,351 | 68 | 50.3 |
| Wiveliscombe | Town | 1,749 | 88 | 50.3 |
| Odcombe | Town | 1,314 | 66 | 50.2 |
| Dulverton & Exmoor | Neighbourhood | 7,522 | 377 | 50.1 |
| Ilminster | Neighbourhood | 11,118 | 555 | 49.9 |
| Evercreech | Town | 2,846 | 138 | 48.5 |
| Brympton | Neighbourhood | 8,594 | 413 | 48.1 |
| Cannington | Town | 1,220 | 57 | 46.7 |
| Bishops Lydeard | Town | 3,412 | 159 | 46.6 |
| Porlock | Town | 1,996 | 93 | 46.6 |
| Pawlett | Town | 1,761 | 82 | 46.6 |
| Draycott | Town | 1,937 | 90 | 46.5 |
| Over Stratton | Town | 1,629 | 75 | 46.0 |
| Walton (Mendip) | Town | 1,305 | 60 | 46.0 |
| Milborne Port | Town | 3,253 | 148 | 45.5 |
| Mendip Hills | Neighbourhood | 10,755 | 488 | 45.4 |
| Meare | Town | 1,679 | 76 | 45.3 |
| Curry Rivel | Town | 2,847 | 128 | 45.0 |
| Somerton | Neighbourhood | 11,173 | 496 | 44.4 |
| Axbridge | Town | 1,949 | 86 | 44.1 |
| Mendip Central and East | Neighbourhood | 6,676 | 293 | 43.9 |
| Mendip West | Neighbourhood | 10,817 | 466 | 43.1 |
| Upper Tone | Neighbourhood | 10,435 | 438 | 42.0 |
| Mendip South | Neighbourhood | 9,682 | 389 | 40.2 |
| King Alfred | Neighbourhood | 9,833 | 393 | 40.0 |
| Wembdon | Town | 1,305 | 52 | 39.8 |
| North Curry | Town | 1,875 | 72 | 38.4 |
| Stoke sub Hamdon | Town | 1,361 | 52 | 38.2 |
| Coxley (Mendip) | Town | 1,942 | 71 | 36.6 |
| Merriott | Town | 2,548 | 93 | 36.5 |
| Haselbury Plucknett | Town | 1,313 | 47 | 35.8 |
| Misterton (South Somerset) | Town | 1,633 | 57 | 34.9 |
| Tatworth | Town | 2,694 | 94 | 34.9 |
| Milverton | Town | 1,729 | 58 | 33.5 |
| Westonzoyland | Town | 1,456 | 47 | 32.3 |
| Trull | Town | 2,488 | 80 | 32.2 |
| Cannington | Neighbourhood | 8,732 | 273 | 31.3 |
| Keinton Mandeville | Town | 1,881 | 57 | 30.3 |
| Middlezoy | Town | 1,550 | 43 | 27.7 |
| Combwich | Town | 1,237 | 31 | 25.1 |
| Nether Stowey | Town | 1,914 | 47 | 24.6 |
| Combe St Nicholas | Town | 2,348 | 53 | 22.6 |
The 10 locations below account for 20% of the crime recorded in Somerset over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Supermarket” (2,623).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Supermarket | 2,623 |
| On or near Parking Area | 2,181 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 1,847 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 1,393 |
| On or near High Street | 653 |
| On or near Sports/Recreation Area | 621 |
| On or near Hospital | 378 |
| On or near Fore Street | 294 |
| On or near Market Place | 268 |
| On or near North Street | 260 |
Of the 45,684 crimes in Somerset with a recorded outcome, 29% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 4.7% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 7,737 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 19,726 | 43.2% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 13,372 | 29.3% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 3,936 | 8.6% | 11.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 2,759 | 6.0% | 4.7% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 2,136 | 4.7% | 5.2% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 945 | 2.1% | 0.5% |
| Court result unavailable | 889 | 1.9% | 2.5% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 866 | 1.9% | 1.3% |
| Local resolution | 410 | 0.9% | 3.1% |
| Offender given a caution | 237 | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 209 | 0.5% | 0.3% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 186 | 0.4% | 0.3% |
Somerset has an estimated population of 588,328 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has fewer students (4.7%, against 7.9%), fewer households without a car (14%, against 23%) and an older population (25%, against 19%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Somerset average decile 5.5 (1 = most deprived), close to the middle.
| Measure | Somerset | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 16.8% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 25.4% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 56.6% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 2.3% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 28.2% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 4.7% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 30.5% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 17.1% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 14.0% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 68.5% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 13.7% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 17.7% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 5.5 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 2.2% | 10.1% (England) |
2,830 fly-tipping incidents were recorded in Somerset in 2024/25 (4.8 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 Somerset has the council's figures by place, type of waste and size, and its enforcement actions and fines.
Is Somerset a safe place to live?
Somerset recorded 90.8 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 129th of the 302 districts on this site by crime rate (1 = highest).
What is the most common crime in Somerset?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 22,425 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (7,737).
Is crime in Somerset going up or down?
Recorded crime in Somerset was up 6% on the year before: 53,421 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 50,164 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Somerset?
About 588,328 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 25% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Somerset?
Somerset is policed by Avon and Somerset.
How many crimes did the police record in Somerset in the year ending March 2026?
49,467 crimes, excluding fraud, in the Home Office's police recorded crime statistics: 84.1 per 1,000 residents, against 83.2 across England and Wales.
Which offences are more common in Somerset than across England and Wales?
Relative to the national rate, the most over-represented categories in the year ending March 2026 were stalking and harassment (8,742 offences, 1.5 times the England and Wales rate), public order offences (6,002 offences, 1.5 times the England and Wales rate) and rape (915 offences, 1.3 times the England and Wales rate).
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.