Crime in Tunbridge Wells: statistics, rates and trends
8,086 crimes were recorded in Tunbridge Wells in the 12 months to August 2026, 67.6 per 1,000 residents. That is lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and up 3% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Tunbridge Wells at a glance
- Crime trends in Tunbridge Wells
- Types of crime in Tunbridge Wells
- Tunbridge Wells compared with nearby districts
- Areas within Tunbridge Wells
- Streets with the most crime in Tunbridge Wells
- What happened after crimes were reported in Tunbridge Wells
- Demographics of Tunbridge Wells
- Fly-tipping in Tunbridge Wells
- Questions about crime in Tunbridge Wells
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (2,659), anti-social behaviour (1,647) and shoplifting (948) made up 65% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 231st of the 302 districts covered by this site (1 = highest), in the lowest quarter.
| Measure | Tunbridge Wells | Kent | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 8,086 | 145,778 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 67.6 | 88.9 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +3% | -2% | -1% |
| Population | 119,694 | 1,639,029 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Tunbridge Wells peaked in the year to August 2018 (10,031 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2025 (7,870). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 19%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 8,086 | 67.6 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 7,870 | 65.8 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 9,220 | 77.0 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 8,988 | 75.1 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 8,965 | 74.9 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 9,351 | 78.1 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 10,003 | 83.6 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 9,327 | 77.9 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 10,031 | 83.8 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 710 |
| July 2026 | 758 |
| June 2026 | 675 |
| May 2026 | 667 |
| April 2026 | 682 |
| March 2026 | 631 |
| February 2026 | 676 |
| January 2026 | 655 |
| December 2025 | 707 |
| November 2025 | 672 |
| October 2025 | 664 |
| September 2025 | 589 |
No category with at least 20 crimes was notably above the England and Wales rate, and theft from the person (85% below) and robbery (74% below) were well below it. On the year before, anti-social behaviour rose from 1,266 to 1,647 and possession of weapons rose from 62 to 75, while other crime fell from 227 to 191.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 2,659 | 22.2 | 34.2 | -8% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 1,647 | 13.8 | 15.4 | +30% |
| Shoplifting | 948 | 7.9 | 8.5 | +12% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 711 | 5.9 | 6.7 | -4% |
| Other theft | 631 | 5.3 | 6.4 | +13% |
| Public order | 345 | 2.9 | 6.7 | -13% |
| Vehicle crime | 308 | 2.6 | 5.0 | +4% |
| Burglary | 252 | 2.1 | 3.6 | -6% |
| Drugs | 209 | 1.7 | 3.3 | -4% |
| Other crime | 191 | 1.6 | 2.1 | -16% |
| Possession of weapons | 75 | 0.6 | 1.0 | +21% |
| Robbery | 43 | 0.4 | 1.4 | +13% |
| Bicycle theft | 37 | 0.3 | 0.8 | 0% |
| Theft from the person | 30 | 0.3 | 1.7 | +15% |
What each category covers: crime categories.
6 of the 8 nearest districts have a higher crime rate than Tunbridge Wells; the highest is Medway (102.4 per 1,000) and the lowest Wealden (54.6).
Of the 28 areas within Tunbridge Wells, Park had the highest crime rate (120.0 per 1,000) and Speldhurst the lowest (21.7), 6 times apart.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Park | Neighbourhood | 7,599 | 912 | 120.0 |
| Cranbrook (Tunbridge Wells) | Town | 4,080 | 409 | 100.2 |
| Culverden | Neighbourhood | 8,635 | 787 | 91.1 |
| Paddock Wood | Town | 9,370 | 838 | 89.4 |
| Sherwood | Neighbourhood | 11,446 | 1,023 | 89.4 |
| Pembury | Town | 5,805 | 484 | 83.4 |
| Cranbrook, Sissinghurst & Frittenden | Neighbourhood | 7,889 | 635 | 80.5 |
| Royal Tunbridge Wells | Town | 53,052 | 4,218 | 79.5 |
| Pantiles | Neighbourhood | 9,711 | 716 | 73.7 |
| Pembury & Capel | Neighbourhood | 8,256 | 604 | 73.2 |
| High Brooms | Neighbourhood | 4,463 | 319 | 71.5 |
| Hartley | Town | 1,395 | 93 | 66.7 |
| Hawkhurst | Town | 5,202 | 285 | 54.8 |
| St James' | Neighbourhood | 8,548 | 454 | 53.1 |
| Rusthall and Langton Green | Town | 7,996 | 408 | 51.0 |
| Five Oak Green | Town | 2,451 | 120 | 49.0 |
| Lamberhurst | Town | 1,632 | 79 | 48.4 |
| Southborough | Town | 10,820 | 507 | 46.9 |
| Rusthall & Speldhurst | Neighbourhood | 9,331 | 437 | 46.8 |
| Hawkhurst, Sandhurst & Benenden | Neighbourhood | 8,963 | 414 | 46.2 |
| Sandhurst (Tunbridge Wells) | Town | 1,447 | 63 | 43.5 |
| St John's | Neighbourhood | 5,720 | 221 | 38.6 |
| Rural Tunbridge Wells | Neighbourhood | 10,348 | 394 | 38.1 |
| Southborough & Bidborough | Neighbourhood | 9,415 | 332 | 35.3 |
| Benenden | Town | 2,314 | 66 | 28.5 |
| Horsmonden | Town | 1,850 | 50 | 27.0 |
| Bidborough | Town | 1,665 | 39 | 23.4 |
| Speldhurst | Town | 1,335 | 29 | 21.7 |
The 10 locations below account for 26% of the crime recorded in Tunbridge Wells over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Shopping Area” (518).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Shopping Area | 518 |
| On or near Parking Area | 428 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 389 |
| On or near Supermarket | 154 |
| On or near Newton Road | 124 |
| On or near Causton Road | 114 |
| On or near Linden Park Road | 99 |
| On or near Sports/Recreation Area | 92 |
| On or near Monson Road | 88 |
| On or near High Street | 84 |
Of the 6,439 crimes in Tunbridge Wells with a recorded outcome, 39% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 6.8% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 1,647 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 2,496 | 38.8% | 35.3% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 2,211 | 34.3% | 34.5% |
| Under investigation | 475 | 7.4% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 441 | 6.8% | 5.2% |
| Court result unavailable | 254 | 3.9% | 2.5% |
| Local resolution | 176 | 2.7% | 3.1% |
| Status update unavailable | 161 | 2.5% | 4.7% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 122 | 1.9% | 1.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 47 | 0.7% | 0.6% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 37 | 0.6% | 0.3% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 12 | 0.2% | 0.5% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 5 | 0.1% | 0.3% |
Tunbridge Wells has an estimated population of 119,694 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has fewer households without a car (16%, against 23%), fewer students (5.6%, against 7.9%) and fewer residents with no qualifications (13%, against 18%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Tunbridge Wells average decile 6.8 (1 = most deprived), less deprived than average.
| Measure | Tunbridge Wells | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 20.0% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 20.1% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 60.5% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 2.6% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 22.5% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 5.6% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 41.1% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 13.5% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 15.5% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 66.2% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 14.6% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 19.2% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 6.8 | 5.5 (England) |
631 fly-tipping incidents were recorded in Tunbridge Wells in 2024/25 (5.3 per 1,000 residents; the council counts only fly-tips reported by the public), according to the council's return to Defra. Fly-tipping is not in the police figures on this page: fly-tipping in Tunbridge Wells has the council's figures by place, type of waste and size, and its enforcement actions and fines.
Is Tunbridge Wells a safe place to live?
Tunbridge Wells recorded 67.6 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 231st of the 302 districts on this site by crime rate (1 = highest).
What is the most common crime in Tunbridge Wells?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 2,659 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (1,647).
Is crime in Tunbridge Wells going up or down?
Recorded crime in Tunbridge Wells was up 3% on the year before: 8,086 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 7,870 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Tunbridge Wells?
About 119,694 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 20% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Tunbridge Wells?
Tunbridge Wells 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.