Crime in Adamsdown: statistics, rates and trends
2,948 crimes were recorded in Adamsdown in the 12 months to August 2026, 222.9 per 1,000 residents. That is higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and up 17% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Adamsdown at a glance
- Crime trends in Adamsdown
- Types of crime in Adamsdown
- Adamsdown compared with nearby neighbourhoods
- Streets with the most crime in Adamsdown
- What happened after crimes were reported in Adamsdown
- Demographics of Adamsdown
- Questions about crime in Adamsdown
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (773), vehicle crime (395) and anti-social behaviour (363) made up 52% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 157th of the 3,911 neighbourhoods covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest tenth.
| Measure | Adamsdown | Cardiff | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 2,948 | 42,811 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 222.9 | 111.5 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +17% | 0% | -1% |
| Population | 13,226 | 383,919 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Adamsdown peaked in the year to August 2020 (3,179 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2018 (2,239). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it rose 32%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 2,948 | 222.9 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 2,528 | 191.1 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 2,978 | 225.2 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 2,818 | 213.1 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 2,576 | 194.8 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 2,993 | 226.3 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 3,179 | 240.4 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 2,773 | 209.7 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 2,239 | 169.3 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 310 |
| July 2026 | 379 |
| June 2026 | 300 |
| May 2026 | 236 |
| April 2026 | 259 |
| March 2026 | 220 |
| February 2026 | 171 |
| January 2026 | 191 |
| December 2025 | 216 |
| November 2025 | 232 |
| October 2025 | 201 |
| September 2025 | 233 |
Compared with England and Wales, Adamsdown recorded notably more vehicle crime (6.0 times the national rate), robbery (4.0 times the national rate) and bicycle theft (3.8 times the national rate). On the year before, vehicle crime rose from 181 to 395 and robbery rose from 35 to 72, while burglary fell from 103 to 83 and theft from the person fell from 31 to 26.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 773 | 58.4 | 34.2 | +1% |
| Vehicle crime | 395 | 29.9 | 5.0 | +118% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 363 | 27.4 | 15.4 | +7% |
| Shoplifting | 332 | 25.1 | 8.5 | +36% |
| Public order | 300 | 22.7 | 6.7 | +12% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 206 | 15.6 | 6.7 | +11% |
| Other theft | 119 | 9.0 | 6.4 | -4% |
| Other crime | 105 | 7.9 | 2.1 | +6% |
| Drugs | 92 | 7.0 | 3.3 | +8% |
| Burglary | 83 | 6.3 | 3.6 | -19% |
| Robbery | 72 | 5.4 | 1.4 | +106% |
| Bicycle theft | 41 | 3.1 | 0.8 | +32% |
| Possession of weapons | 41 | 3.1 | 1.0 | +17% |
| Theft from the person | 26 | 2.0 | 1.7 | -16% |
What each category covers: crime categories.
2 of the 8 nearest neighbourhoods have a higher crime rate than Adamsdown; the highest is Cathays (304.8 per 1,000) and the lowest Penylan (86.0).
| Neighbourhood | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Adamsdown |
|---|---|---|---|
| Splott | 1,758 | 118.3 | -47% |
| Plasnewydd | 2,347 | 117.0 | -48% |
| Cathays | 7,292 | 304.8 | +37% |
| Penylan | 1,152 | 86.0 | -61% |
| Butetown | 3,093 | 228.3 | +2% |
| Riverside | 2,505 | 175.8 | -21% |
| Grangetown | 2,331 | 104.7 | -53% |
| Gabalfa | 951 | 94.9 | -57% |
The 10 locations below account for 53% of the crime recorded in Adamsdown over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Knox Road” (324).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Knox Road | 324 |
| On or near Parking Area | 177 |
| On or near Supermarket | 166 |
| On or near North Luton Place | 160 |
| On or near Glossop Road | 148 |
| On or near Moira Terrace | 132 |
| On or near South Luton Place | 128 |
| On or near Sapphire Street | 121 |
| On or near Cyril Crescent | 107 |
| On or near Four Elms Road | 90 |
Of the 2,585 crimes in Adamsdown with a recorded outcome, 38% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 8.0% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 363 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 993 | 38.4% | 35.3% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 691 | 26.7% | 34.5% |
| Under investigation | 454 | 17.6% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 206 | 8.0% | 5.2% |
| Status update unavailable | 86 | 3.3% | 4.7% |
| Court result unavailable | 68 | 2.6% | 2.5% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 51 | 2.0% | 1.3% |
| Local resolution | 17 | 0.7% | 3.1% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 8 | 0.3% | 0.5% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 7 | 0.3% | 0.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 4 | 0.2% | 0.6% |
Adamsdown has an estimated population of 13,226 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more students (32.0%, against 7.9%), more private renting (44%, against 20%) and more households without a car (48%, against 23%). On the Wales WIMD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Adamsdown average decile 2.2 (1 = most deprived), more deprived than average.
| Measure | Adamsdown | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 13.9% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 4.4% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 44.8% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 6.5% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 5.7% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 32.0% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 35.3% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 18.4% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 48.1% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 30.3% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 24.8% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 44.2% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 2.2 | 5.5 (Wales) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 29.3% | 9.5% (Wales) |
Is Adamsdown a safe place to live?
Adamsdown recorded 222.9 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 157th of the 3,911 neighbourhoods on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were vehicle crime and robbery.
What is the most common crime in Adamsdown?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 773 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by vehicle crime (395).
Is crime in Adamsdown going up or down?
Recorded crime in Adamsdown was up 17% on the year before: 2,948 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 2,528 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Adamsdown?
About 13,226 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 4.4% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Adamsdown?
Adamsdown is policed by South Wales.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.