Crime in Balham: statistics, rates and trends
2,051 crimes were recorded in Balham in the 12 months to August 2026, 125.4 per 1,000 residents. That is higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and down 1% on the year before.
Crime map
Shoplifting (370), violence and sexual offences (349) and anti-social behaviour (346) made up 52% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 759th of the 3,911 neighbourhoods covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest quarter.
| Measure | Balham | Wandsworth | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 2,051 | 33,210 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 125.4 | 98.4 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -1% | -1% | -1% |
| Population | 16,352 | 337,655 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Balham peaked in the year to August 2025 (2,076 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2022 (1,479). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it rose 28%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 2,051 | 125.4 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 2,076 | 127.0 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 1,904 | 116.4 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 2,050 | 125.4 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 1,479 | 90.4 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 1,667 | 101.9 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 1,647 | 100.7 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 1,729 | 105.7 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 1,608 | 98.3 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 158 |
| July 2026 | 191 |
| June 2026 | 154 |
| May 2026 | 168 |
| April 2026 | 184 |
| March 2026 | 186 |
| February 2026 | 153 |
| January 2026 | 171 |
| December 2025 | 159 |
| November 2025 | 161 |
| October 2025 | 192 |
| September 2025 | 174 |
Compared with England and Wales, Balham recorded notably more bicycle theft (4.9 times the national rate), theft from the person (3.9 times the national rate) and robbery (3.1 times the national rate), and notably less criminal damage and arson (47% below) and violence and sexual offences (38% below). On the year before, bicycle theft rose from 40 to 66 and public order rose from 93 to 141, while burglary fell from 104 to 77 and theft from the person fell from 140 to 107.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shoplifting | 370 | 22.6 | 8.5 | -14% |
| Violence and sexual offences | 349 | 21.3 | 34.2 | +6% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 346 | 21.2 | 15.4 | -12% |
| Vehicle crime | 247 | 15.1 | 5.0 | +19% |
| Other theft | 159 | 9.7 | 6.4 | +7% |
| Public order | 141 | 8.6 | 6.7 | +52% |
| Theft from the person | 107 | 6.5 | 1.7 | -24% |
| Burglary | 77 | 4.7 | 3.6 | -26% |
| Robbery | 70 | 4.3 | 1.4 | +11% |
| Bicycle theft | 66 | 4.0 | 0.8 | +65% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 59 | 3.6 | 6.7 | -14% |
| Drugs | 36 | 2.2 | 3.3 | -10% |
| Other crime | 19 | 1.2 | 2.1 | n/a |
| Possession of weapons | 5 | 0.3 | 1.0 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
2 of the 8 nearest neighbourhoods have a higher crime rate than Balham; the highest is Lavender (171.8 per 1,000) and the lowest Northcote (64.1).
| Neighbourhood | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Balham |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trinity | 1,589 | 129.9 | +4% |
| Northcote | 822 | 64.1 | -49% |
| South Balham | 719 | 82.4 | -34% |
| Lavender | 2,631 | 171.8 | +37% |
| Tooting Bec | 1,319 | 70.3 | -44% |
| Wandsworth Common | 1,152 | 68.6 | -45% |
| Wandle | 774 | 73.4 | -42% |
| Shaftesbury & Queenstown | 1,401 | 106.2 | -15% |
The 10 locations below account for 58% of the crime recorded in Balham over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Supermarket” (649).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Supermarket | 649 |
| On or near Clapham South | 165 |
| On or near Balham | 81 |
| On or near Caistor Road | 57 |
| On or near Hildreth Street | 50 |
| On or near Balham Hill | 46 |
| On or near Clavering Place | 42 |
| On or near Balham Station Road | 35 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 34 |
| On or near Clarence Mews | 33 |
Of the 1,705 crimes in Balham with a recorded outcome, 62% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 3.4% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 346 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 1,064 | 62.4% | 35.3% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 361 | 21.2% | 34.5% |
| Under investigation | 100 | 5.9% | 11.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 62 | 3.6% | 4.7% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 58 | 3.4% | 5.2% |
| Court result unavailable | 27 | 1.6% | 2.5% |
| Local resolution | 13 | 0.8% | 3.1% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 7 | 0.4% | 1.3% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 6 | 0.4% | 0.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 3 | 0.2% | 0.6% |
| Offender given penalty notice | 3 | 0.2% | 0.1% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 1 | 0.1% | 0.5% |
Balham has an estimated population of 16,352 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more residents with Level 4 qualifications or above (73%, against 34%), more households without a car (47%, against 23%) and more private renting (37%, against 20%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Balham average decile 8.0 (1 = most deprived), less deprived than average.
| Measure | Balham | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 13.8% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 10.4% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 74.9% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 2.8% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 10.0% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 5.5% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 73.1% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 6.9% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 46.7% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 50.1% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 12.5% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 37.4% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 8.0 | 5.5 (England) |
Is Balham a safe place to live?
Balham recorded 125.4 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 759th of the 3,911 neighbourhoods on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were bicycle theft and theft from the person.
What is the most common crime in Balham?
Shoplifting was the most common category, with 370 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by violence and sexual offences (349).
Is crime in Balham going up or down?
Recorded crime in Balham was down 1% on the year before: 2,051 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 2,076 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Balham?
About 16,352 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 10% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Balham?
Balham is policed by Metropolitan Police.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.