Crime in Cowley: statistics, rates and trends
1,154 crimes were recorded in Cowley in the 12 months to August 2026, 126.3 per 1,000 residents. That is higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and down 10% on the year before.
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (333), shoplifting (167) and anti-social behaviour (147) made up 56% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 744th of the 3,911 neighbourhoods covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest quarter.
| Measure | Cowley | Oxford | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 1,154 | 17,767 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 126.3 | 107.0 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -10% | -2% | -1% |
| Population | 9,138 | 166,034 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Cowley peaked in the year to August 2022 (1,397 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2018 (1,038). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it rose 11%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 1,154 | 126.3 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 1,279 | 140.0 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 1,188 | 130.0 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 1,228 | 134.4 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 1,397 | 152.9 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 1,146 | 125.4 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 1,138 | 124.5 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 1,086 | 118.8 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 1,038 | 113.6 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 115 |
| July 2026 | 115 |
| June 2026 | 112 |
| May 2026 | 82 |
| April 2026 | 111 |
| March 2026 | 84 |
| February 2026 | 74 |
| January 2026 | 102 |
| December 2025 | 84 |
| November 2025 | 89 |
| October 2025 | 86 |
| September 2025 | 100 |
Compared with England and Wales, Cowley recorded notably more bicycle theft (6.2 times the national rate), shoplifting (2.2 times the national rate) and vehicle crime (65% above the national rate). On the year before, burglary rose from 25 to 32 and other crime rose from 24 to 30, while drugs fell from 106 to 49 and bicycle theft fell from 75 to 47.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 333 | 36.4 | 34.2 | +3% |
| Shoplifting | 167 | 18.3 | 8.5 | -29% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 147 | 16.1 | 15.4 | +4% |
| Public order | 93 | 10.2 | 6.7 | +24% |
| Other theft | 80 | 8.8 | 6.4 | -2% |
| Vehicle crime | 75 | 8.2 | 5.0 | -10% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 60 | 6.6 | 6.7 | -12% |
| Drugs | 49 | 5.4 | 3.3 | -54% |
| Bicycle theft | 47 | 5.1 | 0.8 | -37% |
| Burglary | 32 | 3.5 | 3.6 | +28% |
| Other crime | 30 | 3.3 | 2.1 | +25% |
| Robbery | 20 | 2.2 | 1.4 | n/a |
| Theft from the person | 13 | 1.4 | 1.7 | n/a |
| Possession of weapons | 8 | 0.9 | 1.0 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
1 of the 8 nearest neighbourhoods have a higher crime rate than Cowley; the highest is Littlemore (168.5 per 1,000) and the lowest Temple Cowley (76.4).
| Neighbourhood | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Cowley |
|---|---|---|---|
| Temple Cowley | 284 | 76.4 | -39% |
| Rose Hill & Iffley | 651 | 91.2 | -28% |
| Littlemore | 1,112 | 168.5 | +33% |
| Donnington | 725 | 81.6 | -35% |
| Lye Valley | 689 | 78.4 | -38% |
| Blackbird Leys | 763 | 114.5 | -9% |
| Northfield Brook | 680 | 96.7 | -23% |
| St Mary's | 762 | 105.1 | -17% |
The 10 locations below account for 61% of the crime recorded in Cowley over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Supermarket” (154).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Supermarket | 154 |
| On or near Parking Area | 134 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 118 |
| On or near Banjo Road | 59 |
| On or near Sports/Recreation Area | 52 |
| On or near St Omer Road | 52 |
| On or near Further/Higher Educational Building | 45 |
| On or near Boswell Road | 33 |
| On or near Knolles Road | 30 |
| On or near Bartholomew Road | 24 |
Of the 1,007 crimes in Cowley with a recorded outcome, 35% 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 147 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 353 | 35.1% | 35.3% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 280 | 27.8% | 34.5% |
| Under investigation | 142 | 14.1% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 81 | 8.0% | 5.2% |
| Local resolution | 47 | 4.7% | 3.1% |
| Status update unavailable | 41 | 4.1% | 4.7% |
| Court result unavailable | 35 | 3.5% | 2.5% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 12 | 1.2% | 1.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 6 | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 3 | 0.3% | 0.3% |
| Offender given penalty notice | 3 | 0.3% | 0.1% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 2 | 0.2% | 0.5% |
Cowley has an estimated population of 9,138 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more private renting (31%, against 20%), fewer retired residents (13%, against 22%) and a younger population (12%, against 19%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Cowley average decile 6.4 (1 = most deprived), close to the middle.
| Measure | Cowley | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 18.9% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 12.0% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 65.8% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 3.5% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 13.2% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 8.6% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 39.4% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 20.2% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 27.0% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 56.9% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 11.2% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 31.5% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 6.4 | 5.5 (England) |
Is Cowley a safe place to live?
Cowley recorded 126.3 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 744th of the 3,911 neighbourhoods on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were bicycle theft and shoplifting.
What is the most common crime in Cowley?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 333 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by shoplifting (167).
Is crime in Cowley going up or down?
Recorded crime in Cowley was down 10% on the year before: 1,154 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 1,279 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Cowley?
About 9,138 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 12% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Cowley?
Cowley is policed by Thames Valley.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.