Crime in Handforth: statistics, rates and trends
839 crimes were recorded in Handforth in the 12 months to August 2026, 88.0 per 1,000 residents. That is close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and up 5% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Handforth at a glance
- Crime trends in Handforth
- Types of crime in Handforth
- Handforth compared with nearby neighbourhoods
- Streets with the most crime in Handforth
- What happened after crimes were reported in Handforth
- Demographics of Handforth
- Questions about crime in Handforth
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (293), shoplifting (124) and public order (92) made up 61% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 1,559th of the 3,911 neighbourhoods covered by this site (1 = highest), in the upper half.
| Measure | Handforth | Cheshire East | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 839 | 28,139 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 88.0 | 66.8 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +5% | +3% | -1% |
| Population | 9,533 | 421,298 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Handforth peaked in the year to August 2019 (1,357 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2025 (800). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 35%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 839 | 88.0 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 800 | 83.9 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 866 | 90.8 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 944 | 99.0 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 1,006 | 105.5 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 1,076 | 112.9 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 1,241 | 130.2 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 1,357 | 142.3 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 1,296 | 135.9 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 69 |
| July 2026 | 91 |
| June 2026 | 79 |
| May 2026 | 82 |
| April 2026 | 66 |
| March 2026 | 69 |
| February 2026 | 64 |
| January 2026 | 65 |
| December 2025 | 60 |
| November 2025 | 60 |
| October 2025 | 68 |
| September 2025 | 66 |
Compared with England and Wales, Handforth recorded notably more shoplifting (54% above the national rate) and public order (45% above the national rate), and notably less anti-social behaviour (54% below) and vehicle crime (51% below). On the year before, shoplifting rose from 71 to 124 and drugs rose from 20 to 28, while vehicle crime fell from 36 to 23.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 293 | 30.7 | 34.2 | -13% |
| Shoplifting | 124 | 13.0 | 8.5 | +75% |
| Public order | 92 | 9.7 | 6.7 | +6% |
| Other theft | 69 | 7.2 | 6.4 | +13% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 68 | 7.1 | 15.4 | +39% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 56 | 5.9 | 6.7 | 0% |
| Burglary | 31 | 3.3 | 3.6 | 0% |
| Drugs | 28 | 2.9 | 3.3 | +40% |
| Other crime | 23 | 2.4 | 2.1 | -8% |
| Vehicle crime | 23 | 2.4 | 5.0 | -36% |
| Bicycle theft | 14 | 1.5 | 0.8 | n/a |
| Robbery | 7 | 0.7 | 1.4 | n/a |
| Theft from the person | 6 | 0.6 | 1.7 | n/a |
| Possession of weapons | 5 | 0.5 | 1.0 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
Handforth has a higher crime rate than all 8 of its nearest neighbourhoods.
| Neighbourhood | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Handforth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wilmslow Dean Row | 158 | 24.0 | -73% |
| Wilmslow Lacey Green | 364 | 70.4 | -20% |
| Wilmslow West and Chorley | 633 | 57.8 | -34% |
| Wilmslow East | 82 | 24.2 | -73% |
| Alderley Edge | 313 | 61.2 | -31% |
| Poynton West and Adlington | 343 | 34.9 | -60% |
| Poynton East and Pott Shrigley | 269 | 39.8 | -55% |
| Prestbury | 113 | 33.0 | -63% |
The 10 locations below account for 44% of the crime recorded in Handforth over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Supermarket” (113).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Supermarket | 113 |
| On or near Parking Area | 45 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 33 |
| On or near Chelford Road | 32 |
| On or near Plumley Road | 32 |
| On or near Brooke Drive | 30 |
| On or near Long Marl Drive | 25 |
| On or near Hampson Crescent | 23 |
| On or near Peckmill Close | 19 |
| On or near Davenham Road | 18 |
Of the 771 crimes in Handforth with a recorded outcome, 33% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 8.6% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 68 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 288 | 37.4% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 253 | 32.8% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 67 | 8.7% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 66 | 8.6% | 5.2% |
| Local resolution | 42 | 5.4% | 3.1% |
| Court result unavailable | 30 | 3.9% | 2.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 11 | 1.4% | 4.7% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 7 | 0.9% | 1.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 4 | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 2 | 0.3% | 0.3% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 1 | 0.1% | 0.5% |
Handforth has an estimated population of 9,533 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more social housing (28%, against 17%), fewer students (5.1%, against 7.9%) and less private renting (14%, against 20%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Handforth average decile 5.5 (1 = most deprived), close to the middle.
| Measure | Handforth | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 19.3% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 18.3% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 58.4% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 3.2% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 22.5% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 5.1% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 36.5% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 16.8% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 23.6% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 58.1% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 27.6% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 14.4% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 5.5 | 5.5 (England) |
Is Handforth a safe place to live?
Handforth recorded 88.0 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 1,559th of the 3,911 neighbourhoods on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were shoplifting and public order.
What is the most common crime in Handforth?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 293 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by shoplifting (124).
Is crime in Handforth going up or down?
Recorded crime in Handforth was up 5% on the year before: 839 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 800 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Handforth?
About 9,533 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 18% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Handforth?
Handforth is policed by Cheshire.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.