Crime in High Town: statistics, rates and trends
1,364 crimes were recorded in High Town in the 12 months to August 2026, 109.4 per 1,000 residents. That is close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and up 8% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in High Town at a glance
- Crime trends in High Town
- Types of crime in High Town
- High Town compared with nearby neighbourhoods
- Streets with the most crime in High Town
- What happened after crimes were reported in High Town
- Demographics of High Town
- Questions about crime in High Town
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (459), anti-social behaviour (293) and vehicle crime (155) made up 66% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 1,023rd of the 3,911 neighbourhoods covered by this site (1 = highest), in the upper half.
| Measure | High Town | Luton | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 1,364 | 22,028 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 109.4 | 92.1 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +8% | -4% | -1% |
| Population | 12,468 | 239,090 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in High Town peaked in the year to August 2021 (1,378 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2020 (1,225). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it rose 3%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 1,364 | 109.4 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 1,263 | 101.3 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 1,310 | 105.1 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 1,297 | 104.0 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 1,359 | 109.0 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 1,378 | 110.5 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 1,225 | 98.3 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 1,364 | 109.4 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 1,328 | 106.5 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 128 |
| July 2026 | 144 |
| June 2026 | 116 |
| May 2026 | 143 |
| April 2026 | 127 |
| March 2026 | 92 |
| February 2026 | 110 |
| January 2026 | 119 |
| December 2025 | 112 |
| November 2025 | 101 |
| October 2025 | 89 |
| September 2025 | 83 |
Compared with England and Wales, High Town recorded notably more vehicle crime (2.5 times the national rate), anti-social behaviour (53% above the national rate) and drugs (40% above the national rate). On the year before, criminal damage and arson rose from 75 to 109 and burglary rose from 43 to 52, while public order fell from 100 to 84.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 459 | 36.8 | 34.2 | +19% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 293 | 23.5 | 15.4 | -7% |
| Vehicle crime | 155 | 12.4 | 5.0 | +12% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 109 | 8.7 | 6.7 | +45% |
| Public order | 84 | 6.7 | 6.7 | -16% |
| Other theft | 75 | 6.0 | 6.4 | +10% |
| Drugs | 57 | 4.6 | 3.3 | +4% |
| Burglary | 52 | 4.2 | 3.6 | +21% |
| Robbery | 22 | 1.8 | 1.4 | n/a |
| Other crime | 19 | 1.5 | 2.1 | n/a |
| Bicycle theft | 12 | 1.0 | 0.8 | n/a |
| Possession of weapons | 12 | 1.0 | 1.0 | n/a |
| Theft from the person | 12 | 1.0 | 1.7 | n/a |
| Shoplifting | 3 | 0.2 | 8.5 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
3 of the 8 nearest neighbourhoods have a higher crime rate than High Town; the highest is Central, Luton (448.8 per 1,000) and the lowest Vauxhall, Luton (57.4).
| Neighbourhood | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs High Town |
|---|---|---|---|
| Round Green | 733 | 64.9 | -41% |
| Central | 3,706 | 448.8 | +310% |
| Biscot | 698 | 61.4 | -44% |
| Vauxhall | 456 | 57.4 | -48% |
| Beech Hill | 1,180 | 76.8 | -30% |
| South | 1,866 | 147.6 | +35% |
| Farley | 2,019 | 117.0 | +7% |
| Dallow | 872 | 85.7 | -22% |
The 10 locations below account for 48% of the crime recorded in High Town over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Parking Area” (159).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Parking Area | 159 |
| On or near Duke Street | 95 |
| On or near Plait Court | 62 |
| On or near Arden Place | 61 |
| On or near Dudley Street | 57 |
| On or near Moorland Gardens | 56 |
| On or near Clarendon Road | 45 |
| On or near Edward Street | 42 |
| On or near The Larches | 42 |
| On or near Treetop Close | 39 |
Of the 1,071 crimes in High Town with a recorded outcome, 38% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 4.9% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 293 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 437 | 40.8% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 410 | 38.3% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 88 | 8.2% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 52 | 4.9% | 5.2% |
| Court result unavailable | 24 | 2.2% | 2.5% |
| Local resolution | 18 | 1.7% | 3.1% |
| Status update unavailable | 16 | 1.5% | 4.7% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 11 | 1.0% | 1.3% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 7 | 0.7% | 0.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 7 | 0.7% | 0.6% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 1 | 0.1% | 0.3% |
High Town has an estimated population of 12,468 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more private renting (53%, against 20%), a younger population (6.9%, against 18.9%) and more households without a car (37%, against 23%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up High Town average decile 3.6 (1 = most deprived), more deprived than average.
| Measure | High Town | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 21.2% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 6.9% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 65.6% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 5.5% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 9.3% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 10.9% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 35.6% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 20.4% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 37.2% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 35.2% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 11.7% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 52.9% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 3.6 | 5.5 (England) |
Is High Town a safe place to live?
High Town recorded 109.4 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 1,023rd of the 3,911 neighbourhoods on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were vehicle crime and anti-social behaviour.
What is the most common crime in High Town?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 459 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (293).
Is crime in High Town going up or down?
Recorded crime in High Town was up 8% on the year before: 1,364 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 1,263 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of High Town?
About 12,468 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 6.9% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers High Town?
High Town is policed by Bedfordshire.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.