Crime in Orpington: statistics, rates and trends
1,531 crimes were recorded in Orpington in the 12 months to August 2026, 112.1 per 1,000 residents. That is higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and up 3% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Orpington at a glance
- Crime trends in Orpington
- Types of crime in Orpington
- Orpington compared with nearby neighbourhoods
- Streets with the most crime in Orpington
- What happened after crimes were reported in Orpington
- Demographics of Orpington
- Questions about crime in Orpington
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (363), anti-social behaviour (304) and shoplifting (205) made up 57% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 969th of the 3,911 neighbourhoods covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest quarter.
| Measure | Orpington | Bromley | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 1,531 | 29,136 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 112.1 | 86.9 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +3% | -2% | -1% |
| Population | 13,653 | 335,319 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Orpington peaked in the year to August 2023 (1,666 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2018 (1,353). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it rose 13%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 1,531 | 112.1 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 1,490 | 109.1 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 1,640 | 120.1 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 1,666 | 122.0 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 1,525 | 111.7 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 1,478 | 108.3 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 1,442 | 105.6 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 1,639 | 120.0 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 1,353 | 99.1 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 125 |
| July 2026 | 160 |
| June 2026 | 126 |
| May 2026 | 141 |
| April 2026 | 114 |
| March 2026 | 105 |
| February 2026 | 107 |
| January 2026 | 103 |
| December 2025 | 141 |
| November 2025 | 128 |
| October 2025 | 143 |
| September 2025 | 138 |
Compared with England and Wales, Orpington recorded notably more vehicle crime (2.2 times the national rate), robbery (83% above the national rate) and shoplifting (78% above the national rate), and notably less violence and sexual offences (22% below) and other crime (20% below). On the year before, drugs rose from 26 to 38 and burglary rose from 59 to 84, while criminal damage and arson fell from 144 to 76.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 363 | 26.6 | 34.2 | -4% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 304 | 22.3 | 15.4 | -15% |
| Shoplifting | 205 | 15.0 | 8.5 | +39% |
| Vehicle crime | 147 | 10.8 | 5.0 | +11% |
| Other theft | 100 | 7.3 | 6.4 | +39% |
| Public order | 99 | 7.3 | 6.7 | +10% |
| Burglary | 84 | 6.2 | 3.6 | +42% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 76 | 5.6 | 6.7 | -47% |
| Theft from the person | 39 | 2.9 | 1.7 | +18% |
| Drugs | 38 | 2.8 | 3.3 | +46% |
| Robbery | 34 | 2.5 | 1.4 | +21% |
| Other crime | 23 | 1.7 | 2.1 | n/a |
| Bicycle theft | 12 | 0.9 | 0.8 | n/a |
| Possession of weapons | 7 | 0.5 | 1.0 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
1 of the 8 nearest neighbourhoods have a higher crime rate than Orpington; the highest is St Paul's Cray (139.5 per 1,000) and the lowest Chelsfield (43.5).
| Neighbourhood | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Orpington |
|---|---|---|---|
| St Mary Cray | 1,500 | 85.5 | -24% |
| Chelsfield | 566 | 43.5 | -61% |
| Petts Wood & Knoll | 629 | 44.5 | -60% |
| Farnborough & Crofton | 1,296 | 68.7 | -39% |
| St Paul's Cray | 2,664 | 139.5 | +24% |
| Bromley Common & Holwood | 1,281 | 73.7 | -34% |
| Chislehurst | 1,072 | 66.3 | -41% |
| Bickley & Sundridge | 987 | 51.1 | -54% |
The 10 locations below account for 48% of the crime recorded in Orpington over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Supermarket” (139).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Supermarket | 139 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 119 |
| On or near Parking Area | 116 |
| On or near Juglans Road | 94 |
| On or near Augustus Lane | 81 |
| On or near High Street | 49 |
| On or near Maltby Close | 42 |
| On or near Viridian Mews | 36 |
| On or near Tintagel Road | 31 |
| On or near Ramsden Close | 27 |
Of the 1,227 crimes in Orpington with a recorded outcome, 50% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 3.5% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 304 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 611 | 49.8% | 35.3% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 286 | 23.3% | 34.5% |
| Under investigation | 168 | 13.7% | 11.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 67 | 5.5% | 4.7% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 43 | 3.5% | 5.2% |
| Local resolution | 17 | 1.4% | 3.1% |
| Court result unavailable | 15 | 1.2% | 2.5% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 12 | 1.0% | 1.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 5 | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Offender given penalty notice | 2 | 0.2% | 0.1% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 1 | 0.1% | 0.5% |
Orpington has an estimated population of 13,653 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has less private renting (14%, against 20%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Orpington average decile 7.0 (1 = most deprived), less deprived than average.
| Measure | Orpington | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 19.4% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 20.6% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 57.0% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 3.6% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 24.3% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 6.2% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 39.5% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 14.9% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 21.4% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 72.3% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 13.9% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 13.7% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 7.0 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 13.7% | 10.1% (England) |
Is Orpington a safe place to live?
Orpington recorded 112.1 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 969th 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 Orpington?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 363 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (304).
Is crime in Orpington going up or down?
Recorded crime in Orpington was up 3% on the year before: 1,531 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 1,490 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Orpington?
About 13,653 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 21% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Orpington?
Orpington 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.