Crime in Palace Wood: statistics, rates and trends
231 crimes were recorded in Palace Wood in the 12 months to August 2026, 31.6 per 1,000 residents. That is lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and down 10% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Palace Wood at a glance
- Crime trends in Palace Wood
- Types of crime in Palace Wood
- Palace Wood compared with nearby neighbourhoods
- Streets with the most crime in Palace Wood
- What happened after crimes were reported in Palace Wood
- Demographics of Palace Wood
- Questions about crime in Palace Wood
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (79), anti-social behaviour (57) and criminal damage and arson (26) made up 70% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 3,729th of the 3,911 neighbourhoods covered by this site (1 = highest), in the lowest tenth.
| Measure | Palace Wood | Maidstone | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 231 | 16,356 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 31.6 | 87.1 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -10% | -2% | -1% |
| Population | 7,320 | 187,767 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Palace Wood peaked in the year to August 2021 (289 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2020 (213). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it rose 4%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 231 | 31.6 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 257 | 35.1 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 238 | 32.5 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 225 | 30.7 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 235 | 32.1 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 289 | 39.5 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 213 | 29.1 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 246 | 33.6 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 222 | 30.3 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 25 |
| July 2026 | 22 |
| June 2026 | 17 |
| May 2026 | 26 |
| April 2026 | 23 |
| March 2026 | 21 |
| February 2026 | 14 |
| January 2026 | 17 |
| December 2025 | 20 |
| November 2025 | 14 |
| October 2025 | 14 |
| September 2025 | 18 |
No category with at least 20 crimes was notably above the England and Wales rate, and violence and sexual offences (68% below) and anti-social behaviour (49% below) were well below it. On the year before, anti-social behaviour rose from 49 to 57, while violence and sexual offences fell from 93 to 79.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 79 | 10.8 | 34.2 | -15% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 57 | 7.8 | 15.4 | +16% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 26 | 3.6 | 6.7 | +13% |
| Other theft | 16 | 2.2 | 6.4 | n/a |
| Shoplifting | 16 | 2.2 | 8.5 | n/a |
| Public order | 11 | 1.5 | 6.7 | n/a |
| Vehicle crime | 9 | 1.2 | 5.0 | n/a |
| Drugs | 5 | 0.7 | 3.3 | n/a |
| Other crime | 5 | 0.7 | 2.1 | n/a |
| Burglary | 4 | 0.5 | 3.6 | n/a |
| Bicycle theft | 1 | 0.1 | 0.8 | n/a |
| Possession of weapons | 1 | 0.1 | 1.0 | n/a |
| Robbery | 1 | 0.1 | 1.4 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
Every one of the 8 nearest neighbourhoods has a higher crime rate than Palace Wood.
| Neighbourhood | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Palace Wood |
|---|---|---|---|
| Allington & Bridge | 745 | 88.6 | +181% |
| Fant & Oakwood | 1,276 | 101.3 | +221% |
| Barming Heath & Teston | 971 | 113.5 | +260% |
| Penenden Heath | 1,239 | 80.4 | +155% |
| Tovil | 459 | 70.0 | +122% |
| High Street | 3,218 | 278.2 | +782% |
| Grove Green & Vinters Park | 409 | 50.7 | +61% |
| Loose & Linton | 669 | 64.0 | +103% |
The 10 locations below account for 45% of the crime recorded in Palace Wood over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Cranford Road” (15).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Cranford Road | 15 |
| On or near London Road | 13 |
| On or near Clement Court | 12 |
| On or near Bramshott Close | 10 |
| On or near Chestnut Road | 10 |
| On or near Queensgate | 10 |
| On or near Trapham Road | 10 |
| On or near Chapelfield Way | 9 |
| On or near Pickers Road | 8 |
| On or near Allington Way | 7 |
Of the 174 crimes in Palace Wood with a recorded outcome, 41% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 4.6% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 57 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 72 | 41.4% | 35.3% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 51 | 29.3% | 34.5% |
| Under investigation | 14 | 8.0% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 8 | 4.6% | 5.2% |
| Local resolution | 7 | 4.0% | 3.1% |
| Court result unavailable | 6 | 3.4% | 2.5% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 5 | 2.9% | 1.3% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 4 | 2.3% | 0.3% |
| Status update unavailable | 4 | 2.3% | 4.7% |
| Offender given a caution | 3 | 1.7% | 0.6% |
Palace Wood has an estimated population of 7,320 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has less social housing (2.3%, against 17.1%), fewer households without a car (10%, against 23%) and less private renting (8.9%, against 20.3%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Palace Wood average decile 10.0 (1 = most deprived), less deprived than average.
| Measure | Palace Wood | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 16.7% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 26.5% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 55.3% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 2.2% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 32.9% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 5.4% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 31.8% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 16.2% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 10.3% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 88.7% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 2.3% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 8.9% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 10.0 | 5.5 (England) |
Is Palace Wood a safe place to live?
Palace Wood recorded 31.6 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 3,729th of the 3,911 neighbourhoods on this site by crime rate (1 = highest).
What is the most common crime in Palace Wood?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 79 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (57).
Is crime in Palace Wood going up or down?
Recorded crime in Palace Wood was down 10% on the year before: 231 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 257 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Palace Wood?
About 7,320 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 27% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Palace Wood?
Palace Wood is policed by Kent.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.