Crime in South Balham: statistics, rates and trends
719 crimes were recorded in South Balham in the 12 months to August 2026, 82.4 per 1,000 residents. That is lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and down 14% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in South Balham at a glance
- Crime trends in South Balham
- Types of crime in South Balham
- South Balham compared with nearby neighbourhoods
- Streets with the most crime in South Balham
- What happened after crimes were reported in South Balham
- Demographics of South Balham
- Questions about crime in South Balham
- About this data
Crime map
Anti-social behaviour (173), violence and sexual offences (151) and vehicle crime (80) made up 56% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 1,749th of the 3,911 neighbourhoods covered by this site (1 = highest), in the upper half.
| Measure | South Balham | Wandsworth | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 719 | 33,210 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 82.4 | 98.4 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -14% | -1% | -1% |
| Population | 8,731 | 337,655 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in South Balham peaked in the year to August 2021 (1,045 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2018 (566). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it rose 27%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 719 | 82.4 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 839 | 96.1 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 809 | 92.7 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 801 | 91.7 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 768 | 88.0 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 1,045 | 119.7 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 880 | 100.8 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 618 | 70.8 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 566 | 64.8 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 69 |
| July 2026 | 83 |
| June 2026 | 58 |
| May 2026 | 65 |
| April 2026 | 59 |
| March 2026 | 53 |
| February 2026 | 55 |
| January 2026 | 51 |
| December 2025 | 44 |
| November 2025 | 51 |
| October 2025 | 74 |
| September 2025 | 57 |
Compared with England and Wales, South Balham recorded notably more vehicle crime (84% above the national rate), robbery (68% above the national rate) and theft from the person (50% above the national rate), and notably less criminal damage and arson (51% below) and violence and sexual offences (49% below). On the year before, burglary fell from 68 to 36 and shoplifting fell from 102 to 61.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-social behaviour | 173 | 19.8 | 15.4 | -2% |
| Violence and sexual offences | 151 | 17.3 | 34.2 | -6% |
| Vehicle crime | 80 | 9.2 | 5.0 | -30% |
| Other theft | 65 | 7.4 | 6.4 | +14% |
| Shoplifting | 61 | 7.0 | 8.5 | -40% |
| Public order | 40 | 4.6 | 6.7 | +8% |
| Burglary | 36 | 4.1 | 3.6 | -47% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 29 | 3.3 | 6.7 | -17% |
| Drugs | 22 | 2.5 | 3.3 | n/a |
| Theft from the person | 22 | 2.5 | 1.7 | +5% |
| Robbery | 20 | 2.3 | 1.4 | -23% |
| Bicycle theft | 8 | 0.9 | 0.8 | n/a |
| Other crime | 8 | 0.9 | 2.1 | n/a |
| Possession of weapons | 4 | 0.5 | 1.0 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
3 of the 8 nearest neighbourhoods have a higher crime rate than South Balham; the highest is Tooting Broadway (158.4 per 1,000) and the lowest Northcote (64.1).
| Neighbourhood | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs South Balham |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trinity | 1,589 | 129.9 | +58% |
| Tooting Bec | 1,319 | 70.3 | -15% |
| Balham | 2,051 | 125.4 | +52% |
| Furzedown | 1,271 | 70.5 | -14% |
| Tooting Broadway | 2,715 | 158.4 | +92% |
| Northcote | 822 | 64.1 | -22% |
| Wandsworth Common | 1,152 | 68.6 | -17% |
| Wandle | 774 | 73.4 | -11% |
The 10 locations below account for 61% of the crime recorded in South Balham over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Supermarket” (90).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Supermarket | 90 |
| On or near Larch Close | 59 |
| On or near Bedford Hill | 52 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 52 |
| On or near Elmbourne Road | 37 |
| On or near Huron Road | 36 |
| On or near Balham High Road | 33 |
| On or near Park/Open Space | 28 |
| On or near Terrapin Road | 28 |
| On or near Drakefield Road | 26 |
Of the 546 crimes in South Balham with a recorded outcome, 52% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 4.2% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 173 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 283 | 51.8% | 35.3% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 155 | 28.4% | 34.5% |
| Under investigation | 46 | 8.4% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 23 | 4.2% | 5.2% |
| Status update unavailable | 16 | 2.9% | 4.7% |
| Court result unavailable | 11 | 2.0% | 2.5% |
| Local resolution | 7 | 1.3% | 3.1% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 3 | 0.5% | 0.3% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 1 | 0.2% | 0.5% |
| Offender given a caution | 1 | 0.2% | 0.6% |
South Balham has an estimated population of 8,731 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more households without a car (49%, against 23%), more residents with Level 4 qualifications or above (69%, against 34%) and more private renting (36%, against 20%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up South Balham average decile 7.0 (1 = most deprived), less deprived than average.
| Measure | South Balham | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 14.2% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 9.9% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 73.3% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 3.5% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 10.2% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 5.0% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 69.3% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 8.2% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 49.4% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 43.8% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 20.0% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 36.0% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 7.0 | 5.5 (England) |
Is South Balham a safe place to live?
South Balham recorded 82.4 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 1,749th 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 South Balham?
Anti-social behaviour was the most common category, with 173 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by violence and sexual offences (151).
Is crime in South Balham going up or down?
Recorded crime in South Balham was down 14% on the year before: 719 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 839 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of South Balham?
About 8,731 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 9.9% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers South Balham?
South Balham 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.